The document provides guidance on conducting an effective literature review by outlining the key steps including determining the purpose and importance of the topic, searching and analyzing relevant sources, organizing sources into themes, and structuring the writing with an outline using headings, transitions and reviews. The review emphasizes evaluating sources based on their relevance and usefulness to the research project in order to identify gaps and avoid duplicating past work.

1. Literature Review!

2. Learning objectives!
I. Purpose of a literature review"
II. Work process"
III. Writing & organization"

3. Wait a minute!!
• Introduction:"
– Explain your topic"
– Demonstrate the importance of your topic"
• why does it matter?"
• why does it need to be researched?"
– State the goal of your project"
– Preview whatʼs to come"

4. I. Purpose of a Literature
Review!
• Gives you a foundation for your project"
– Definitions of concepts"
– Research methodologies"
– Theoretical perspectives"
– Previous findings - so you donʼt reinvent the wheel"
• Gives you reasons for your project"
– Gaps in existing research"
– Calls for further research/application"

5. II. Work Process!
1. Identify your question/area of interest"
2. Search and collect sources"
3. Read & review sources"
4. Group sources into clusters"
5. Organize the clusters"
6. Create an outline"
7. Write!"

6. Search & Collect Sources!
• Search academic databases broadly
(1-2 keywords)"
• Identify keywords used in the literature"
• Read lists of references and identify
useful articles"
• Vary your search strategy"

7. Read & Review Sources!
• Be selfish & self-centered:"
– Is this relevant to my topic? How?"
– Is this useful to my topic? How?"
• Note relevant ideas from each article"
– in a database (Refworks)"
– on note cards"
– on first page of article"

8. Evaluating & critiquing
previous research!
• Evaluate previous research briefly and
concisely only in terms of usefulness to your
project"
– This idea/concept/theory/methodology is useful to
my study… explain how you will use the idea"
– This project tried to do what Iʼm trying to do, but
did it badly/insufficiently, so the RQ was not
properly answered; there is still a gap/need for
research"
– This article calls for the type of work I intend to do"

9. Group articles into clusters!

11. An RA can help!

12. Writing & Organizing!
1. Start with organizing: Create an
outline!"
2. Use headings and subheadings for
sections and sub-sections"
3. Use previews at the beginning of
sections"
4. Use transitions"
5. Use reviews at the end of sections"

13. Create an outline!
• Just. Do. It."
• It helps tremendously, even if you donʼt
like it/believe in it"
• Assignment: Lit review clusters &
argument"