Literature Review: Structure of the Literature Review

Before venturing into writing a literature review, please address the following:

1.      Select the research topic.

2.     What are the corresponding research questions?   

3.      What might be some keywords, descriptors, of the research topic?   

4.   What might be the multiple purposes of your literature review?   

1.  Select Research Questions. RQ is a stated question that guides your thinking process and your literature review.

2.  Select Bibliographic Databases and Websites. Explore the collection of books, articles, websites, and other resources that discuss your topic.  

3.  Choose Search Terms. Base your terms on concepts and keywords that frame and define your RQ. Use Boolean terms and truncation in your search strategies to maximize your findings.  

4. Consult with Experts to review Databases and Search Terms. 

5. Write a reflection of your learning experience and the overall process.  

1.      Based on your search, screen your hits (ideally 15 - 20 hits). 

2.      Use practical and methodological criteria. 

3.    Include or exclude findings based on these criteria.

4.      Provide justifications for your criteria that will help you in your screening process. 

1.      Browse the literature quickly with a focus on abstract, introduction, and conclusion.  

2.      Begin with recent studies with special attention to the reference list, which might lead you to valuable studies.  

3.    Use RefWorks or EndNote to organize your findings - library. 

4.      Use a table or a spreadsheet to organize your findings, which will be very handy during the synthesis process.  

Search all of the library's materials through EBSCO Discovery Search below.

Recording Searches