Writing a Literature Review

What is a "Literature Review?" Gives the reader the sense that you have examined the topic are familiar with contrasting perspectives and viewpoints In this section, you quote, summarize & paraphrase what other people say about your topic Save your own opinions and arguments for the Discussion Section.

A literature review Usually has an organizational pattern Combines both summary and synthesis Summary: a recap of important information Synthesis: a re-organization or a reshuffling of that information It might give a new interpretation of old material or combine new with old interpretations It might trace the intellectual progression of the field, including major debates It may evaluate the sources and advise the reader on the most pertinent or relevant ones

In the Literature Review section you should describe the sources & information you found in your research Organize the material by topic, by perspective, or in some other coherent way Don't just dump the information in randomly in a "this one says this, that one says that" fashion Group & organize your information Identify different issues and positions Establish connections & differences between your sources

How do I put other people's ideas in my paper? You may want to begin your Literature Review with a statement such as "There are several different perspectives on the issue of __________," or "Experts disagree on what to do about ______." You can use phrases such as "John Q. Professor argues that..." or "states that," or “professes," to introduce quotes or paraphrases. Another useful phrase is "According to ______.“ Words such as "however," and phrases such as "on the other hand," are useful to indicate contrasting points of view.

Don’t forget!! Use paraphrases, short summaries, & selected quotes Avoid using many long, undigested block quotes Facts, opinions, positions, and perspectives are all important Whenever you use information or ideas from a source, document it appropriately using APA formatting

What should I do before writing the literature review? Read enough articles to get the “flavor” of your topic Take notes from the sources Find models of lit reviews Narrow your topic Consider whether your sources are current Think about an introduction, body & conclusion as you prepare to write