1. EDUC 6540: Data Based Decision-Making for School Leaders
The Literature Review
EDUC 6540: Data Based Decision-Making for School Leaders

2. Literature Review: The purpose of a literature review is:
To provide the reader or researcher a review what is already known about a given topic.
To provide the researcher a foundation upon which to build new research.

3. Literature Review: Types of literature to include in a review
Primary Research:
Refereed journal articles describing primary research projects and their results.
Secondary Research:
Other Literature Reviews: Refereed journal articles reviewing literature on your topic. (Add ‘literature review’ to your other key words to find).
Meta-analyses: Refereed journal articles reviewing a number of completed primary research projects.

4. Literature Review: Ways to Organize
Chronologically: This works particularly well in historic reviews, or in projects where the history of a particular subject is important.
To use this method:
Think about the articles you have reviewed.
Organize your materials chronologically.
Report the findings in chronological order.
Use headings that reflect time periods being reviewed: Ex: – 1960 etc.

5. Literature Review: Ways to Organize
Organize by Main Points
Review your literature.
Identify main points that are presented in the literature.
Notice patterns that may connect the different articles you reviewed.
Identify names for the patterns you identified.
Organize your literature review around the patterns you noticed. Ex: Adult Development: Cyclical Development, Stage Development, etc.

6. Literature Review: Ways to Organize
Compare and Contrast:
Depending on your topic, you may find that there are strong opposing views or a number of accepted theories or frameworks presented.
If this is the case, review your materials.
Identify the headings that make sense for your topic: Ex: Phonics Approach / Balance Literacy Approach; Chronological History Approach / Back- ward History Approach, etc.
Organize your paper using these headings.

7. Literature Review: Ways to Organize
Other Approaches:
Similar Outcomes: Group Studies by similar outcomes and describe how several studies connect.
Different Outcomes: Report Studies separately and summarize the outcomes of each.
Reflective Learning: Think about what you learned by reviewing the literature you reviewed. Refine your learning into a few simple headings. Organize your paper around those headings.

8. Literature Review: Tips for Successful Lit Reviews
Read at least two literature reviews that have been written by others. (Search literature with your topic: Ex: Adolescent Literacy and Literature Review)
Note the format.
Include citations within the body of the literature review (author’s last name, date of publication).
This helps the reader quickly see the authors of the research you reviewed.

9. Formatting Your Literature Review:
Review of Related Literature
Literature Review
  Begin your text here. Don't forget to double-space.
The second line begins at the margin.
Indent five spaces to begin each new paragraph.
Subtopic heading. With level three headings, begin here.

10. Literature Review Second Subtopic Heading
Begin the text for your second subtopic heading here. Note the five space indentation. Note that the second line again begins at the margin. Etc.
Third Level Subtopic Heading.

11. Literature Review Notes: Consult six to ten (+) sources.
Expected length: 3-5 pages.
Summarize what you learned as you completed your literature review.
Organize the material around themes you noted across articles.

12. Literature Review
Include quotes from your research as you discuss the information you gathered.
Include citations within the body of the work like this: (Author's Last Name, Date)
This should be a substantial section of your proposal.
You have done a lot of reading in a specific area. What did you learn?

13. Literature Review:
“An examination of journal articles, ERIC documents, books, and other sources related to your action research project” (Johnson, 2005).
By reviewing related literature, you can identify a topic, narrow its focus, and gather information for developing a research design, as well as the overall project (Rousseay & Tam, 1996).

14. Literature Review:
“The literature review can also help establish a connection between your action research project and what others have said, done, and discovered before you” (Johnson, 2005).
“A literature review allows you to use the insights and discoveries of others whose research came before yours in order to make your research more efficient and effective.” (Mertler, 2006)

15. Literature Review: Literature Review Topic/Broad Question
Narrowed Question
Background Information
Methodology
Reflection on Question, Process, etc.
Data Analysis
Action Plan
Reflection on Data Analysis, etc.

16. Selecting Literature to Search:
1) Understand the wide range of literature available. Well-researched articles, that include the collection of original data = empirical research. Grounded in research, not opinion.
2) Representative Cross-section of Literature Available. Look for a variety of viewpoints that both support and contradict your views.

17. Selecting Literature to Search:
3) Be aware of the timeliness of the literature you find. Consider both historical ‘grounding’ and current updates.
4) You may begin to recognize the ‘big names’ in your field.
5) Master’s theses typically call for 25+ sources. Doctoral dissertations usually call for Action research: 2 – 15.

18. Literature Reviews: Literature review includes:
A) Introductory paragraph summarizing what you found by doing the literature review.
B) Related research to support opposing views.
C) Themes or strands you may have uncovered.
D) Historic context.
E) Purpose: To explain to the reader what you learned by consulting the literature.
F) Use narrative format to summarize your findings.
G) APA 6th ed. Google: Purdue

19. Citing References : In the body of the literature review:
(Mertler, 2012)
(author’s last name, copyright date)
At the end of your research proposal:
In ‘References’ section:
A) Include the entire citation.
B) Mertler, C. S. (2012). Action Research: Teachers as researchers in the classroom. Thousand Oaks, Ca: Sage Publishers.

20. Review of Sample Ways to Organize Literature Review:
Identify Common Strands
Compare and Contrast
Historical Outline
Story
Diverse Strands, etc.