Researching & Writing a
Literature Review
Karen Ciccone
NCSU Libraries
In being asked to write a literature review,
you may hear the following phrases:
“What does the literature show us?”
“Connect your ideas to the literature.”
“Survey the literature on the topic.”
What is the literature?
“The literature” is the published
record of the research that has been
done in a field. It can be compared
to a conversation or “chain story” in
which each person who contributes
picks up where someone else left
off.
Indexed and searchable using
library databases, Google Scholar
Accessed through paid library
subscriptions
Digging Into the Literature
= Major works
B
A
C
Digging Into the Literature
=
Major works
=
Studies that rely on
the major works
B
C
A
D
Digging Into the Literature
=
Major works
=
Studies that build on
Ideas in major works
=
New major work
B
C
A
D
Your literature review is the specific
story that sets the background for
and shows the importance of your
research.
It is not merely a summary of what has been done
before!
It is a conceptual framework presenting your own
understanding of the literature and setting the
context for your own work.
The literature review portion of your
thesis also serves to:
Demonstrate your knowledge of your topic
and the field
Ensure that your research has not been done
before
Point the way to future research
Overview of the Process
Topic:
choose,
explore,
focus
Collect Information:
search databases, find
articles, evaluate and
select articles
Read Articles:
analyze articles, synthesize information
into a new conceptual framework (not
just a series of article descriptions) –
take detailed notes and write an evolving
draft as you go along!
Write and
Revise Paper,
and Create
Bibliography
RefWorks:
download articles from
searches, use to
create the paper’s
bibliography
Questions
“What are the components of a literature
review?”
Questions
“What are the components of a literature
review?”
 introduction providing context
 overview of key concepts and important papers
 discussion of critical gaps and disagreements
in the literature
Models of Paper Structures
“Stringing” Model:
how you might organize a simple
summary paper
“Synthesis” Model:
one way you might organize your literature
review

Introduction


Introduction--Introduce context, topic,
importance, research questions, overview
Paragraph 1: Summary or
description of article 1

Theme A: Introduce concept or theme,
discuss/compare the relevant parts of papers
1, 3, and 4

Theme B: Introduce concept or theme,
discuss/compare the relevant parts of papers
2,4, and 5

Theme C: Introduce concept or theme,
discuss/compare the relevant parts of papers
5 and 6

Final paragraphs --Summarize and highlight
conclusions, unresolved issues, identify
possible next steps in research and/or
practice.


Paragraph 2: Summary or
description of article 2
Paragraph 3: Summary or
description of article 3

Paragraph 4: Summary or
description of article 4

Summary and conclusions
This is not a good model for a
literature review!
Questions
“Is there a particular step-by-step process to
follow?”
Read Synthetically
Identify major themes or concepts in the
literature
Classify papers, or paper sections, by topic,
method, theme
Compare and contrast papers
What are the relationships between sources?
Where are there disagreements?
What work still needs to be done?
Outline your conceptual framework in an
evolving draft
A Synthesis Matrix
Tool to aid in synthesizing information
from several sources
James, et
al.
Concept
1
Concept
2
xxxxx
xxxxx
Chung
Levy
Concept
3
xxxxx
xxxx
Concept
4
xxxxx
xxxxx
Some Tips for Writing
 Don’t wait until you’ve finished searching the
literature – write your thoughts as you read.
 Start with the easier sections (probably not the
introduction).
 Take detailed notes, including complete
citations.
 Get feedback, and don’t take it too personally.
 Aim for a style that is clear, simple, and
straightforward.
Questions
“How do I know when I have found enough
information?”
“How do I know when I have done a
thorough review of the major works on a
topic?”
Collecting Information
1. Find books on your topic. Review the works
cited.
2. Search the major index for your field, indexes
for related fields, and Google Scholar.
 Determine scope of topic within your discipline
 Round out understanding with terms and concepts from
other disciplines
 Use database alerts to stay abreast
3. Search a citation database (Web of Science)
 Identify seminal papers
 Trace citations back and forward to find related works
 Use citation alerts for important papers
Talk to your advisor. Share your list of
references and ask if there are others you
should be sure to read and include.
… make sure to include your advisor’s
work that pertains to your research!
Questions
“What’s the best way to keep your
references organized?”
“Is there software to help you with the
process?”
Housekeeping Tips
 Document searches, including search terms and
topics covered in each database
Save searches and set up alerts
 Always get the complete citation information, and
use a consistent format in referring to authors and
papers, e.g. (Smith 1990)
 Use a writing system that helps you avoid
inadvertent plagiarism, i.e., cite and use quotes
when needed
 Use a citation management system, such as
RefWorks or Zotero
Ask Questions!
Your advisor is there to help you.
Librarians are there to help you:
http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/askus
http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/staff/subjectspecialists/
Other workshops
Literature Searching
How to identify good databases
Maximizing your use of them
Citation Management
How to save and organize your
references
How to format your citations