VI. Literature Review (Finding Sources)

A. A literature review surveys scholarly articles, books and other sources relevant to a particular issue, area of research, or theory, and by so doing, providing a description, summary, and critical evaluation of these works. Literature reviews are designed to provide an overview of sources you have explored while researching a particular topic and to demonstrate to your readers how your research fits into the larger field of study.

1. A literature review usually has an organizational pattern and combines both summary and synthesis, often within specific conceptual categories. A summary is a recap of the important information of the source, but a synthesis is a re-organization, or a reshuffling, of that information in a way that informs how you are planning to investigate a research problem. The analytical features of a literature review might:

a. Give a new interpretation of old material or combine new with old interpretations,

b. Trace the intellectual progression of the field, including major debates,

c. Depending on the situation, evaluate the sources and advise the reader on the most pertinent or relevant, or

d. Usually in the conclusion of a literature review, identify where gaps exist in how a problem has been researched to date.

2. The purpose of a literature review is to:

a. Place each work in the context of its contribution to the understanding of the research problem being studied,

b. Describe the relationship of each work to the others under consideration,

c. Identify new ways to interpret, and shed light on any gaps in previous research,

d. Resolve conflicts amongst seemingly contradictory previous studies,

e. Identify areas of prior scholarship to prevent duplication of effort,

f. Point the way in fulfilling a need for additional research, and

g. Locate your own research within the context of existing literature.

B. Use UAHT Librarys databases to find journal articles and other information that is available in fulltext online.

1. How to Search the Databases

2. How to Use eBooks on EBSCOhost

C. Use the library catalog to find books, eBooks, DVDs and other items in UAHT Librarys collection.

D. Items that are not available in the Librarys collection or are accessible in full text online can be ordered through the Librarys Interlibrary Loan (ILL) service.