SUNY Institute of Technology - Peter J. Cayan Library

A literature review is an assignment that involves a lot of thinking and considering. Thinking and considering take time. A good literature review uses the best articles, and this limitation also requires time. The best advice is START EARLY!

Because your literature review is supposed to “paint a picture,” you should:

observe trends and themes
draw conclusions
consider and discuss larger issues, not the details of a specific article
compare and contrast articles and describe their similarities and differences
look for problems and their solutions

Do not choose random articles; choose articles that are related by something. Consider using articles that are cited by other articles.

Books

Conducting research literature reviews [Q 180.55 .M4 F56 2005]
Designing and managing a research project: A business student's guide [HD 30.4 .P65 2005]
Dissertations and theses from start to finish [BF 76.5 .C645 2006]
Doing qualitative research [H 62 .S472 2005]
The literature review: A step-by-step guide for students [LB 2369 .R525 2008]

How to . . .

Examples

Reference Books

Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology and Behavioral Science [Ready Ref BF 31 .E52 2001]
Dictionary of Scientific Biography [Ref Q 141 .D5]
Encyclopedia of Psychology [Ready Ref BF 31 .E52 2000]
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association [Ready Ref BF 76.7 .P83 2001]
Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms [Ready Ref BF 1 .P655 2005]