Literature Reviews

1
Literature Reviews

• How to Read and Write Literature Reviews

2
Guidelines for Writing a Lit Review (Pyrczak
Bruce)

• Start intro by describing problem area (5.1 5.2
  5.3 5.4)
• Lit review is a persuasive review of literature
  (5.6 5.15)
• Use direct quotations sparingly (5.14)
• Point out trends/themes and gaps (5.8 5.9 5.7)
• Conclude with your research question and how your
  study differs from previous studies (5.11)

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Tips for Writing Lit Reviews

• Read numerous reviews of literature (see homework
  assignment)
• look at how it was organized
• how were transitions made from one topic to
  another
• Write an outline
• give it to team member to review
• Let others read it and give feedback
• Revise and rewrite
• writing is a process expect to revise/rewrite

4
More Tips See also.

• Galvan text
• Chap.1 (pp. 6-9)
• Chap 2 (pp. 13-14)
• Chap 3 (lit searches)
• Chap 4 (evaluating lit)
• Chap 6 (analyzing lit)
• Chap 7 (writing 1st draft)
• Chap 8-11 (writing the lit review)
• Appendix A and B (electronic searches)

5
Lit Review Assignment 2 Parts

• Read Individual differences in Student Cheating
• answer questions (see next slide for ques)
• Complete Exercise for Chap 5 ( 1 or 2) with one
  article or thesis

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Questions for Article Part 1

• What categories were used by the authors to group
  the articles they reviewed?
• Describe one case in which the authors have
  identified a gap in the literature.
• Note another example in which the authors
  explicitly comment about other kinds of
  relationships between studies (i.e.,
  similarities, differences, etc.)