WRITING LITERATURE REVIEWS : a guide for students of the social and behavioral sciences

Writing Literature Reviews: A Guide for Students of the Social and Behavioral Sciences provides students with practical guidelines for the complex process of writing literature reviews for course projects, theses or dissertations, and research manuscripts for publication. This bestselling book follows a systematic, natural progression of steps and focuses on the writing of critical reviews of original research. Steps and guidelines are organized sequentially and are illustrated with examples from a wide range of actual (and recent) academic journals. Each chapter is designed to scaffold and help students develop a set of specific products that will contribute to a competent literature review. Writing Literature Reviews is ideal for use in research methods courses, thesis/dissertation preparation courses, research seminars where a literature review is expected as a culminating activity, or any course in which the instructor needs to cover the vital components necessary to prepare a literature review for a variety of audiences. The book is supported by online materials including self-test quizzes for students, and lecture slides for instructors. New to this edition: Expanded sections on plagiarism and selection bias. Updated chapter examples and references. Expanded discussion of digital research tools. Discussion of the implications of AI use. New model literature reviews that complement existing reviews that our longtime adopters have found useful. These can serve as the basis for classroom discussions and as source material for end-of-chapter activities, as needed. Cover Half Title Title Copyright Dedication Contents Preface Audiences Unique Features New to This Edition Notes to the Instructor Acknowledgments Part I: Managing the Literature Search 1 Writing Reviews of Academic Literature: An Overview An Introduction to Reviewing Primary Sources Empirical Research Reports Theoretical Articles Literature Review Articles Anecdotal Reports Reports on Professional Practices and Standards The Writing Process Finding Your ‘Writer’s Voice’: Writing for a Specific Purpose Writing a Literature Review as a Term Paper for a Class Writing a Literature Review Chapter for a Thesis or Dissertation Writing a Literature Review for a Research Article The Parts of this Text Managing the Literature Search: Part I Analyzing the Relevant Literature: Part II Writing the First Draft of Your Literature Review: Part III Editing and Preparing the Final Draft of Your Review: Part IV Activities for Chapter 1 Notes 2 Learn to Navigate the Electronic Resources in Your University’s Library Step 1: Formalize Your Institutional Affiliation with Your University Library Step 2: Set Up Your Online Access Credentials and/or Proxy Server Step 3: Inquire about University Library Research Workshops Step 4: Select a Search Engine that Best Suits Your Needs Step 5: Familiarize Yourself with How Online Databases Function Step 6: Experiment with the “Advanced search” Feature Step 7: Identify an Array of Subject Keywords to Locate Your Sources Step 8: Learn How You Can Access the Articles You Choose Step 9: Identify Additional Databases that May Be Useful for Your Field of Study Step 10: Repeat the Search Procedures with Other Databases Activities for Chapter 2 Note 3 Selecting a Topic for Your Review Step 1: Define Your General Topic Step 2: Familiarize Yourself with the Basic Organization of Your Selected Online Database Step 3: Begin Your Search with a General Keyword, then Limit the Output Step 4: Identify Narrower Topic Areas If Your Initial List of Search Results Is Too Long Step 5: Increase the Size of Your Reference List, if Necessary Step 6: Consider Searching for Unpublished Studies Step 7: Start with the Most Current Research, and Work Backward Step 8: Search for Theoretical Articles on Your Topic Step 9: Look for Review Articles Step 10: Identify the Landmark or Classic Studies and Theorists Step 11: Assemble the Collection of Sources You Plan to Include in Your Review Step 12: Write the First Draft of Your Topic Statement Step 13: Redefine Your Topic More Narrowly Step 14: Ask for Feedback from Your Instructor or Advisor Activities for Chapter 3 Notes 4 Organizing Yourself to Begin the Selection of Relevant Titles Step 1: Scan the Articles to Get an Overview of Each One Step 2: Based on Your Prereading of the Articles, Group Them by Category Step 3: Conduct a More Focused Literature Search if Gaps Appear Step 4: Organize Yourself before Reading the Articles Step 5: Create a Spreadsheet or Table to Compile Your Notes Step 6: Remain Flexible as You Compile Your Notes Step 7: Take Extra Care When Copying an Author’s Exact Words Activities for Chapter 4 Notes Part II: Analyzing the Relevant Literature 5 Conduct a Deep Analysis of the Articles Guideline 1: Look for Explicit Definitions of Key Terms in the Literature Guideline 2: Look for Key Statistics to Use near the Beginning of Your Literature Review Guideline 3: Pay Special Attention to Review Articles on Your Topic Guideline 4: Make Note of Short but Important Quotations that Could Be Used Very Sparingly in Your Review Guideline 5: Look for Methodological Strengths Guideline 6: Look for Methodological Weaknesses Guideline 7: Distinguish between Assertion and Evidence Guideline 8: Identify the Major Trends or Patterns in the Results of Previous Studies Guideline 9: Identify Gaps in the Literature Guideline 10: Identify Relationships among Studies Guideline 11: Note How Closely Each Article Relates to Your Topic Guideline 12: Evaluate Your Reference List for Currency and for Coverage Guideline 13: Do Your Best to Mitigate Selection Bias Activities for Chapter 5 Notes 6 Analyzing Quantitative Research Literature Guideline 1: Note Whether the Research Is Quantitative or Qualitative Guideline 2: Note Whether a Study Is Experimental or Nonexperimental Guideline 3: In an Experiment, Note Whether the Participants Were Assigned at Random to Treatment Conditions Guideline 4: Note Attempts to Examine Cause-and-Effect Issues in Nonexperimental Studies Guideline 5: Consider the Test-Retest Reliability of the Measure Guideline 6: Consider the Internal Consistency Reliability of the Measure Guideline 7: Consider the Validity of the Measure Guideline 8: Consider Whether a Measure Is Valid For a Particular Research Purpose Guideline 9: Note Differences in How a Variable Is Measured Across Studies Guideline 10: Note How the Participants Were Sampled Guideline 11: Make Notes on the Demographics of the Participants Guideline 12: Note How Large a Difference Is—Not Just Whether It Is Statistically Significant Guideline 13: Presume That All Quantitative Studies Are Flawed Concluding Comment Activities for Chapter 6 Notes 7 Analyzing Qualitative Research Literature Guideline 1: Note Whether the Research Was Conducted By an Individual or By a Research Team Guideline 2: When There Is a Research Team, Note Whether Analysis of the Data Was Initially Conducted Independently Guideline 3: Note Whether Outside Experts Were Consulted Guideline 4: Note Whether the Participants Were Consulted on the Interpretation of the Data Guideline 5: Note Whether the Researchers Used a Purposive Sample or a Sample of Convenience Guideline 6: Note Whether the Demographics of the Participants Are Described Guideline 7: Consider Whether the Method of Qualitative Analysis Is Described in Sufficient Detail Guideline 8: Note Whether Quantities Are Provided When Qualitative Researchers Discuss Quantitative Matters Concluding Comment Activities for Chapter 7 Notes 8 Organizing Your Notes by Grouping the Results of Your Analysis Guideline 1: Consider Building a Table of Definitions Guideline 2: Consider Building a Table of Research Methods Guideline 3: Consider Including a Summary of Research Results in the Methods Table Guideline 4: When There Is Much Literature on a Topic, Establish Criteria for Determining Which Literature to Summarize in a Table Guideline 5: When There Is Much Literature on a Topic, Consider Other Options to Summarize It Guideline 6: Present Tables or Figures in a Literature Review Only for Complex Material Guideline 7: Discuss Each Table or Chart Included in a Literature Review Guideline 8: Give Each Table or Figure a Number and Descriptive Title Guideline 9: Insert Continued When Tables Split Across Pages Activities for Chapter 8 Notes Part III: Writing the First Draft of Your Literature Review 9 Synthesizing Trends and Patterns: Preparing to Write Guideline 1: Consider Your Purpose and Voice before Beginning to Write Guideline 2: Consider How to Reassemble Your Notes Guideline 3: Create a Topic Outline That Traces Your Argument Guideline 4: Reorganize Your Notes According to the Path of Your Argument Guideline 5: Within Each Topic Heading, Note Differences among Studies Guideline 6: Within Each Topic Heading, Look for Obvious Gaps or Areas Needing Additional Research Guideline 7: Plan to Briefly Describe Relevant Theories Guideline 8: Plan to Discuss How Individual Studies Relate to and Advance Theory Guideline 9: Plan to Summarize Periodically and Again near the End of the Review Guideline 10: Plan to Present Conclusions and Implications Guideline 11: Plan to Suggest Specific Directions for Future Research near the End of the Review Guideline 12: Flesh out Your Outline with Details from Your Analysis Activities for Chapter 9 Notes 10 Guidelines for Writing a First Draft Guideline 1: Sit Down and Write Guideline 2: Begin by Identifying the Broad Problem Area, but Avoid Global Statements Guideline 3: Early in the Review, Indicate Why the Topic Being Reviewed Is Important Guideline 4: Distinguish Between Research Findings and Other Sources of Information Guideline 5: Indicate Why Certain Studies Are Important Guideline 6: If You Are Commenting on the Timeliness of a Topic, Be Specific in Describing the Time Frame Guideline 7: If Citing a Classic or Landmark Study, Identify It as Such Guideline 8: If a Landmark Study Was Replicated, Mention That and Indicate the Results of the Replication Guideline 9: Discuss Other Literature Reviews on Your Topic Guideline 10: Describe Your Reasons for Choosing Not to Discuss a Particular Issue Guideline 11: Justify Comments Such As “No Studies Were Found” Guideline 12: Avoid Long Lists of Nonspecific References Guideline 13: If the Results of Previous Studies Are Inconsistent or Widely Varying, Cite Them Separately Guideline 14: Speculate on the Reasons for Inconsistent Findings in Previous Research Guideline 15: Cite All Relevant References in the Review Section of a Thesis, Dissertation, or Journal Article Guideline 16: Emphasize the Need for Your Study in the Literature Review Section or Chapter Activities for Chapter 10 Notes 11 Guidelines for Developing a Coherent Essay Guideline 1: If Your Review Is Long, Provide an Overview near the Beginning of the Review Guideline 2: Near the Beginning of a Review, State Explicitly What Will and Will Not Be Covered Guideline 3: Specify Your Point of View Early in the Review Guideline 4: Aim for a Clear and Cohesive Essay and Avoid Annotations Guideline 5: Use Subheadings, Especially in Long Reviews Guideline 6: Use Transitions to Help Trace Your Argument Guideline 7: If Your Topic Spans Two or More Disciplines, Consider Reviewing Studies from Each Discipline Separately Guideline 8: Write a Conclusion for the End of the Review Guideline 9: Check the Flow of Your Argument for Coherence Activities for Chapter 11 Notes Part IV: Editing and Preparing the Final Draft of Your Review 12 Guidelines for Editing Your Review and Incorporating Feedback Guideline 1: The Reader Is Always Right Guideline 2: Expect Your Instructor to Comment on the Content Guideline 3: Concentrate First on Comments about Your Ideas Guideline 4: Reconcile Contradictory Feedback by Seeking Clarification Guideline 5: Reconcile Comments about Style with Your Style Manual Guideline 6: Allow Sufficient Time for the Feedback and Redrafting Process Guideline 7: Compare Your Draft with Your Topic Outline Guideline 8: Check the Structure of Your Review for Parallelism Guideline 9: Avoid Overusing Direct Quotations, Especially Long Ones Guideline 10: Avoid Using Synonyms for Recurring Words Guideline 11: Spell Out All Acronyms When You First Use Them, and Avoid Using Too Many Guideline 12: Avoid the Use of Contractions—They Are Inappropriate in Formal Academic Writing Guideline 13: When Used, Coined Terms Should Be Set Off by Quotations Guideline 14: Avoid Slang Expressions, Colloquialisms, and Idioms Guideline 15: Use Latin Abbreviations in Parenthetic Material—Elsewhere, Use English Translations Guideline 16: Check Your Draft for Common Writing Conventions Guideline 17: Write a Concise and Descriptive Title for the Review Guideline 18: Strive for a User-friendly Draft Guideline 19: Make Sure That You Have Enclosed in Quotation Marks and/or Cited All Words and Ideas That Are Not Your Own Guideline 20: Use Great Care to Avoid Plagiarism Guideline 21: Get Help If You Need It Activities for Chapter 12 Notes 13 Preparing a Reference List Guideline 1: Consider Using Bibliographic Software to Help Manage the Details of Your References Guideline 2: Place the Reference List at the End of the Review under the Main Heading “References” Guideline 3: A Reference List Should Refer Only to Sources Cited in the Literature Review Guideline 4: List References Alphabetically by Author’s Surname Guideline 5: Double-Space All Entries Guideline 6: Use Hanging Indents for the Second and Subsequent Lines of References Guideline 7: Italicize the Titles of Journals and Their Volume Numbers Guideline 8: Pay Particular Attention to Capitalization Guideline 9: Pay Particular Attention to Punctuation Guideline 10: Do Not Add Extraneous Material Such as Abbreviations for Page Numbers Guideline 11: Journal Articles Accessed through Online Database Repositories Should Be Cited as if They Were Accessed in their Print Form Guideline 12: Provide the Date and URL in References for Material Published Online Guideline 13: Format References to Books in Accordance with a Style Manual Guideline 14: If Using Online Bibliographic Tools, Make Sure That Generated Citations Are Listed in the Correct Format Guideline 15: Double-Check the Reference List against the Citations in the Body of the Review Concluding Comment Activities for Chapter 13 Appendix A: Comprehensive Self-editing Checklist for Refining the Final Draft Appendix B: Sample Literature Reviews Index