Literature ReviewJacqueline Corcoran, Ph.D.Virginia Commonwealth UniversitySchool of Social WorkFrom: Social Work Research Skills Workbook, Corcoran and Secret

Literature Review•make extensive references to the existing theory and research that have influenced your choice of topic, a problem to be researched, and the methodology you will adopt for your study•position your own research in relation to the existing research•demonstrate to the reader that a gap exists in the published material and that your study attempts to fill it.

Reasons to do a lit search To learn more about your topic area To discover whether a study is worth

doing To get ideas for how to do your study. To build a justification for your study.

Steps of the Literature Review1) the literature search

2) reading the literature3) Writing4) References

The literature search: guidelines

Be recentBe comprehensiveRely on primary sourcesRely on academic literature

The literature search: process

Formulating Key TermsUsing Library Databases

Application of Key Terms to Databases

Reading the literature Types of Articles

Reviews Conceptual articles/case studies Research

Quantitative Qualitative

Putting what you read into an organizing framework See text, Ridley

Research Summaries

Writing the review• Outlining and

headings/subheadings• Integration and synthesis of the

literature• Micro Issues and Technicalities

paraphrasing other people’s ideas

using paragraphs transitioning effectively

Referencing

APA style