This short slideshow defines what a Literature Review is, how to find them and what do they look like.

1. Literature Reviews
in a nutshell
Regents Center Library
Lissa Lord
llord@ku.edu
Fall, 2014

2. Literature Review
An account of what has
been published on a topic
by accredited scholars and
researchers.
http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/specific-types-of-writing/literature-review

3. Literature review: critical analysis of a segment of a published body of
knowledge
Introduction to Lit Review:
Identify the general topic, issue, or area of concern. Point out overall
trends in what has been published, conflicts in theory, gaps in research
and scholarship or a new perspective of immediate interest. Establish the
writer's reason for reviewing the literature; explain the criteria to be used
in analyzing and comparing literature and the organization of the review.
Body of Lit Review:
Summarize individual studies or articles
Conclude by providing some insight into the relationship between the
central topic of the literature review and a larger area of study
http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/ReviewofLiterature.html

4. A literature review is a written document that presents a
logically argued case founded on a comprehensive
understanding of the current state of knowledge about a
topic of study. This case establishes a convincing thesis to
answer the study’s question.
Google Books Link
http://books.google.com/books?id=xPCVe-xuhZcC&lpg=PR9&ots=8oJJnvslwp&dq=%22Literature%20Review%3A%20Six%20Steps%20to%20Su
BOOK:
Machi, L., & McEvoy, B. (2009). The Literature Review: Six
Steps to Success. Thousand Oaks: Crowin Press.
Citation for this and the following slide:

6. Research for the Literature Review:
1. Define the question(s) your thesis will
address.

7. 2. Library research is finding all the
peer reviewed articles, authoritative
studies, books, websites, government
documents, lectures, surveys,
interviews, statistics, etc. that are
available references for the thorough
(exhaustive) discussion of your
dissertation topic. Need help ?
Ask a Librarian, Lissa Lord llord@ku.edu

8. Want to see a review of basic
library research using the KU
Libraries databases?
Click: YES
or  move to the next slide

9. 3. Store and manage the citations
you find with a citation management
software (EndNote).
The management of all those
articles, books, gov docs, reviews,
etc. is essential to writing the
Literature Review is the

10. Want to see a review on how
to use EndNote?
Click: YES
or  move to the next slide

11. What does a Literature
Review look like?
Not an index
Not a bibliography
Not a list of interesting articles
But a thoughtful description of
scholarly research of interest to the
dissertation’s author.

12. How to find dissertations with
literature reviews so that you can
see how it is done:
Go to KU Libraries www.lib.ku.edu
Select KU ScholarWorks from the
top menu bar under “Find
Resources”.

15. KU Scholarworks
http://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/dspace/

20. http://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/dspace/bitstream/1808/10003/1/Edwards_ku_0099D_12055_DATA_1.pdf

24. Another example of a
Dissertation Literature
Review

25. http://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/dspace/bitstream/1808/6773/1/Barbee_ku_0099D_10706_DATA_1.pdf
Full dissertation

28. http://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/dspace/bitstream/1808/6773/1/Barbee_ku_0099D_10706_DATA_1.pdf
Full dissertation

29. Citation for this dissertation
found on KU’s ScholarSpace
Barbee, G.B. (2009). A qualitative study of a
Local district teacher induction program and
Its perception by young educators (Doctoral
Dissertation) Retrieved from
http://hdl.handle.net/1808/6773

30. More dissertations with literature
reviews can be found by going to
1) KU Libraries http://lib.ku.edu
2) Select Articles and Databases
You will need to log-in with your KU ID
3)Click on: P
4)Select: ProQuest dissertations and
theses
5)Click on: D
6)Select: Dissertations & theses @
University of Kansas

31. Library research help
on the Edwards Campus?
Lissa Lord llord@ku.edu
Writing help on the Edwards Campus?
Edwards Campus Writing Center
http://www.writing.ku.edu/edwards-campus-students