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ACCESSING AND REVIEWING THE LITERATURE

JENNIFER THIESSEN

LIAISON LIBRARIAN, EDUCATION

JANUARY 2013

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OUR AGENDA:

• What is a literature review?

• Finding journal articles [refresher]

• Search tips• Google Scholar

• Finding studies that use a particular research design

• Finding out more about research design/methodology

• Did we forget something? Want to know more?

• Go to Sakai, the Library website or contact Jennifer

WHAT IS A LITERATURE REVIEW?•A place to make connections between what you are investigating and what has already been investigated in your subject area

•A place to engage in a type of conversation with other researchers in your subject area

•A place to identify previous research on the topic

•A place to show there is a gap in the literature which your study can fill

•A place from which to begin your own investigation

Ridley, D. (2008). The literature review: A step-by-step guide for students. London: Sage Publications, p. 2.

SIMPLY PUT…Helps you and your readers understand:

• What you know about your topic

• What other people know about your topic

• What research has been done

• How research was done

• Where are the gaps?• Jumping off point for

your study

by  wizardhat 

HOW TO BEGIN?FINDING APPROPRIATE SOURCES OF INFORMATION• Know what is appropriate:

– Scholarly, academic, peer-reviewed material– Material that presents empirical data/evidence to back up

claims, not just opinions– Material that presents an introduction, purpose,

background literature, method, procedures, findings, discussion, implications, conclusion

• Know where to begin searching:– Book catalogues– Library databases – Education Research Complete, ERIC,

Academic Search Complete, Sage Journals Online

WHERE TO START?

BOOKS

•They gather a lot of information on one topic in one place.

•They can provide a good overview or good background information on a topic.

•They often offer extensive bibliographies.

•Look for encyclopedias or handbooks for info on key theories and researchers

• E.g. Encyclopedia of the social and cultural foundations of education

•E-books

JOURNAL ARTICLES

•Journal articles discuss one perspective.

•Each article makes a unique contribution.

•Articles can supplement information found first in books.

•Articles can offer more up-to-date information.

FINDING JOURNAL ARTICLES

• Use library databases

• Try Google Scholar

For finding info about research methodology

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SEARCH TIPSUse quotation marks for phrase searching

• “popular culture”; “educational leadership”

Use truncation

• Canad*; leaders*; pedagog*

Think of synonyms

• Teenager, adolescent, adolescence, teens, etc.

Limit to peer-reviewed articles

SEARCH EXAMPLE

SEARCH TIPS…Look for subject headings to focus your search

• E.g. internet and teaching:

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• What about Google Scholar?

• Another database• Find works that cite a

particular article/book• See who the important

authors/researchers are• Search for an article by

DOI• Watch:

Get Better Results with Google Scholar

SET UP LIBRARY LINKS IN SCHOLAR SETTINGS

Why?

FINDING STUDIES THAT USE A PARTICULAR RESEARCH DESIGN

Try adding “literature review”

• you will see examples of lit reviews, plus get an overview of some aspect of your topic

Or “narrative” or “quantitative” etc.

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RESEARCH DESIGN HELP

Use Sage Research Methods Online to find background and introductory information about a particular methodology…

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…or to get a visual map of where that methodology fits in.

FOR MORE HELP…

Graduate Education Research GuideResources folder in Sakai

See the Library Help pages: http://www.brocku.ca/library/help-lib

Contact the Library Help Desk

• 905-688-5550 x. 3233 or use email form

Contact your liaison librarian:

• Jennifer Thiessen (phone, chat, email)