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PSY 312: Behavior Analysis

Course Guide for Psychology 312

Basics of a Literature Review

A literature review, also called a lit review, asks what we know or do not know about a particular issue, topic, or subject. 

A literature review is the process of reading, analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing scholarly materials about a specific topic. It constitutes a fundamental part of research articles and projects, typically following the introduction section of a research article or the introduction chapter of a thesis.

The purposes of a literature review are to:

  • Place each work discussed in the context of its contribution to understanding the research problem being studied.
  • Describe the relationship of each work to the others under consideration.
  • Identify areas of prior scholarship to prevent duplication of effort.
  • Identify new ways to interpret prior research.
  • Reveal any gaps that exist in the literature.
  • Resolve conflicts between seemingly contradictory previous studies.
  • Identify a need for additional research.
  • Place your own research within the context of existing research.

The parts of a lit review

Most lit reviews use a basic introduction-body-conclusion structure; if your lit review is part of a larger paper, the introduction and conclusion pieces may be just a few sentences while you focus most of your attention on the body. If your lit review is a standalone piece, the introduction and conclusion take up more space and give you a place to discuss your goals, research methods, and conclusions separately from where you discuss the literature itself.

Introduction:

  • An introductory paragraph that explains your working topic and thesis
  • A forecast of key topics or texts that will appear in the review
  • And maybe, a description of how you found sources and how you analyzed them for inclusion and discussion in the review (more often found in published, standalone literature reviews than in lit review sections in an article or research paper)

Body:

  • Summarize and synthesize: Give an overview of the main points of each source and combine them into a coherent whole
  • Analyze and interpret: Don’t just paraphrase other researchers – add your own interpretations where possible, discussing the significance of findings in relation to the literature as a whole
  • Critically Evaluate: Mention the strengths and weaknesses of your sources
  • Write in well-structured paragraphs: Use transition words and topic sentence to draw connections, comparisons, and contrasts.

Conclusion:

  • Summarize the key findings you have taken from the literature and emphasize their significance
  • Connect it back to your primary research question

Organizing a Literature Review

Ways to organize your lit review

Chronological: The simplest approach is to trace the development of the topic over time, which helps familiarize the audience with the topic (for instance if you are introducing something that is not commonly known in your field). If you choose this strategy, be careful to avoid simply listing and summarizing sources in order. Try to analyze the patterns, turning points, and key debates that have shaped the direction of the field. Give your interpretation of how and why certain developments occurred (as mentioned previously, this may not be appropriate in your discipline — check with a teacher or mentor if you’re unsure).

Thematic: If you have found some recurring central themes that you will continue working with throughout your piece, you can organize your literature review into subsections that address different aspects of the topic. For example, if you are reviewing literature about women and religion, key themes can include the role of women in churches and the religious attitude towards women.

Methodological: If you draw your sources from different disciplines or fields that use a variety of research methods, you can compare the results and conclusions that emerge from different approaches. For example:

  • Qualitative versus quantitative research
  • Empirical versus theoretical scholarship
  • Divide the research by sociological, historical, or cultural sources

Theoretical: In many humanities articles, the literature review is the foundation for the theoretical framework. You can use it to discuss various theories, models, and definitions of key concepts. You can argue for the relevance of a specific theoretical approach or combine various theoretical concepts to create a framework for your research.

Information on this page was taken from: Purdue Owl "Writing a Literature Review"
and Literature Review Basics by Dr. Karoline Manny

How to summarize or synthesize

What is synthesis? What synthesis is NOT:
  • Combining elements of several sources to help you make a point
  • Describing how sources converse each other
  • Organizing similar ideas together so readers can understand how they overlap
  • Synthesis helps readers see where you add your own new ideas to existing knowledge
  • Critiquing a source
  • Simply comparing and contrasting sources
  • A series of summaries 
  • Direct quotes without using your own voice

Synthesis table for literature reviews - A walkthrough example of how to summarize for a literature review using a synthesis table.

CSUMB Library

In-depth Review!

UCLA has an excellent workshop - "Writing a Literature Review" by Kian Ravaei and Taylor Harper.

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