Reading Peer Reviewed Literature

Unit IX: Scientific Journals
Reading peer- Reviewed

Literature
ALBERTO Z. LABORTE JR., MSDRM

MAED- STUDENT
Purpose of a Literature Review
The literature review is a critical look at the
existing research that is significant to the
work that you are carrying out.
 To provide background information.
 To establish importance.
 To demonstrate familiarity.
 To “carve out a space” for further research.
Characteristics of
Effective Literature Reviews
 Outlining important research trends.
 Assessing the strengths and
weaknesses of existing research.
 Identifying potential gaps in
knowledge.
 Establishing a need for current
and/or future research projects.
Steps for Writing a Lit Review
 Planning
 Reading and Research
 Analyzing
 Drafting
 Revising
Planning
What Type of Literature Review

Am I Writing?
Planning
 Focus
 What is the specific thesis, problem, or research
question that my literature review helps to
define?
 Identifying a focus that allows you to:
 Sort and categorize information
 Eliminate irrelevant information
 Type
 What type of literature review am I conducting?
 Theory; Methodology; Policy; Quantitative;
Qualitative
Planning
 Scope
 What is the scope of my literature review?
 What types of sources am I using?
 Academic Discipline
 What field(s) am I working in?
Reflection
Take a moment to answer each of the
questions in the “Planning” section of
your packet about a literature review you
are currently working on or plan to work
on.
 How many of the questions could you
answer?
 What questions did this short exercise
raise for you?
Reading and Researching
What Materials
Am I Going to Use?
Reading and Researching
 Collect and read material.
 Summarize sources.
 Who is the author?
 What is the author's main purpose?
 What is the author’s theoretical perspective? Research
methodology?
 Who is the intended audience?
 What is the principal point, conclusion, thesis, contention, or
question?
 How is the author’s position supported?
 How does this study relate to other studies of the problem or
topic?
 What does this study add to your project?
 Select only relevant books and articles.
Analyzing
How Do I Assess
Existing Research?
Analyzing Sources
 A literature review is never just a list of studies
—it always offers an argument about a body of
research
 Analysis occurs on two levels:
 Individual sources
 Body of research
Four Analysis Tasks of the
Literature Review
TASKS OF
LITERATURE
REVIEW
SUMMARIZE SYNTHESIZE CRITIQUE COMPARE

Summary and Synthesis
In your own words, summarize and/or
synthesize the key findings relevant to your
study.
 What do we know about the immediate area?
 What are the key arguments, key characteristics,

key concepts or key figures?
 What are the existing debates/theories?
 What common methodologies are used?

Comparison and Critique
Evaluates the strength and weaknesses of the
work:
 How do the different studies relate? What is new,
different, or controversial?
 What views need further testing?
 What evidence is lacking, inconclusive, contradicting, or

too limited?
 What research designs or methods seem unsatisfactory?
Analyzing: Putting It All Together
Once you have summarized, synthesized, compared,
and critiqued your chosen material, you may
consider whether these studies
 Demonstrate the topic’s chronological development.
 Show different approaches to the problem.
 Show an ongoing debate.
 Center on a “seminal” study or studies.
 Demonstrate a “paradigm shift.”

Drafting
What Am I
Going to Write?
Drafting: An Overview
To help you approach your draft in a
manageable fashion, this section addresses
the following topics:
 Exigency
 Thesis Statement
 Organization
 Introduction and conclusion
 Citations
Thesis Statements
The thesis statement offers an argument about
the literature. It may do any of or a
combination of the following:
 Offer an argument and critical assessment of the literature
(i.e. topic + claim).
 Provide an overview of current scholarly conversations.
 Point out gaps or weaknesses in the literature.
 Relate the literature to the larger aim of the study.
Organization
Five common approaches to organizing the
body of your paper include:
 Topical
 Distant to close
 Debate
 Chronological
 Seminal Study
Topical: Characteristics
 Most common approach
 Breaks the field into a number of subfields,

subject areas, or approaches
 Discusses each subsection individually, sometimes
with critiques of each
 Most useful for organizing a large body of
literature that does not have one or two studies
that stand out as most important or a clear
chronological development
Distant to Close: Characteristics
 A type of topical organization, with studies
grouped by their relevance to current research.
 Starts by describing studies with general
similarities to current research and ends with
studies most relevant to the specific topic.
 Most useful for studies of methods or models.
Distant to Close: Typical Language
 Method/Model M (slightly similar to current

research) addresses …
 Drawing upon method/model N (more similar to
current research) can help . . .
 This study applies the procedure used in
method/model O (most similar to current research)
to . . .
Debate: Characteristics
 Another type of topical approach, with a
chronological component.
 Emphasizes various strands of research in which
proponents of various models openly criticize one
another.
 Most useful when clear opposing positions are
present in the literature.
Debate: Typical Language
 There have been two (three, four, etc.) distinct
approaches this problem.
 The first model posits…
 The second model argues that the first model is

wrong for three reasons. Instead, the second model
claims…
Chronological: Characteristics
 Lists studies in terms of chronological

development
 Useful when the field displays clear
development over a period of time
 Linear progression
 Paradigm shift
Chronological: Typical Language
 This subject was first studied by X, who

argued/found…
 In (date), Y modified/extended/contradicted X’s
work by…
 Today, research by Z represents the current state
of the field.
Seminal Study: Characteristics
 Begins with detailed description of extremely

important study.
 Later work is organized using another pattern.
 Most useful when one study is clearly most

important or central in laying the groundwork for
future research.
Seminal Study: Typical Language
 The most important research on this topic was the

study by X in (date).
 Following X’s study, research fell into two camps
(extended X’s work, etc.)
Introductions
 Indicate scope of the literature review.

 Provide some background to the topic.
 Demonstrate the importance or need for
research.
 Make a claim.
 Offer an overview/map of the ensuing
discussion.
Conclusions
 Summarize the main findings of your

review.
 Provide closure.
 Explain “so what?”
 Implications for future research.
OR
 Connections to the current study.
Citing Sources
If it’s not your own idea (and not common
knowledge)—DOCUMENT IT!
 Paraphrase key ideas.
 Use quotations sparingly.
 Introduce quotations effectively.
 Use proper in-text citation to document the source of ideas.
 Maintain accurate bibliographic records.

Citing Sources: Things to Avoid
 Plagiarism
 Irrelevant quotations.
 Un-introduced quotations.
Examples: Citing Sources
 Quoting: Despite pleasant depictions of home life in art, the fact
remains that for most Seventeenth-century Dutch women, the home
represented a curtailment of some degree of independence. Art
historian Laurinda Dixon writes that “for the majority of women,
however, home was a prison, though a prison made bearable by love
and approval” (1995, p. 136 ).
 Paraphrasing: Despite pleasant depictions of home life in art, the fact
remains that for most Seventeenth-century Dutch women, the home
represented a curtailment of some degree of independence. Art
historian Laurinda Dixon argues that the home actually imprisoned
most women. She adds that this prison was made attractive by three
things: the prescriptions of doctors of the day against idleness, the
praise given diligent housewives, and the romantic ideal based on love
and respect (1995, p. 136).
Revising
How Can I
Fine-tune My Draft?
Writing a Literature Review:
In Summary
 As you read, try to see the “big picture”—your literature
review should provide an overview of the state of research.
 Include only those source materials that help you shape
your argument. Resist the temptation to include
everything you’ve read!
 Balance summary and analysis as you write.
 Keep in mind your purpose for writing:
 How will this review benefit readers?
 How does this review contribute to your study?
 Be meticulous about citations.
Thank You For Joining Us!
Please feel welcome to visit us for an individual
consultation on your literature review or other
writing project. To schedule an appointment, see
the URL listed on the front page of your packet.
Please return the evaluation

as you leave.

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Unit IX: Scientific Journals

Reading peer- Reviewed

ALBERTO Z. LABORTE JR., MSDRM

What Type of Literature Review

SUMMARIZE SYNTHESIZE CRITIQUE COMPARE

 What are the key arguments, key characteristics,

 What common methodologies are used?

 What evidence is lacking, inconclusive, contradicting, or

 Show different approaches to the problem.

 Show an ongoing debate.

 Center on a “seminal” study or studies.

 Demonstrate a “paradigm shift.”

 Breaks the field into a number of subfields,

 Method/Model M (slightly similar to current

 The second model argues that the first model is

 Lists studies in terms of chronological

 This subject was first studied by X, who

 Begins with detailed description of extremely

 Most useful when one study is clearly most

 The most important research on this topic was the

 Indicate scope of the literature review.

 Summarize the main findings of your

 Use quotations sparingly.

 Introduce quotations effectively.

 Use proper in-text citation to document the source of ideas.

 Maintain accurate bibliographic records.

Please return the evaluation

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