How to Write a Critical Review of the Literature for Psychology Class
Writing a Literature Review
When writing a research paper on a specific topic, you will often demand to include an overview of whatsoever prior inquiry that has been conducted on that topic. For instance, if your research paper is describing an experiment on fear conditioning, then you will probably demand to provide an overview of prior inquiry on fear conditioning. That overview is typically known every bit a literature review.
Please note that a full-length literature review article may be suitable for fulfilling the requirements for the Psychology B.S. Caste Research Paper . For further details, please check with your faculty advisor.
Different Types of Literature Reviews
Literature reviews come in many forms. They can be role of a research newspaper, for example as part of the Introduction section. They tin be 1 chapter of a doctoral dissertation. Literature reviews can likewise "stand alone" as separate articles by themselves. For instance, some journals such every bit Annual Review of Psychology, Psychological Bulletin, and others typically publish full-length review articles. Similarly, in courses at UCSD, you may be asked to write a inquiry paper that is itself a literature review (such as, with an instructor's permission, in fulfillment of the B.South. Degree Enquiry Paper requirement). Alternatively, y'all may exist expected to include a literature review as part of a larger research paper (such as role of an Honors Thesis).
Literature reviews can be written using a variety of different styles. These may differ in the way prior research is reviewed as well as the way in which the literature review is organized. Examples of stylistic variations in literature reviews include:
- Summarization of prior work vs. disquisitional evaluation. In some cases, prior research is simply described and summarized; in other cases, the writer compares, contrasts, and may even critique prior research (for instance, discusses their strengths and weaknesses).
- Chronological vs. categorical and other types of organization. In some cases, the literature review begins with the oldest research and advances until it concludes with the latest research. In other cases, research is discussed by category (such as in groupings of closely related studies) without regard for chronological lodge. In yet other cases, inquiry is discussed in terms of opposing views (such every bit when different research studies or researchers disagree with one some other).
Overall, all literature reviews, whether they are written as a part of a larger work or as separate articles unto themselves, have a common feature: they practise not nowadays new research; rather, they provide an overview of prior research on a specific topic.
How to Write a Literature Review
When writing a literature review, it can be helpful to rely on the following steps. Delight note that these procedures are non necessarily only for writing a literature review that becomes office of a larger article; they can also be used for writing a full-length article that is itself a literature review (although such reviews are typically more detailed and exhaustive; for more information please refer to the Further Resources section of this page).
Steps for Writing a Literature Review
1. Identify and define the topic that y'all will be reviewing.
The topic, which is commonly a research question (or trouble) of some kind, needs to be identified and defined equally clearly every bit possible. Yous need to have an thought of what you lot will be reviewing in club to effectively search for references and to write a coherent summary of the research on it. At this
ii. Conduct a literature search.
Use a range of keywords to search databases such as PsycINFO and whatsoever others that may contain relevant articles. Yous should focus on peer-reviewed, scholarly articles. Published books may besides be helpful, but keep in mind that peer-reviewed articles are widely considered to be the "gilded standard" of scientific research. Read through titles and abstracts, select and obtain manufactures (that is, download, copy, or impress them out), and salvage your searches as needed. For more information nigh this pace, please see the Using Databases and Finding Scholarly References section of this website.
3. Read through the research that yous have constitute and have notes.
Absorb as much information equally you tin can. Read through the manufactures and books that yous have constitute, and equally you do, take notes. The notes should include anything that will be helpful in advancing your ain thinking about the topic and in helping you lot write the literature review (such as key points, ideas, or even page numbers that alphabetize cardinal information). Some references may turn out to exist more helpful than others; you may discover patterns or striking contrasts between different sources
4. Organize your notes and thoughts; create an outline.
At this stage, you lot are close to writing the review itself. Nonetheless, information technology is often helpful to first reflect on all the reading that you lot take washed. What patterns stand up out? Do the different sources converge on a consensus? Or not? What unresolved questions still remain? You should wait over your notes (information technology may as well be helpful to reorganize them), and as yous do, to think nearly how you volition present this research in your literature review. Are y'all going to summarize or critically evaluate? Are you going to use a chronological or
5. Write the literature review itself and edit and revise as needed.
The last stage involves writing. When writing, continue in mind that literature reviews are generally characterized past a summary fashion in which prior enquiry is described sufficiently to explicate disquisitional findings but does non include a high level of item (if readers desire to learn virtually all the specific details of a report, then they tin can look up the references that you cite and read the original articles themselves). Withal, the caste of emphasis that is given to individual studies may vary (more or less item may be warranted depending on how critical or unique a given study was). After you have written
six. Comprise the literature review into your research paper draft.
Afterward the literature review is complete, you should contain it into your research paper (if you are writing the review every bit one component of a larger paper). Depending on the phase at which your paper is at, this may involve merging your literature review into a partially complete Introduction section, writing the balance of the newspaper effectually the literature review, or other processes.
Further Tips for Writing a Literature Review
Total-length literature reviews
- Many full-length literature review articles use a three-part structure: Introduction (where the topic is identified and any trends or major problems in the literature are introduced), Body (where the studies that contain the literature on that topic are discussed), and Give-and-take or Conclusion (where major patterns and points are discussed and the general state of what is known about the topic is summarized)
Literature reviews as part of a larger paper
- An "express method" of writing a literature review for a enquiry newspaper is as follows: first, write a
one paragraph description of each article that you read. Second, choose how yous will lodge all the paragraphs and combine them in one document. 3rd, add transitions betwixt the paragraphs, as well as an introductory and final paragraph.i
- A literature review that is part of a larger research paper typically does non have to exist exhaustive. Rather, it should incorporate most or all of the significant studies near a research topic but not tangential or loosely related ones.2 Mostly, literature reviews should be sufficient for the reader to understand the major issues and key findings about a inquiry topic. You may however demand to confer with your instructor or editor to determine how comprehensive you need to be.
Benefits of Literature Reviews
Past summarizing prior research on a topic, literature reviews have multiple benefits. These include:
- Literature reviews help readers understand what is known about a topic without having to find and read through multiple sources.
- Literature reviews aid "set the phase" for later on reading about new enquiry on a given topic (such every bit if they are placed in the Introduction of a larger research newspaper). In other words, they provide helpful background and context.
- Literature reviews can also assistance the writer learn virtually a given topic while in the process of preparing the review itself. In the act of research and writing the literature review, the author gains expertise on the topic
.
Downloadable Resources
- How to Write APA Mode Research Papers (a comprehensive guide) [PDF]
- Tips for Writing APA Style Research Papers (a cursory summary) [PDF]
- Case APA Mode Research Paper (for B.S. Caste – literature review) [PDF]
Further Resource
How-To Videos
- Writing Research Paper Videos
UCSD
- UCSD Library Psychology Enquiry Guide: Literature Reviews
External Resources
- Developing and Writing a Literature Review from N Carolina A&T State Academy
- Example of a Curt Literature Review from York Higher CUNY
- How to Write a Review of Literature from UW-Madison
- Writing a Literature Review from UC Santa Cruz
Come across Likewise
- Pautasso, Grand. (2013). Ten Simple Rules for Writing a Literature Review. PLoS Computational Biology, ix(7), e1003149.
doi : 1371/journal.pcbi.1003149
References
1Ashton, Westward. Writing a short literature review . [PDF]
2Carver, Fifty. (2014). Writing the research paper [Workshop].
Prepared past S. C. Pan for UCSD Psychology
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Source: https://psychology.ucsd.edu/undergraduate-program/undergraduate-resources/academic-writing-resources/writing-research-papers/writing-lit-review.html
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