Academic Research in Education: The Literature Review

Your literature review explores and describes previously published information about your research topic. Think of your literature review as an overview of the published information that informs the study you are about to create. 

Your literature review should include information like the following:

• background information on your topic
• sources that explore multiple approaches to your research question
• sources that inform your approach to research, including any research that informs your creation of a hypothesis or your study design 
• studies that are critical to your topic and/or field

Get creative with your search terms: 

Choose 1-3 words or phrases (2-3 words commonly found together) in your research question that you can use in an advanced search. Think of 1-2 words related to each keyword to expand your search options. Your question establishes the parameters (limits and extent) of your research, so use it to your advantage. 

Does hippotherapy reduce recovery time for back injuries in young adults? 

Hippotherapy: horseback riding, physical therapy 

"Recovery time:" healing, injury complications

"Back injuries:" "back muscles," spine, soft tissue repair, muscle repair 

• Find commonly-used words in titles, abstracts, and descriptions of the articles in your initial search to create new searches and get a good overview of the information available. 
• Look at the reference lists in relevant articles to find other articles related to your topic. 
• Use subject-specific databases AND the library catalog for maximum coverage. Use the Subject Terms Thesaurus in these databases to find the best search terms.
• Use recent information, but be sure to include older studies if they are critical to your research topic. 
• Evaluate your information for bias, validity, and appropriateness. 

For more information on finding sources, see the Finding Library Resources page of this research guide.

If you want the widest range of resources: 

Try Worldcat Discovery. 

• Get to Worldcat Discovery by using the search box on the library homepage or by clicking on the "Advanced Search" option within that box. (See image below.)
  • If you choose the Advanced Search option you can select specific education databases for your search. 
• Worldcat Discovery is also known as our library catalog. It searches everything in Moye Library and searches at other libraries worldwide that use WorldCat Discovery.

If you want a more specific selection of education-focused resources: 

Try searching a database specific to education. Remember, you can always search multiple databases! To find these, go to our Databases page at the top right of the library homepage. 

Databases we recommend: 

• ERIC (Education Resource Center)
• Education Database
• Sociology Database

For more information on evaluating sources, go to the Evaluating Resources page of this research guide. 

Skim important parts of the article to see if the article is relevant to your topic. Specifically, look at the title, abstract (a short summary of the article), and keywords and/or subjects associated with the article. 

Look at when the article was published, where it was published (journal title or website), and the language used in the article to determine if it is appropriate for an academic paper. 

Look for: 

publication date: (If you are using an older source, be sure that the information in the source is still relevant and had not been updated. If it is not still relevant, be sure that you have a good reason for referencing the article.) 

place of publication: (Peer-reviewed academic journals are a good bet. Other sources like websites and books can also be useful, depending on the audience they are intended to reach and the accuracy of the information they present.) 

language: Does the article use language intended to trigger strong emotions or biases? Is the author trying to influence you to take a specific perspective? If so, the source may not be presenting the most factual and unbiased information available. 

For a more detailed method of evaluating articles, consider using the P.R.O.V.E.N. Method.