Writing a Literature Review

"In Conducting Research Literature Reviews, author Arlene Fink providing readers with an accessible, in-depth look at how to synthesize research literature. She shows readers how to explain the need for and significance of research, as well as how to explain a study's findings. Offering a step-by-step approach to conducting literature reviews, this edition has been completely updated to address the online nature of most literature searches."--[book cover].

The literature review is a compulsory part of research and, increasingly, may form the whole of a student research project. This highly accessible book guides students through the production of either a traditional or a systematic literature review, clearly explaining the difference between the two types of review, the advantages and disadvantages of both, and the skills needed. It gives practical advice on reading and organizing relevant literature and critically assessing the reviewed field. Contents include:Using libraries and the internetNote makingPresentationCritical analysisReferencing, plagiarism and copyrightThis book will be relevant to students from any discipline. It includes contributions from both a professor and a librarian, each offering expert advice on either the creation and assessment of literature reviews or the process of searching for information. It is also highlights the increasing importance of the systematic review for many disciplines and presents the specific challenges which it brings.  

Showing you how to take a structured and organized approach to a wide range of literature review types, this book helps you to choose which approach is right for your research. Packed with constructive tools, examples, case studies and hands-on exercises, the book covers the full range of literature review techniques.New to This Edition: Full re-organization takes you step-by-step through the process from beginning to end New chapter showing you how to choose the right method for your project Practical guidance on integrating qualitative and quantitative data New coverage of rapid reviews Comprehensive inclusion of literature review tools, including concept analysis, scoping and mapping With an emphasis on the practical skills, this guide is essential for any student or researcher needing to get from first steps to a successful literature review.

This useful guide educates students in the preparation of literature reviews for term projects, theses, and dissertations. The authors provide numerous examples from published reviews that illustrate the guidelines discussed throughout the book. 　 New to the seventh edition: 　 Each chapter breaks down the larger holistic review of literature exercise into a series of smaller, manageable steps Practical instructions for navigating today's digital libraries Comprehensive discussions about digital tools, including bibliographic and plagiarism detection software Chapter activities that reflect the book's updated content New model literature reviews Online resources designed to help instructors plan and teach their courses (www.routledge.com/9780415315746).

* Illustrates all the steps in preparing qualitative and quantitative literature reviews. * Emphasizes topic selection, locating literature, and avoiding major pitfalls in evaluating and synthesizing literature. * Shows how to improve literature reviews through the judicious inclusion of statistical results found in the literature. * Provides easy-to-follow advice on how to avoid misrepresenting the results of published research in literature reviews. * The numerous examples throughout the text and the nine model literature reviews clarify the process of following the guidelines for writing solid, state-of-the-art literature reviews. * Shows students how to blend qualitative and quantitative approaches to preparing literature reviews without being overly mathematical. * Two chapters present clear explanations of how to conduct meta-analyses. * All examples have been updated to ensure consistency with the sixth edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association and the fourth edition of the American Sociological Association's Style Guide.