Definition: Literature review - "The selection of available documents (both published and unpublished) on the topic, which contain information, ideas, data and evidence written from a particular standpoint to fulfil certain aims or express certain views on the nature of the topic and how it is to be investigated, and the effective evaluation of these documents in relation to the research being proposed."  (Hart, 1998)

Online Resources

• Write a Literature Review (University Library, UC Santa Cruz)
• What is the Literature Review? (Capella University)
• Oregon State University Library Workshops for Grads & Faculty: Guides & Handouts. Corvallis, Oregon. Retrieved 12th October 2011, Web.
• Deakin University. (2009). The Literature Review. Geelong, Victoria, Australia.  Retrieved 11th October 2011, Web.
• The University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center. (2009). Writer's Handbook: Common Writing Assignments: Review of Literature. Madison, Wisconsin.  Retrieved 11th October 2011, Web.
• The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Writing Center. Literature Reviews. Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Retrieved 12th October, Web.
• Annotated Example: Sample APA Papers: Literature Review. Retrieved 12th October, Web. 
• Example of a published, peer-reviewed literature review: Allen, R.C. (1996). Socioeconomic Conditions and Property Crime: A Comprehensive Review and Test of the Professional Literature. The American Journal of Economics and Sociology, 55, 293.

Tutorial

• Conducting a Literature Review in the Education and Behavioral Sciences (Libraries of Adelphi University)
• Research and Writing Literature Reviews (Unversity of Arizona Library)
• Literature Reviews: An Overview for Graduate Students (NCSU Libraries)

Searching the Literature

• Database Research Log
• Catalogs - Scotty, Melvyl, other catalogs
• Indexes & Abstracts
• Google Scholar & Google Books
• Identify keywords & synonyms
• Used controlled vocabulary (subject headings) as well as natural language (keywords)
• Limit to "review articles"
• Known authors
• Footnotes/Bibliographies
• Citations/Cited by References - e.g., Citation Mapping
• Look for patterns in the literature

Additional Sources of Literature Reviews

• Annual Reviews
• Scholarly Handbooks
• Finding Thesis & Dissertations

Print Resources

The following materials can be either checked out locally or requested via Interlibrary Loans from another UC Library.

General

• A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 7th ed. (2007)
• Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th ed. (2010)

Recommended:

• Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social Science Research Imagination. (1998)
• Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches, 3rd ed. (2009)
• Writing a Successful Thesis or Dissertation: Tips and Strategies for Students in the Social and Behavioral Sciences. (2008)
• Systematic Reviews in the Social Sciences: A Practical Guide. (2006)
• The Handbook of Research Synthesis and Meta-Analysis, 2nd ed. (2009)
• Synthesizing Research: A Guide for Literature Reviews, 3rd ed. (1998)
• Guide to the Successful Thesis and Dissertation: A Handbook for Students and Faculty, 4th ed., rev. and expanded. (1998)
• Writing Literature Reviews: A Guide for Students of the Social and Behavioral Sciences. (1999)
• Preparing Literature Reviews: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches, 3rd ed. (2008)
• Evaluating Research in Academic Journal: A Practical Guide to Realistic Evaluation, 4th ed. (2008)
• The Literature Review: Six Steps to Success. (2009)
• The Literature Review: A Step-By-Step Guide for Students. (2008)
• Research Synthesis and Meta-Analysis: A Step-By-Step Approach, 4th ed. (2010)
• Health Sciences Literature Review Made Easy: The Matrix Method, 2nd ed. (2007)
• Understanding Research. (2009)
• The Handbook of Scholarly Writing and Publishing. (2011)

Final Tips

• Mentor Memo - The Literature Review
• Reference Management Software, e.g., EndNote, Zotero, etc.
• Keeping up with the literature in your areas of interest, e.g., Search Alerts, RSS Feeds, TOC Alerts, etc.
• Mind Mapping
• Library Support Services, e.g., Interlibary Loans, Subject Specialists, Reference-by-Appointment, etc.