Where in an Apa Paper Does Literature Review Go?

What this handout is about

This handout will explain what literature reviews are and offer insights into the form and construction of literature reviews in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences.

Introduction

OK. You've got to write a literature review. Y'all dust off a novel and a book of poetry, settle downwardly in your chair, and become set to upshot a "thumbs up" or "thumbs downward" every bit you lot leaf through the pages. "Literature review" done. Right?

Incorrect! The "literature" of a literature review refers to whatever collection of materials on a topic, not necessarily the great literary texts of the world. "Literature" could be annihilation from a set of government pamphlets on British colonial methods in Africa to scholarly manufactures on the treatment of a torn ACL. And a review does non necessarily mean that your reader wants you to give your personal opinion on whether or not y'all liked these sources.

What is a literature review, then?

A literature review discusses published data in a particular subject field expanse, and sometimes information in a item discipline area within a certain time menstruum.

A literature review can be just a unproblematic summary of the sources, only it ordinarily has an organizational design and combines both summary and synthesis. A summary is a recap of the important information of the source, simply a synthesis is a re-arrangement, or a reshuffling, of that data. It might requite a new interpretation of old fabric or combine new with one-time interpretations. Or it might trace the intellectual progression of the field, including major debates. And depending on the state of affairs, the literature review may evaluate the sources and advise the reader on the most pertinent or relevant.

Merely how is a literature review different from an bookish research newspaper?

The main focus of an academic research newspaper is to develop a new argument, and a enquiry paper is likely to contain a literature review as one of its parts. In a inquiry paper, you use the literature every bit a foundation and equally support for a new insight that you contribute. The focus of a literature review, even so, is to summarize and synthesize the arguments and ideas of others without adding new contributions.

Why do we write literature reviews?

Literature reviews provide you with a handy guide to a particular topic. If you accept limited time to conduct research, literature reviews tin give y'all an overview or human activity as a stepping stone. For professionals, they are useful reports that keep them up to date with what is current in the field. For scholars, the depth and breadth of the literature review emphasizes the credibility of the writer in his or her field. Literature reviews besides provide a solid background for a research paper'due south investigation. Comprehensive knowledge of the literature of the field is essential to near research papers.

Who writes these things, anyway?

Literature reviews are written occasionally in the humanities, but mostly in the sciences and social sciences; in experiment and lab reports, they plant a department of the paper. Sometimes a literature review is written as a paper in itself.

Let's go to it! What should I do before writing the literature review?

Clarify

If your assignment is not very specific, seek clarification from your instructor:

• Roughly how many sources should you include?
• What types of sources (books, periodical manufactures, websites)?
• Should you summarize, synthesize, or critique your sources by discussing a common theme or issue?
• Should you lot evaluate your sources?
• Should you provide subheadings and other background data, such as definitions and/or a history?

Find models

Look for other literature reviews in your surface area of interest or in the field of study and read them to get a sense of the types of themes you might want to await for in your ain inquiry or ways to organize your final review. You can only put the word "review" in your search engine forth with your other topic terms to observe articles of this type on the Cyberspace or in an electronic database. The bibliography or reference section of sources you've already read are as well excellent entry points into your own enquiry.

Narrow your topic

There are hundreds or even thousands of articles and books on most areas of study. The narrower your topic, the easier information technology volition be to limit the number of sources you need to read in social club to get a skilful survey of the material. Your instructor will probably not expect you to read everything that'southward out in that location on the topic, but you'll make your job easier if you first limit your scope.

Go along in mind that UNC Libraries have research guides and to databases relevant to many fields of report. Y'all tin reach out to the field of study librarian for a consultation: https://library.unc.edu/support/consultations/.

And don't forget to tap into your professor's (or other professors') cognition in the field. Inquire your professor questions such as: "If you had to read only 1 volume from the ninety's on topic X, what would it be?" Questions such as this help you to find and make up one's mind quickly the almost seminal pieces in the field.

Consider whether your sources are current

Some disciplines require that you lot use data that is every bit electric current as possible. In the sciences, for example, treatments for medical problems are constantly changing co-ordinate to the latest studies. Data even two years old could be obsolete. However, if you lot are writing a review in the humanities, history, or social sciences, a survey of the history of the literature may exist what is needed, considering what is of import is how perspectives have inverse through the years or within a certain time period. Attempt sorting through some other current bibliographies or literature reviews in the field to go a sense of what your subject area expects. You tin besides utilize this method to consider what is currently of involvement to scholars in this field and what is non.

Strategies for writing the literature review

Find a focus

A literature review, like a term paper, is ordinarily organized around ideas, not the sources themselves every bit an annotated bibliography would be organized. This means that y'all volition non just simply list your sources and go into detail about each one of them, ane at a time. No. As you read widely but selectively in your topic expanse, consider instead what themes or issues connect your sources together. Do they nowadays 1 or different solutions? Is at that place an aspect of the field that is missing? How well practice they nowadays the material and do they portray it co-ordinate to an appropriate theory? Practice they reveal a trend in the field? A raging debate? Pick one of these themes to focus the arrangement of your review.

Convey it to your reader

A literature review may not have a traditional thesis statement (i that makes an argument), just you practise need to tell readers what to wait. Try writing a simple statement that lets the reader know what is your principal organizing principle. Hither are a couple of examples:

The current trend in treatment for congestive heart failure combines surgery and medicine.
More and more than cultural studies scholars are accepting popular media equally a subject worthy of academic consideration.

Consider arrangement

You lot've got a focus, and yous've stated information technology conspicuously and directly. At present what is the most effective way of presenting the information? What are the nearly important topics, subtopics, etc., that your review needs to include? And in what order should you present them? Develop an organization for your review at both a global and local level:

Kickoff, cover the basic categories

But like most academic papers, literature reviews besides must contain at least three bones elements: an introduction or groundwork information section; the trunk of the review containing the word of sources; and, finally, a conclusion and/or recommendations section to end the paper. The following provides a brief clarification of the content of each:

• Introduction: Gives a quick thought of the topic of the literature review, such every bit the central theme or organizational design.
• Trunk: Contains your discussion of sources and is organized either chronologically, thematically, or methodologically (run into below for more data on each).
• Conclusions/Recommendations: Discuss what yous have fatigued from reviewing literature and then far. Where might the discussion proceed?

Organizing the trunk

In one case you accept the bones categories in identify, and then you must consider how you will present the sources themselves inside the body of your paper. Create an organizational method to focus this section even further.

To help you lot come up up with an overall organizational framework for your review, consider the post-obit scenario:

You lot've decided to focus your literature review on materials dealing with sperm whales. This is because y'all've but finished reading Moby Dick, and you wonder if that whale's portrayal is actually real. You start with some manufactures most the physiology of sperm whales in biological science journals written in the 1980's. But these articles refer to some British biological studies performed on whales in the early 18th century. So you bank check those out. Then you look upwardly a book written in 1968 with information on how sperm whales have been portrayed in other forms of fine art, such as in Alaskan poetry, in French painting, or on whale os, every bit the whale hunters in the tardily 19th century used to do. This makes you wonder most American whaling methods during the time portrayed in Moby Dick, so y'all find some academic manufactures published in the concluding five years on how accurately Herman Melville portrayed the whaling scene in his novel.

Now consider some typical ways of organizing the sources into a review:

• Chronological: If your review follows the chronological method, you could write near the materials above according to when they were published. For instance, first y'all would talk virtually the British biological studies of the 18th century, then nigh Moby Dick, published in 1851, then the book on sperm whales in other fine art (1968), and finally the biological science manufactures (1980s) and the recent articles on American whaling of the 19th century. But there is relatively no continuity among subjects here. And discover that even though the sources on sperm whales in other art and on American whaling are written recently, they are about other subjects/objects that were created much before. Thus, the review loses its chronological focus.

• By publication: Club your sources by publication chronology, then, only if the social club demonstrates a more of import trend. For case, you could order a review of literature on biological studies of sperm whales if the progression revealed a change in dissection practices of the researchers who wrote and/or conducted the studies.

• By trend: A better way to organize the higher up sources chronologically is to examine the sources under another trend, such as the history of whaling. And so your review would have subsections according to eras within this menstruum. For instance, the review might examine whaling from pre-1600-1699, 1700-1799, and 1800-1899. Under this method, you lot would combine the recent studies on American whaling in the 19th century with Moby Dick itself in the 1800-1899 category, fifty-fifty though the authors wrote a century apart.

• Thematic: Thematic reviews of literature are organized around a topic or issue, rather than the progression of time. Withal, progression of fourth dimension may still be an important factor in a thematic review. For instance, the sperm whale review could focus on the evolution of the harpoon for whale hunting. While the study focuses on 1 topic, harpoon engineering, it will still be organized chronologically. The simply difference here betwixt a "chronological" and a "thematic" approach is what is emphasized the most: the development of the harpoon or the harpoon technology.But more authentic thematic reviews tend to intermission abroad from chronological lodge. For instance, a thematic review of material on sperm whales might examine how they are portrayed as "evil" in cultural documents. The subsections might include how they are personified, how their proportions are exaggerated, and their behaviors misunderstood. A review organized in this manner would shift betwixt time periods within each section according to the point made.

• Methodological: A methodological approach differs from the ii in a higher place in that the focusing factor usually does not take to practise with the content of the fabric. Instead, it focuses on the "methods" of the researcher or writer. For the sperm whale project, one methodological approach would be to wait at cultural differences between the portrayal of whales in American, British, and French art work. Or the review might focus on the economical touch on of whaling on a community. A methodological scope will influence either the types of documents in the review or the way in which these documents are discussed.
  Once you've decided on the organizational method for the body of the review, the sections you need to include in the paper should be like shooting fish in a barrel to figure out. They should arise out of your organizational strategy. In other words, a chronological review would have subsections for each vital time period. A thematic review would take subtopics based upon factors that relate to the theme or consequence.

Sometimes, though, you might need to add additional sections that are necessary for your study, just exercise non fit in the organizational strategy of the body. What other sections you include in the trunk is upwards to you. Put in just what is necessary. Here are a few other sections you might want to consider:

• Current Situation: Data necessary to understand the topic or focus of the literature review.
• History: The chronological progression of the field, the literature, or an idea that is necessary to understand the literature review, if the body of the literature review is not already a chronology.
• Methods and/or Standards: The criteria you lot used to select the sources in your literature review or the way in which you present your information. For case, you might explain that your review includes only peer-reviewed articles and journals.

Questions for Further Research: What questions about the field has the review sparked? How will you lot further your inquiry every bit a result of the review?

Begin composing

Once you lot've settled on a general pattern of organization, yous're ready to write each section. There are a few guidelines you should follow during the writing stage as well. Here is a sample paragraph from a literature review about sexism and language to illuminate the following give-and-take:

Even so, other studies have shown that fifty-fifty gender-neutral antecedents are more than likely to produce masculine images than feminine ones (Gastil, 1990). Hamilton (1988) asked students to complete sentences that required them to fill in pronouns that agreed with gender-neutral antecedents such as "writer," "pedestrian," and "persons." The students were asked to depict any image they had when writing the sentence. Hamilton constitute that people imagined 3.iii men to each woman in the masculine "generic" status and 1.5 men per woman in the unbiased condition. Thus, while ambient sexism accounted for some of the masculine bias, sexist linguistic communication amplified the effect. (Source: Erika Falk and Jordan Mills, "Why Sexist Language Affects Persuasion: The Role of Homophily, Intended Audition, and Criminal offense," Women and Language19:2).

Utilise prove

In the example above, the writers refer to several other sources when making their point. A literature review in this sense is merely like whatever other academic inquiry paper. Your interpretation of the bachelor sources must be backed upwards with evidence to testify that what you are proverb is valid.

Be selective

Select only the most important points in each source to highlight in the review. The type of data you choose to mention should relate directly to the review'due south focus, whether it is thematic, methodological, or chronological.

Utilise quotes sparingly

Falk and Mills do not utilise whatsoever direct quotes. That is considering the survey nature of the literature review does not allow for in-depth discussion or detailed quotes from the text. Some curt quotes here and there are okay, though, if you lot want to emphasize a point, or if what the author said just cannot be rewritten in your own words. Notice that Falk and Mills do quote certain terms that were coined by the author, non common noesis, or taken directly from the study. Only if yous find yourself wanting to put in more quotes, check with your instructor.

Summarize and synthesize

Recall to summarize and synthesize your sources within each paragraph equally well as throughout the review. The authors here recapitulate important features of Hamilton'southward study, but then synthesize it by rephrasing the report's significance and relating it to their own work.

Go on your own vocalism

While the literature review presents others' ideas, your voice (the author's) should remain front and centre. Notice that Falk and Mills weave references to other sources into their own text, but they still maintain their own voice by starting and ending the paragraph with their own ideas and their ain words. The sources back up what Falk and Mills are maxim.

Employ caution when paraphrasing

When paraphrasing a source that is not your own, be sure to represent the author's information or opinions accurately and in your own words. In the preceding example, Falk and Mills either straight refer in the text to the writer of their source, such equally Hamilton, or they provide aplenty note in the text when the ideas they are mentioning are non their ain, for example, Gastil'due south. For more than information, please see our handout on plagiarism.

Revise, revise, revise

Draft in hand? Now you lot're ready to revise. Spending a lot of time revising is a wise idea, because your primary objective is to present the textile, not the argument. Then cheque over your review once again to brand certain it follows the assignment and/or your outline. And then, just as you lot would for well-nigh other academic forms of writing, rewrite or rework the language of your review then that you've presented your information in the most concise manner possible. Exist certain to utilize terminology familiar to your audience; get rid of unnecessary jargon or slang. Finally, double bank check that you've documented your sources and formatted the review appropriately for your subject. For tips on the revising and editing procedure, encounter our handout on revising drafts.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is non a comprehensive list of resources on the handout's topic, and we encourage y'all to do your ain research to find boosted publications. Please practice not use this listing equally a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may non match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, delight see the UNC Libraries commendation tutorial. We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Anson, Chris M., and Robert A. Schwegler. 2010. The Longman Handbook for Writers and Readers, sixth ed. New York: Longman.

Jones, Robert, Patrick Bizzaro, and Cynthia Selfe. 1997. The Harcourt Brace Guide to Writing in the Disciplines. New York: Harcourt Brace.

Lamb, Sandra E. 1998. How to Write It: A Consummate Guide to Everything You'll E'er Write. Berkeley: Ten Speed Press.

Rosen, Leonard J., and Laurence Behrens. 2003. The Allyn & Bacon Handbook, 5th ed. New York: Longman.

Troyka, Lynn Quittman, and Doug Hesse. 2016. Simon and Schuster Handbook for Writers, 11th ed. London: Pearson.

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