English

Creating a literature review

How to start?

Start with a question or a problem and look for ALL of the answers or solutions. Don't limit yourself to a predetermined thesis. Allow those that came before you to guide you. You're entering a conversation that began long before you started asking questions. Be humble. 

What do you need?

Empirical research articles report research based on observed and measured phenomena. How do you know if an article is empirical? There are search tips you can utilize, as well as clues that can help you make the judgment.

• In ERIC, you can limit your Publication Type to Reports-Research.
• Try adding specific keywords to the abstract (study OR methodology OR subjects OR data OR results OR findings OR discussion)
• Check each article to see if it includes methods/methodology, results, and discussion sections. 

Where to search?

Everywhere. That's not fair. Everywhere is overwhelming, but definitely in multiple places. As an undergraduate, cherry-picking a few sources from one place might have worked okay. As a graduate student, however, the goal is different. You are trying to become an expert in an area of scholarship, which means locating the depth of what has been written. This requires time and ingenuity.

Databases

Education

Multidisciplinary/Other Disciplines

Interlibrary Loan (is your friend)

Contrary to what Google would have you believe, most information is not free. Rod Library pays a lot of money for the resources you access through our databases, unfortunately, budgets never go as far as we wish they would. If we do not have access to the material you need, our Interlibrary Loan staff will try to get it for you. 

In addition to filling out the form, many of our databases include a yellow "Find It" button. 

This button will sometimes open the article's full-text from another product to which we subscribe. However, if we do not have full-text access, it will take you to a library catalog (OneSearch) screen where you can "Request from ILLiad."

NOTE: You must sign in to your Rod Library account using your CatID to see this option in the library catalog.

Google Scholar (may or may not be)

Google Scholar is a wonderful tool for your toolbox, but like any other tool, it cannot be the only one you use. Use Google Scholar with eyes wide open and 

1. access it through the Rod Library homepage to also access UNI-accessible PDFs.
2. evaluate the results (including checking the journal's credibility in which the article was published).
3. Use it IN ADDITION to other databases, not in replacement of them. 
4. do not pay for research! Utilize ILL or email your librarian for help.