How to... write a literature review

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Further information and examples

Further information

The following universities have good information on how to write a literature review, which is naturally mostly aimed at students, but the principles are still the same:

• Deakin University
  Aimed mainly at research students. Has some particularly good links to other parts of the site, for example how to critically analyse information sources: www.deakin.edu.au/library/research/information/evaluate-information.php, and the extensive Deakin University Library research skills site: www.deakin.edu.au/library/research/index.php.
• University of Wisconsin-Madison
  Provides a useful structure for how to write the literature review.
• University of North Carolina
  Despite its somewhat flippant beginning, has some useful points, and provides some suggestions as to structure.
• University of California, Santa Cruz
  (Follow links to "literature review".)
  Some useful bullet points, including advice on how to assess pieces, as well as on the purpose of a literature review.

Some examples of literature reviews

The best way of improving skills in writing literature reviews is by looking at other examples: 

• Surviving and thriving in academia: a selective bibliography for new faculty members
  (Deborah Lee, Reference Services Review, vol. 31 no. 1)
  This is much more in the nature of being a descriptive bibliography but note how the author groups her material according to themes, with descriptive opening paragraphs.
• Trends and evolution in the development of grey literature: a review
  (Daniela Luizi, International Journal of Grey Literature, vol. 1 no. 3)
  Example of a literature review which takes a chronological approach.