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Literature ReviewTutorial

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What is in this tutorial?

What is a literature review?

What is a literature?

Finding examples of literature reviews

Why write a literature review?

Basic steps of building a literature review

Organizing literature reviews

Finding literature review sources at the library

By the end of this module, you should...

1. Know what is and is not a literature review.
2. Be able to differentiate a literature review from an annotated bibliography.
3. Understand where literature reviews fit in the research process.
4. Know the steps to write a literature review.
5. Understand how to gather sources for a literature review.

What is a Literature Review?

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Is it an annotated bibliography?

Is it a scan of past research?

Is it a review of previous research?

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But wait, what is literature?

In the context of literature reviews, literature generally means academic or scholarly sources that have been published about your topic. This often includes peer-reviewed articles from academic journals. Depending on your assignment and the discipline, this may also include other sources including books and reports.

How do I find examples of literature reviews?

Literature reviews are often included as a section in academic research articles, and in these cases can be a few paragraphs long. Literature reviews can also be stand-alone articles that are published in academic journals. Looking for examples of published literature reviews? Search your topic in Library Search and add "literature review" to your search.

View example

Why write a Literature Review?

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Report

Comment

Discuss

Identify

Recommend

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Basic steps of building a literature review

1. Identify your reserach focus.
2. Search and collect your academic sources.
3. Analyze the literature by skimming the content.
4. Select the most relevant literature.
5. Identify patterns in the research.
6. Write your review and make connections.

Check out the Assignment Planner. This tool helps you break down your assignment or project into manageable steps and guide you to useful services and tools from Seneca Libraries and Learning Centres.

Assignment Planner

What are some ways of organizing Literature Reviews?

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Theme

Method

Chronology

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From Research Methods by Valerie Sheppard and the Justice Institute of British Columbia, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

How do I find literature review sources at Seneca Libraries?

Click each option to learn more.

Library Search

Databases

Subject Guides

Recap

• Literature reviews involve scanning and reviewing current literature within a field.
• Writing literature reviews allow you to report, comment, and discuss current research related to your research topic.
• Literature reviews are an important part of the research process. They allow you to identify gaps in the current research and recommend future research that could be done.
• Building a literature review includes narrowing the research focus, gathering and analyzing sources, selecting key resources, identifying patterns in the research, and writing your review.

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Designing the Visual Experience

Interactivity and animation can be key elements in creating impactful visual resources. From tables to charts, leverage these tools to simplify data and enrich your audience's understanding. Remember, visual communication is effective and captivating.

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Assessment tool

Bringing Your Ideas to Life

It's time to get down to business. Use your creativity and technical skills to bring your concepts to life. Take advantage of interactivity and animation to make your tables, infographics, and graphics come to life, captivating your audience with every detail.

Preparing the Final Presentation

The moment of truth has arrived! In this final stage, we will organize our work and ensure that everything is ready for its presentation. Review your visual project, prepare the necessary materials, and practice your presentation to ensure that you convey your message clearly and confidently. You are ready to shine before your audience!

Agile Pedagogy PDF

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Connecting the Threads

Review your work and make sure that each element contributes to the overall narrative. Eliminate the superfluous and focus on the essential to create a cohesive and persuasive experience. Synthesis is the key to conveying your message clearly and effectively.

Enhancing Your Visual Impact

Explore new techniques and tools to enhance the visual impact of your content. Experiment with different styles and effects to capture your audience's attention and convey your message in a memorable way.

Refining Your Creation

Do not settle for the ordinary. Perfect every element of your project, ensuring that each interaction and animation contributes to the clarity and understanding of your message. Attention to detail makes the difference between good and exceptional.

Working with Vision

Before diving into creation, develop a detailed plan. Define your goals, identify the necessary tools, and outline the design of your visual resources. A solid planning will ensure an effective andconvincing result.

Yes, literature reviews involve a review of research on a topic.

Literature reviews make connections between multiple research sources about a certain topic or subject. They also discuss any research gaps and recommend further areas of study.

Thematically

This is the most common way of organizing literature reviews. It's often used when explaining key themes or issues relevant to the topic.

Example A literature review of 31 relevant articles published between January 2005 and March 2015 identified 10 variables relevant to user adoption of mobile technology. “User adoption variables” is the theme.

Chronologically

This is often used when historical changes are central to explaining the topic.

Example A literature review is presented on the evolution of post traumatic stress disorder and its impact on firefighters from the late 1970s through to the present time. As part of this evolution you might discuss how the definition of PTSD has evolved over time, or how the methods used for studying this topic have evolved over time, or how treatment options have evolved over time, etc.

Databases

A database is another type of subject-specific resource where you can find articles and other sources for your literature review. Many databases are tailored for specific disciples while others are multidisciplinary.

Reflecting on Your Creation

Take a moment to critically evaluate your work. Did you achieve your goals? Does your visual content meet the expectations of your audience? Use the feedback to identify areas for improvement and continue refining your creative and technical skills.

Yes, literature reviews involve a scanning available research/sources on a topic.

Literature reviews provide an overview of existing research on a topic. This helps the reader become more familiar with relevant sources and research on a topic. Literature reviews do not touch on every source published on a topic and only highlight the key resources.

Library Search

The Library Search bar on the library website allows you to find sources that are peer-reviewed, published within a certain time frame, and more. Check out the following video for an introduction to using Library Search.

A great title

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No, literature reviews are not the same as annotated bibliographies.

Annotated bibliographies are a list of sources. For each source, one often includes an annotation that has a summary, evaluation, and explanation of how the source relates to the research question. Each source is examined on its own. Learn more Literature reviews, on the other hand, review multiple sources and provide an overview of current research on a topic.

Inspiring Creativity

Explore your imagination and let creativity flow. Visualize the impact your work will have by using interactive and animated tools. Get ready to captivate your audience and make your content stand out!

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Thinking routines

Start your exploration journey with this thinking routine. Begin by identifying what you know. Then, delve into your questions and interests. Finish by creating something unique, reflecting your learning. This approach ensures you an enriching and personalized educational experience. and personalized.

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Task

Subject Guides

Subject guides are custom guides that have been created to support research and assignments for Seneca programs and courses. Subject guides includes a selection of library and online resources, including eBooks and databases. Subject guides can help with research since they list relevant resources within a subject area.

Assessment tool

Methodologically

This is often used when discussing interdisciplinary approaches to a topic or when discussing a number of studies with a different approach.

Example In e-business adoption literature, various models have been used as a framework for analyzing the factors that need to be satisfied in order to guarantee business success. This review evaluates the different models used in this area with the intent of determining if standardized methodologies exist.

A great title