1. ACCESSING AND
REVIEWING THE
LITERATURE
JENNIFER THIESSEN
LIAISON LIBRARIAN, EDUCATION
JANUARY 2013
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2. OUR AGENDA:
• What is a literature review?
• Finding journal articles [refresher]
• Search tips
• Google Scholar
• Finding studies that use a particular research design
• Finding out more about research design/methodology
• Did we forget something? Want to know more?
• Go to Sakai, the Library website or contact Jennifer
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3. WHAT IS A LITERATURE
REVIEW?
•A place to make connections between what you are investigating
and what has already been investigated in your subject area
•A place to engage in a type of conversation with other
researchers in your subject area
•A place to identify previous research on the topic
•A place to show there is a gap in the literature which your study
can fill
•A place from which to begin your own investigation
Ridley, D. (2008). The literature review: A step-by-step guide for students. London: Sage
Publications, p. 2.

4. SIMPLY PUT…
Helps you and your
readers understand:
• What you know about
your topic
• What other people know
about your topic
• What research has
been done
• How research was
done
• Where are the gaps?
• Jumping off point for your
by wizardhat
study

6. HOW TO BEGIN?
FINDING APPROPRIATE SOURCES OF
INFORMATION
• Know what is appropriate:
– Scholarly, academic, peer-reviewed material
– Material that presents empirical data/evidence to back up
claims, not just opinions
– Material that presents an introduction, purpose, background
literature, method, procedures, findings, discussion, implica
tions, conclusion
• Know where to begin searching:
– Book catalogues
– Library databases – Education Research
Complete, ERIC, Academic Search Complete, Sage
Journals Online

7. WHERE TO START?
BOOKS JOURNAL ARTICLES
•They gather a lot of information on •Journal articles discuss one
one topic in one place. perspective.
•They can provide a good overview •Each article makes a unique
or good background information on a
topic. contribution.
•They often offer extensive •Articles can supplement
bibliographies. information found first in
•Look for encyclopedias or books.
handbooks for info on key theories
and researchers •Articles can offer more up-to-
• E.g. Encyclopedia of the social date information.
and cultural foundations of
education
•E-books

8. FINDING
JOURNAL
ARTICLES
• Use library databases
• Try Google Scholar
For finding info
about research
methodology

9. SEARCH TIPS
Use quotation marks for phrase searching
• “popular culture”; “educational leadership”
Use truncation
• Canad*; leaders*; pedagog*
Think of synonyms
• Teenager, adolescent, adolescence, teens, etc.
Limit to peer-reviewed articles
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10. SEARCH EXAMPLE

11. SEARCH TIPS…
Look for subject headings to focus your search
• E.g. internet and teaching:

12. • What about Google Scholar?
• Another database
• Find works that cite a
particular article/book
• See who the important
authors/researchers are
• Search for an article by
DOI
• Watch: Get Better Results
with Google Scholar
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13. SET UP LIBRARY LINKS
IN SCHOLAR SETTINGS
Why?

15. FINDING STUDIES THAT USE A
PARTICULAR RESEARCH DESIGN
Try adding “literature review”
• you will see examples of lit reviews, plus get an overview of
some aspect of your topic
Or “narrative” or “quantitative” etc.

16. RESEARCH DESIGN HELP
Use Sage Research Methods Online to find background and
introductory information about a particular methodology…
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17. …or to get a visual map of where that methodology fits in.
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18. FOR MORE HELP…
Graduate Education Research Guide
Resources folder in Sakai
See the Library Help pages: http://www.brocku.ca/library/help-lib
Contact the Library Help Desk
• 905-688-5550 x. 3233 or use email form
Contact your liaison librarian:
• Jennifer Thiessen (phone, chat, email)