1. GEOG 3481
Applied GIS
Literature Review Review
Traci Welch Moritz
Public Services
Librarian/Assistant Professor
Heterick Memorial Library

2. What we’ll do today
• What is a literature review?
–Tips and hints
• What databases to access
–Tips and hints

3. Literature Review
• What is it?
–Survey of sources, scholarly
articles, government
docs, books, dissertations, conference
proceedings…
–Overview of significant literature on a
topic often limited to a specific time
period

4. Literature Review
• What is it not?
–An academic research paper, which is
most often constructed as an
argument and the information you are
seeking is to support said argument
–Literature review is summery of
arguments already made by others

5. Literature Review
• Both must have
– Focus (narrow your topic)
– Thesis statement (not an argument for a
position but will have a particular
perspective announcing the topic you will
be reviewing)

6. Literature Review
• http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/ha
ndouts/literature_review.html
• http://www2.smumn.edu/deptpages/~tcw
ritingcenter/Forms_of_Writing/LitReview.
htm

7. Bibliographic Citation Software
– REFWORKS
See GIS Research Guide for additional information on
how to sign-up and utilize this resource.

8. Research Guide for GIS

9. Findings resources
• Catalogs • Databases
–HML, Law –General
–OhioLINK –Discipline
–WorldCat specific
• Vetted Internet Resources

10. Databases

11. Databases -- General
Academic Search Complete

12. Databases -- Web of Science, ISI

13. Database -- Specific 2 Geography

14. Databases
• Specific to a discipline
• GeoRef
• Criminal Justice Abstracts - Full text
• Engineering Village
• Science Citation Index
• PsycInfo 1967-Present
• Education Research Complete |

15. Additional search strategies

16. Check out the Research Guide

17. Other options
• www.scholar.google.com
• http://findarticles.com/
• http://www.doaj.org/

18. Need more help?
• Personal Reference Appt
– t-moritz@onu.edu
– 2473
– k-baril@onu.edu
– 2188
• Reference Desk
– 2185
– Instant Messaging