5.

The Literature Review - Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper - Research Guides at University of Southern California 09/09/18, 10(21 PM

Research Guides  Ask a Librarian

University of Southern California / Research Guides / Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper / 5. The Literature Review

Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper: 5. The Literature Review Search this Guide

The purpose of this guide is to provide advice on how to develop and organize a research paper in the social sciences.

Purpose of Guide Types of Research Designs 1. Choosing a Research Problem 2. Preparing to Write 3. The Abstract 4. The Introduction

5. The Literature Review 6. The Methodology 7. The Results 8. The Discussion 9. The Conclusion 10. Proofreading Your Paper

11. Citing Sources Annotated Bibliography Giving an Oral Presentation Grading Someone Else's Paper How to Manage Group Projects

Writing a Book Review Writing a Case Study Writing a Field Report Writing a Policy Memo Writing a Research Proposal Acknowledgements

Definition Writing Tip

A literature review surveys books, scholarly articles, and any other sources relevant to a particular issue, area of research, or theory, and Break Out of Your Disciplinary
by so doing, provides a description, summary, and critical evaluation of these works in relation to the research problem being investigated. Box!
Literature reviews are designed to provide an overview of sources you have explored while researching a particular topic and to
Thinking interdisciplinarily about a research problem
demonstrate to your readers how your research fits within a larger field of study.
can be a rewarding exercise in applying new ideas

theories, or concepts to an old problem. For example

what might cultural anthropologists say about the

Fink, Arlene. Conducting Research Literature Reviews: From the Internet to Paper. Fourth edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE, 2014.

continuing conflict in the Middle East? In what way

might geographers view the need for better distribution

Importance of a Good Literature Review
of social service agencies in large cities than how socia

workers might study the issue? You don’t want to

A literature review may consist of simply a summary of key sources, but in the social sciences, a literature review usually
substitute a thorough review of core research literature
has an organizational pattern and combines both summary and synthesis, often within specific conceptual categories. A
in your discipline for studies conducted in other fields o
summary is a recap of the important information of the source, but a synthesis is a re-organization, or a reshuffling, of that information in
study. However, particularly in the social sciences
a way that informs how you are planning to investigate a research problem. The analytical features of a literature review might:
thinking about research problems from multiple vector
Give a new interpretation of old material or combine new with old interpretations,
is a key strategy for finding new solutions to a problem
Trace the intellectual progression of the field, including major debates,
or gaining a new perspective. Consult with a
Depending on the situation, evaluate the sources and advise the reader on the most pertinent or relevant research, or
librarian about identifying research databases in othe
Usually in the conclusion of a literature review, identify where gaps exist in how a problem has been researched to date.
disciplines; almost every field of study has at least one

The purpose of a literature review is to: comprehensive database devoted to indexing it

research literature.
Place each work in the context of its contribution to understanding the research problem being studied.

Describe the relationship of each work to the others under consideration.

Identify new ways to interpret prior research. Frodeman, Robert. The Oxford Handbook o

Reveal any gaps that exist in the literature. Interdisciplinarity. New York: Oxford University Press

Resolve conflicts amongst seemingly contradictory previous studies. 2010.

Identify areas of prior scholarship to prevent duplication of effort.

Point the way in fulfilling a need for additional research.

Locate your own research within the context of existing literature [very important].

Fink, Arlene. Conducting Research Literature Reviews: From the Internet to Paper. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2005; Hart, Chris. Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social

Science Research Imagination. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1998; Jesson, Jill. Doing Your Literature Review: Traditional and Systematic Techniques. Los Angeles, CA: SAGE,

2011; Knopf, Jeffrey W. "Doing a Literature Review." PS: Political Science and Politics 39 (January 2006): 127-132; Ridley, Diana. The Literature Review: A Step-by-Step Guide for Students.

2nd ed. Los Angeles, CA: SAGE, 2012.

Types of Literature Reviews

It is important to think of knowledge in a given field as consisting of three layers. First, there are the primary studies that researchers

conduct and publish. Second are the reviews of those studies that summarize and offer new interpretations built from and often extending

beyond the primary studies. Third, there are the perceptions, conclusions, opinion, and interpretations that are shared informally that

become part of the lore of field.

https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/literaturereview Page 1 of 6
5. The Literature Review - Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper - Research Guides at University of Southern California 09/09/18, 10(21 PM

In composing a literature review, it is important to note that it is often this third layer of knowledge that is cited as "true" even though it Another Writing Tip
often has only a loose relationship to the primary studies and secondary literature reviews. Given this, while literature reviews are designed
Don't Just Review for Content!
to provide an overview and synthesis of pertinent sources you have explored, there are a number of approaches you could adopt

depending upon the type of analysis underpinning your study. While conducting a review of the literature, maximize

the time you devote to writing this part of your pape

Types of Literature Reviews
by thinking broadly about what you should be looking

Argumentative Review for and evaluating. Review not just what scholars are

This form examines literature selectively in order to support or refute an argument, deeply imbedded assumption, or philosophical problem saying, but how are they saying it. Some questions to

already established in the literature. The purpose is to develop a body of literature that establishes a contrarian viewpoint. Given the value- ask:

laden nature of some social science research [e.g., educational reform; immigration control], argumentative approaches to analyzing the
How are they organizing their ideas?
literature can be a legitimate and important form of discourse. However, note that they can also introduce problems of bias when they are
What methods have they used to study the
used to make summary claims of the sort found in systematic reviews [see below].
problem?

Integrative Review What theories have been used to explain

Considered a form of research that reviews, critiques, and synthesizes representative literature on a topic in an integrated way such that predict, or understand their research problem?

new frameworks and perspectives on the topic are generated. The body of literature includes all studies that address related or identical What sources have they cited to support thei

hypotheses or research problems. A well-done integrative review meets the same standards as primary research in regard to clarity, rigor, conclusions?

and replication. This is the most common form of review in the social sciences. How have they used non-textual element

[e.g., charts, graphs, figures, etc.] to illustrate

Historical Review
key points?
Few things rest in isolation from historical precedent. Historical literature reviews focus on examining research throughout a period of time,

often starting with the first time an issue, concept, theory, phenomena emerged in the literature, then tracing its evolution within the When you begin to write your literature review section

scholarship of a discipline. The purpose is to place research in a historical context to show familiarity with state-of-the-art developments you'll be glad you dug deeper into how the research

and to identify the likely directions for future research. was designed and constructed because it establishes a

means for developing more substantial analysis and

Methodological Review
interpretation of the research problem.
A review does not always focus on what someone said [findings], but how they came about saying what they say [method of analysis].

Reviewing methods of analysis provides a framework of understanding at different levels [i.e. those of theory, substantive fields, research

approaches, and data collection and analysis techniques], how researchers draw upon a wide variety of knowledge ranging from the
Hart, Chris. Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the
conceptual level to practical documents for use in fieldwork in the areas of ontological and epistemological consideration, quantitative and
Social Science Research Imagination. Thousand Oaks
qualitative integration, sampling, interviewing, data collection, and data analysis. This approach helps highlight ethical issues which you
CA: Sage Publications, 1998.
should be aware of and consider as you go through your own study.

Systematic Review

This form consists of an overview of existing evidence pertinent to a clearly formulated research question, which uses pre-specified and

standardized methods to identify and critically appraise relevant research, and to collect, report, and analyze data from the studies that are

included in the review. The goal is to deliberately document, critically evaluate, and summarize scientifically all of the research about a

clearly defined research problem. Typically it focuses on a very specific empirical question, often posed in a cause-and-effect form, such as

"To what extent does A contribute to B?" This type of literature review is primarily applied to examining prior research studies in clinical

medicine and allied health fields, but it is increasingly being used in the social sciences.

Theoretical Review

The purpose of this form is to examine the corpus of theory that has accumulated in regard to an issue, concept, theory, phenomena. The

theoretical literature review helps to establish what theories already exist, the relationships between them, to what degree the existing

theories have been investigated, and to develop new hypotheses to be tested. Often this form is used to help establish a lack of

appropriate theories or reveal that current theories are inadequate for explaining new or emerging research problems. The unit of analysis

can focus on a theoretical concept or a whole theory or framework.

Baumeister, Roy F. and Mark R. Leary. "Writing Narrative Literature Reviews." Review of General Psychology 1 (September 1997): 311-320; Mark R. Fink, Arlene. Conducting Research Literature Reviews: From

the Internet to Paper. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2005; Hart, Chris. Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social Science Research Imagination. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1998;

Kennedy, Mary M. "Defining a Literature." Educational Researcher 36 (April 2007): 139-147; Petticrew, Mark and Helen Roberts. Systematic Reviews in the Social Sciences: A Practical Guide. Malden, MA:

Blackwell Publishers, 2006; Torracro, Richard. "Writing Integrative Literature Reviews: Guidelines and Examples." Human Resource Development Review 4 (September 2005): 356-367; Rocco, Tonette S. and

Maria S. Plakhotnik. "Literature Reviews, Conceptual Frameworks, and Theoretical Frameworks: Terms, Functions, and Distinctions." Human Ressource Development Review 8 (March 2008): 120-130; Sutton,

Anthea. Systematic Approaches to a Successful Literature Review. Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications, 2016.

Structure and Writing Style

I. Thinking About Your Literature Review

The structure of a literature review should include the following:

https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/literaturereview Page 2 of 6
5. The Literature Review - Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper - Research Guides at University of Southern California 09/09/18, 10(21 PM

Yet Another Writing Tip

An overview of the subject, issue, or theory under consideration, along with the objectives of the literature review,

Division of works under review into themes or categories [e.g. works that support a particular position, those against, and those When Do I Know I Can Stop
offering alternative approaches entirely], Looking and Move On?
An explanation of how each work is similar to and how it varies from the others,
Here are several strategies you can utilize to asses
Conclusions as to which pieces are best considered in their argument, are most convincing of their opinions, and make the greatest
whether you've thoroughly reviewed the literature:
contribution to the understanding and development of their area of research.
Look for repeating patterns in the
The critical evaluation of each work should consider:
research findings. If the same thing is being

Provenance -- what are the author's credentials? Are the author's arguments supported by evidence [e.g. primary historical said, just by different people, then this likel

material, case studies, narratives, statistics, recent scientific findings]? demonstrates that the research problem ha

Methodology -- were the techniques used to identify, gather, and analyze the data appropriate to addressing the research problem? hit a conceptual dead end. At this poin

Was the sample size appropriate? Were the results effectively interpreted and reported? consider: Does your study extend curren

Objectivity -- is the author's perspective even-handed or prejudicial? Is contrary data considered or is certain pertinent information research? Does it forge a new path? Or, doe

ignored to prove the author's point? is merely add more of the same thing being

Persuasiveness -- which of the author's theses are most convincing or least convincing? said?

Value -- are the author's arguments and conclusions convincing? Does the work ultimately contribute in any significant way to an Look at sources the authors cite to in

understanding of the subject? their work. If you begin to see the same

researchers cited again and again, then this i

often an indication that no new ideas have

II. Development of the Literature Review
been generated to address the research

Four Stages problem.

Search the Web of Science [a.k.a., Web

1. Problem formulation -- which topic or field is being examined and what are its component issues? of Knowledge] Citation database and

2. Literature search -- finding materials relevant to the subject being explored. Google Scholar to identify who has

3. Data evaluation -- determining which literature makes a significant contribution to the understanding of the topic. subsequently cited leading scholars

4. Analysis and interpretation -- discussing the findings and conclusions of pertinent literature. already identified in your literature review

This is called citation tracking and there are a

Consider the following issues before writing the literature review:
number of sources that can help you identif

who has cited whom, particularly scholar

Clarify
from outside of your discipline. Here again, i

the same authors are being cited again and

If your assignment is not very specific about what form your literature review should take, seek clarification from your professor by asking
again, this may indicate no new literature ha
these questions:
been written on the topic.

1. Roughly how many sources should I include?

2. What types of sources should I review (books, journal articles, websites; scholarly versus popular sources)?
Onwuegbuzie, Anthony J. and Rebecca Frels.

3. Should I summarize, synthesize, or critique sources by discussing a common theme or issue?

Steps to a Comprehensive Literature Review: A
4. Should I evaluate the sources?

!
Multimodal and Cultural Approach. Los Angeles, CA
5. Should I provide subheadings and other background information, such as definitions and/or a history? ∠
Sage, 2016; Sutton, Anthea. Systematic Approaches to

a Successful Literature Review. Los Angeles, CA: Sage

Find Models
Publications, 2016.

Use the exercise of reviewing the literature to examine how authors in your discipline or area of interest have composed their literature

review sections. Read them to get a sense of the types of themes you might want to look for in your own research or to identify ways to

organize your final review. The bibliography or reference section of sources you've already read are also excellent entry points into your

own research.

Narrow the Topic

The narrower your topic, the easier it will be to limit the number of sources you need to read in order to obtain a good survey of relevant

resources. Your professor will probably not expect you to read everything that's available about the topic, but you'll make your job easier if

you first limit scope of the research problem. A good strategy is to begin by searching the HOMER catalog for books about the topic and

review the table of contents for chapters that focuses on specific issues. You can also review the indexes of books to find references to

specific issues that can serve as the focus of your research. For example, a book surveying the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

may include a chapter on the role Egypt has played in mediating the conflict, or look in the index for the pages where Egypt is mentioned

in the text.

https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/literaturereview Page 3 of 6
5. The Literature Review - Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper - Research Guides at University of Southern California 09/09/18, 10(21 PM

Consider Whether Your Sources are Current

Some disciplines require that you use information that is as current as possible. This is particularly true in disciplines in medicine and the

sciences where research conducted becomes obsolete very quickly as new discoveries are made. However, when writing a review in the

social sciences, a survey of the history of the literature may be required. In other words, a complete understanding the research problem

requires you to deliberately examine how knowledge and perspectives have changed over time. Sort through other current bibliographies

or literature reviews in the field to get a sense of what your discipline expects. You can also use this method to explore what is considered

by scholars to be a "hot topic" and what is not.

III. Ways to Organize Your Literature Review

Chronology of Events

If your review follows the chronological method, you could write about the materials according to when they were published. This approach

should only be followed if a clear path of research building on previous research can be identified and that these trends follow a clear

chronological order of development. For example, a literature review that focuses on continuing research about the emergence of German

economic power after the fall of the Soviet Union.

By Publication

Order your sources by publication chronology, then, only if the order demonstrates a more important trend. For instance, you could order a

review of literature on environmental studies of brown fields if the progression revealed, for example, a change in the soil collection

practices of the researchers who wrote and/or conducted the studies.

Thematic [“conceptual categories”]

Thematic reviews of literature are organized around a topic or issue, rather than the progression of time. However, progression of time may

still be an important factor in a thematic review. For example, a review of the Internet’s impact on American presidential politics could

focus on the development of online political satire. While the study focuses on one topic, the Internet’s impact on American presidential

politics, it will still be organized chronologically reflecting technological developments in media. The only difference here between a

"chronological" and a "thematic" approach is what is emphasized the most: the role of the Internet in presidential politics. Note however

that more authentic thematic reviews tend to break away from chronological order. A review organized in this manner would shift between

time periods within each section according to the point made.

Methodological

A methodological approach focuses on the methods utilized by the researcher. For the Internet in American presidential politics project, one

methodological approach would be to look at cultural differences between the portrayal of American presidents on American, British, and

French websites. Or the review might focus on the fundraising impact of the Internet on a particular political party. A methodological scope

will influence either the types of documents in the review or the way in which these documents are discussed.

Other Sections of Your Literature Review

Once you've decided on the organizational method for your literature review, the sections you need to include in the paper should be easy

to figure out because they arise from your organizational strategy. In other words, a chronological review would have subsections for each

vital time period; a thematic review would have subtopics based upon factors that relate to the theme or issue. However, sometimes you

may need to add additional sections that are necessary for your study, but do not fit in the organizational strategy of the body. What other

sections you include in the body is up to you but include only what is necessary for the reader to locate your study within the larger

scholarship framework.

Here are examples of other sections you may need to include depending on the type of review you write:

Current Situation: information necessary to understand the topic or focus of the literature review.

History: the chronological progression of the field, the literature, or an idea that is necessary to understand the literature review, if

the body of the literature review is not already a chronology.

Selection Methods: the criteria you used to select (and perhaps exclude) sources in your literature review. For instance, you might

explain that your review includes only peer-reviewed articles and journals.

Standards: the way in which you present your information.

Questions for Further Research: What questions about the field has the review sparked? How will you further your research as a

result of the review?

IV. Writing Your Literature Review

Once you've settled on how to organize your literature review, you're ready to write each section. When writing your review, keep in mind

https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/literaturereview Page 4 of 6
5. The Literature Review - Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper - Research Guides at University of Southern California 09/09/18, 10(21 PM

Once you've settled on how to organize your literature review, you're ready to write each section. When writing your review, keep in mind

these issues.

Use Evidence

A literature review section is, in this sense, just like any other academic research paper. Your interpretation of the available sources must

be backed up with evidence [citations] that demonstrates that what you are saying is valid.

Be Selective

Select only the most important points in each source to highlight in the review. The type of information you choose to mention should

relate directly to the research problem, whether it is thematic, methodological, or chronological. Related items that provide additional

information but that are not key to understanding the research problem can be included in a list of further readings.

Use Quotes Sparingly

Some short quotes are okay if you want to emphasize a point, or if what an author stated cannot be easily paraphrased. Sometimes you

may need to quote certain terminology that was coined by the author, not common knowledge, or taken directly from the study. Do not use

extensive quotes as a substitute for your own summary and interpretation of the literature.

Summarize and Synthesize

Remember to summarize and synthesize your sources within each thematic paragraph as well as throughout the review. Recapitulate

important features of a research study, but then synthesize it by rephrasing the study's significance and relating it to your own work.

Keep Your Own Voice

While the literature review presents others' ideas, your voice [the writer's] should remain front and center. For example, weave references

to other sources into what you are writing but maintain your own voice by starting and ending the paragraph with your own ideas and

wording.

Use Caution When Paraphrasing

When paraphrasing a source that is not your own, be sure to represent the author's information or opinions accurately and in your own

words. Even when paraphrasing an author’s work, you still must provide a citation to that work.

V. Common Mistakes to Avoid

These are the most common mistakes made in reviewing social science research literature.

Sources in your literature review do not clearly relate to the research problem;

You do not take sufficient time to define and identify the most relevent sources to use in the literature review related to the research

problem;

Relies exclusively on secondary analytical sources rather than including relevant primary research studies or data;

Uncritically accepts another researcher's findings and interpretations as valid, rather than examining critically all aspects of the

research design and analysis;

Does not describe the search procedures that were used in identifying the literature to review;

Reports isolated statistical results rather than synthesizing them in chi-squared or meta-analytic methods; and,

Only includes research that validates assumptions and does not consider contrary findings and alternative interpretations found in

the literature.

Cook, Kathleen E. and Elise Murowchick. “Do Literature Review Skills Transfer from One Course to Another?” Psychology Learning and Teaching 13 (March 2014): 3-11; Fink, Arlene. Conducting Research

Literature Reviews: From the Internet to Paper. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2005; Hart, Chris. Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social Science Research Imagination. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage

Publications, 1998; Jesson, Jill. Doing Your Literature Review: Traditional and Systematic Techniques. London: SAGE, 2011; Literature Review Handout. Online Writing Center. Liberty University; Literature

Reviews. The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Onwuegbuzie, Anthony J. and Rebecca Frels. Seven Steps to a Comprehensive Literature Review: A Multimodal and Cultural Approach. Los Angeles,

CA: SAGE, 2016; Ridley, Diana. The Literature Review: A Step-by-Step Guide for Students. 2nd ed. Los Angeles, CA: SAGE, 2012; Randolph, Justus J. “A Guide to Writing the Dissertation Literature Review."

Practical Assessment, Research, and Evaluation. vol. 14, June 2009; Sutton, Anthea. Systematic Approaches to a Successful Literature Review. Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications, 2016; Taylor, Dena. The

Literature Review: A Few Tips On Conducting It. University College Writing Centre. University of Toronto; Writing a Literature Review. Academic Skills Centre. University of Canberra.

Last Updated: Sep 4, 2018 12:59 PM URL: https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide # Print Page Login to LibApps

Subjects: General Reference & Research Help Tags: citation, writing_support

https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/literaturereview Page 5 of 6
5. The Literature Review - Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper - Research Guides at University of Southern California 09/09/18, 10(21 PM

© University of Southern California Contact us

https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/literaturereview Page 6 of 6