literature assessment assignment

What is a Literature Review? How to Write It (with Examples)

A literature review is a critical analysis and synthesis of existing research on a particular topic. It provides an overview of the current state of knowledge, identifies gaps, and highlights key findings in the literature. 1 The purpose of a literature review is to situate your own research within the context of existing scholarship, demonstrating your understanding of the topic and showing how your work contributes to the ongoing conversation in the field. Learning how to write a literature review is a critical tool for successful research. Your ability to summarize and synthesize prior research pertaining to a certain topic demonstrates your grasp on the topic of study, and assists in the learning process. 

Table of Contents

What is the purpose of literature review , a. habitat loss and species extinction: , b. range shifts and phenological changes: , c. ocean acidification and coral reefs: , d. adaptive strategies and conservation efforts: .

• Choose a Topic and Define the Research Question: 
• Decide on the Scope of Your Review: 
• Select Databases for Searches: 
• Conduct Searches and Keep Track: 
• Review the Literature: 
• Organize and Write Your Literature Review: 
• How to write a literature review faster with Paperpal? 

Frequently asked questions 

What is a literature review .

A well-conducted literature review demonstrates the researcher’s familiarity with the existing literature, establishes the context for their own research, and contributes to scholarly conversations on the topic. One of the purposes of a literature review is also to help researchers avoid duplicating previous work and ensure that their research is informed by and builds upon the existing body of knowledge.

A literature review serves several important purposes within academic and research contexts. Here are some key objectives and functions of a literature review: 2  

1. Contextualizing the Research Problem: The literature review provides a background and context for the research problem under investigation. It helps to situate the study within the existing body of knowledge. 

2. Identifying Gaps in Knowledge: By identifying gaps, contradictions, or areas requiring further research, the researcher can shape the research question and justify the significance of the study. This is crucial for ensuring that the new research contributes something novel to the field.

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3. Understanding Theoretical and Conceptual Frameworks: Literature reviews help researchers gain an understanding of the theoretical and conceptual frameworks used in previous studies. This aids in the development of a theoretical framework for the current research. 

4. Providing Methodological Insights: Another purpose of literature reviews is that it allows researchers to learn about the methodologies employed in previous studies. This can help in choosing appropriate research methods for the current study and avoiding pitfalls that others may have encountered. 

5. Establishing Credibility: A well-conducted literature review demonstrates the researcher’s familiarity with existing scholarship, establishing their credibility and expertise in the field. It also helps in building a solid foundation for the new research. 

6. Informing Hypotheses or Research Questions: The literature review guides the formulation of hypotheses or research questions by highlighting relevant findings and areas of uncertainty in existing literature. 

Literature review example 

Let’s delve deeper with a literature review example: Let’s say your literature review is about the impact of climate change on biodiversity. You might format your literature review into sections such as the effects of climate change on habitat loss and species extinction, phenological changes, and marine biodiversity. Each section would then summarize and analyze relevant studies in those areas, highlighting key findings and identifying gaps in the research. The review would conclude by emphasizing the need for further research on specific aspects of the relationship between climate change and biodiversity. The following literature review template provides a glimpse into the recommended literature review structure and content, demonstrating how research findings are organized around specific themes within a broader topic. 

Literature Review on Climate Change Impacts on Biodiversity:  

Climate change is a global phenomenon with far-reaching consequences, including significant impacts on biodiversity. This literature review synthesizes key findings from various studies: 

Climate change-induced alterations in temperature and precipitation patterns contribute to habitat loss, affecting numerous species (Thomas et al., 2004). The review discusses how these changes increase the risk of extinction, particularly for species with specific habitat requirements. 

Observations of range shifts and changes in the timing of biological events (phenology) are documented in response to changing climatic conditions (Parmesan & Yohe, 2003). These shifts affect ecosystems and may lead to mismatches between species and their resources. 

The review explores the impact of climate change on marine biodiversity, emphasizing ocean acidification’s threat to coral reefs (Hoegh-Guldberg et al., 2007). Changes in pH levels negatively affect coral calcification, disrupting the delicate balance of marine ecosystems. 

Recognizing the urgency of the situation, the literature review discusses various adaptive strategies adopted by species and conservation efforts aimed at mitigating the impacts of climate change on biodiversity (Hannah et al., 2007). It emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary approaches for effective conservation planning. 

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How to write a good literature review 

Writing a literature review involves summarizing and synthesizing existing research on a particular topic. A good literature review format should include the following elements. 

Introduction: The introduction sets the stage for your literature review, providing context and introducing the main focus of your review. 

• Opening Statement: Begin with a general statement about the broader topic and its significance in the field. 
• Scope and Purpose: Clearly define the scope of your literature review. Explain the specific research question or objective you aim to address. 
• Organizational Framework: Briefly outline the structure of your literature review, indicating how you will categorize and discuss the existing research. 
• Significance of the Study: Highlight why your literature review is important and how it contributes to the understanding of the chosen topic. 
• Thesis Statement: Conclude the introduction with a concise thesis statement that outlines the main argument or perspective you will develop in the body of the literature review. 

Body: The body of the literature review is where you provide a comprehensive analysis of existing literature, grouping studies based on themes, methodologies, or other relevant criteria. 

• Organize by Theme or Concept: Group studies that share common themes, concepts, or methodologies. Discuss each theme or concept in detail, summarizing key findings and identifying gaps or areas of disagreement. 
• Critical Analysis: Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each study. Discuss the methodologies used, the quality of evidence, and the overall contribution of each work to the understanding of the topic. 
• Synthesis of Findings: Synthesize the information from different studies to highlight trends, patterns, or areas of consensus in the literature. 
• Identification of Gaps: Discuss any gaps or limitations in the existing research and explain how your review contributes to filling these gaps. 
• Transition between Sections: Provide smooth transitions between different themes or concepts to maintain the flow of your literature review. 

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Conclusion: The conclusion of your literature review should summarize the main findings, highlight the contributions of the review, and suggest avenues for future research. 

• Summary of Key Findings: Recap the main findings from the literature and restate how they contribute to your research question or objective. 
• Contributions to the Field: Discuss the overall contribution of your literature review to the existing knowledge in the field. 
• Implications and Applications: Explore the practical implications of the findings and suggest how they might impact future research or practice. 
• Recommendations for Future Research: Identify areas that require further investigation and propose potential directions for future research in the field. 
• Final Thoughts: Conclude with a final reflection on the importance of your literature review and its relevance to the broader academic community. 

Conducting a literature review 

Conducting a literature review is an essential step in research that involves reviewing and analyzing existing literature on a specific topic. It’s important to know how to do a literature review effectively, so here are the steps to follow: 1  

Choose a Topic and Define the Research Question:  

• Select a topic that is relevant to your field of study. 
• Clearly define your research question or objective. Determine what specific aspect of the topic do you want to explore? 

Decide on the Scope of Your Review:  

• Determine the timeframe for your literature review. Are you focusing on recent developments, or do you want a historical overview? 
• Consider the geographical scope. Is your review global, or are you focusing on a specific region? 
• Define the inclusion and exclusion criteria. What types of sources will you include? Are there specific types of studies or publications you will exclude? 

Select Databases for Searches:  

• Identify relevant databases for your field. Examples include PubMed, IEEE Xplore, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. 
• Consider searching in library catalogs, institutional repositories, and specialized databases related to your topic. 

Conduct Searches and Keep Track:  

• Develop a systematic search strategy using keywords, Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT), and other search techniques. 
• Record and document your search strategy for transparency and replicability. 
• Keep track of the articles, including publication details, abstracts, and links. Use citation management tools like EndNote, Zotero, or Mendeley to organize your references. 

Review the Literature:  

• Evaluate the relevance and quality of each source. Consider the methodology, sample size, and results of studies. 
• Organize the literature by themes or key concepts. Identify patterns, trends, and gaps in the existing research. 
• Summarize key findings and arguments from each source. Compare and contrast different perspectives. 
• Identify areas where there is a consensus in the literature and where there are conflicting opinions. 
• Provide critical analysis and synthesis of the literature. What are the strengths and weaknesses of existing research? 

Organize and Write Your Literature Review:  

• Literature review outline should be based on themes, chronological order, or methodological approaches. 
• Write a clear and coherent narrative that synthesizes the information gathered. 
• Use proper citations for each source and ensure consistency in your citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.). 
• Conclude your literature review by summarizing key findings, identifying gaps, and suggesting areas for future research. 

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How to write a literature review faster with Paperpal?  

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• Cite with Confidence: Paperpal makes it easy to incorporate relevant citations and references in 10,000+ styles into your writing, ensuring your arguments are well-supported by credible sources. This translates to a polished, well-researched literature review. 

The literature review sample and detailed advice on writing and conducting a review will help you produce a well-structured report. But remember that a good literature review is an ongoing process, and it may be necessary to revisit and update it as your research progresses. By combining effortless research with an easy citation process, Paperpal Research streamlines the literature review process and empowers you to write faster and with more confidence. Try Paperpal Research now and see for yourself.  

A literature review is a critical and comprehensive analysis of existing literature (published and unpublished works) on a specific topic or research question and provides a synthesis of the current state of knowledge in a particular field. A well-conducted literature review is crucial for researchers to build upon existing knowledge, avoid duplication of efforts, and contribute to the advancement of their field. It also helps researchers situate their work within a broader context and facilitates the development of a sound theoretical and conceptual framework for their studies.

Literature review is a crucial component of research writing, providing a solid background for a research paper’s investigation. The aim is to keep professionals up to date by providing an understanding of ongoing developments within a specific field, including research methods, and experimental techniques used in that field, and present that knowledge in the form of a written report. Also, the depth and breadth of the literature review emphasizes the credibility of the scholar in his or her field.  

Before writing a literature review, it’s essential to undertake several preparatory steps to ensure that your review is well-researched, organized, and focused. This includes choosing a topic of general interest to you and doing exploratory research on that topic, writing an annotated bibliography, and noting major points, especially those that relate to the position you have taken on the topic. 

Literature reviews and academic research papers are essential components of scholarly work but serve different purposes within the academic realm. 3 A literature review aims to provide a foundation for understanding the current state of research on a particular topic, identify gaps or controversies, and lay the groundwork for future research. Therefore, it draws heavily from existing academic sources, including books, journal articles, and other scholarly publications. In contrast, an academic research paper aims to present new knowledge, contribute to the academic discourse, and advance the understanding of a specific research question. Therefore, it involves a mix of existing literature (in the introduction and literature review sections) and original data or findings obtained through research methods. 

Literature reviews are essential components of academic and research papers, and various strategies can be employed to conduct them effectively. If you want to know how to write a literature review for a research paper, here are four common approaches that are often used by researchers.  Chronological Review: This strategy involves organizing the literature based on the chronological order of publication. It helps to trace the development of a topic over time, showing how ideas, theories, and research have evolved.  Thematic Review: Thematic reviews focus on identifying and analyzing themes or topics that cut across different studies. Instead of organizing the literature chronologically, it is grouped by key themes or concepts, allowing for a comprehensive exploration of various aspects of the topic.  Methodological Review: This strategy involves organizing the literature based on the research methods employed in different studies. It helps to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of various methodologies and allows the reader to evaluate the reliability and validity of the research findings.  Theoretical Review: A theoretical review examines the literature based on the theoretical frameworks used in different studies. This approach helps to identify the key theories that have been applied to the topic and assess their contributions to the understanding of the subject.  It’s important to note that these strategies are not mutually exclusive, and a literature review may combine elements of more than one approach. The choice of strategy depends on the research question, the nature of the literature available, and the goals of the review. Additionally, other strategies, such as integrative reviews or systematic reviews, may be employed depending on the specific requirements of the research.

The literature review format can vary depending on the specific publication guidelines. However, there are some common elements and structures that are often followed. Here is a general guideline for the format of a literature review:  Introduction:   Provide an overview of the topic.  Define the scope and purpose of the literature review.  State the research question or objective.  Body:   Organize the literature by themes, concepts, or chronology.  Critically analyze and evaluate each source.  Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the studies.  Highlight any methodological limitations or biases.  Identify patterns, connections, or contradictions in the existing research.  Conclusion:   Summarize the key points discussed in the literature review.  Highlight the research gap.  Address the research question or objective stated in the introduction.  Highlight the contributions of the review and suggest directions for future research.

Both annotated bibliographies and literature reviews involve the examination of scholarly sources. While annotated bibliographies focus on individual sources with brief annotations, literature reviews provide a more in-depth, integrated, and comprehensive analysis of existing literature on a specific topic. The key differences are as follows: 

References 

• Denney, A. S., & Tewksbury, R. (2013). How to write a literature review.  Journal of criminal justice education ,  24 (2), 218-234. 
• Pan, M. L. (2016).  Preparing literature reviews: Qualitative and quantitative approaches . Taylor & Francis. 
• Cantero, C. (2019). How to write a literature review.  San José State University Writing Center . 

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• How to Write a Literature Review | Guide, Examples, & Templates

How to Write a Literature Review | Guide, Examples, & Templates

Published on January 2, 2023 by Shona McCombes . Revised on September 11, 2023.

What is a literature review? A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources on a specific topic. It provides an overview of current knowledge, allowing you to identify relevant theories, methods, and gaps in the existing research that you can later apply to your paper, thesis, or dissertation topic .

There are five key steps to writing a literature review:

• Search for relevant literature
• Evaluate sources
• Identify themes, debates, and gaps
• Outline the structure
• Write your literature review

A good literature review doesn’t just summarize sources—it analyzes, synthesizes , and critically evaluates to give a clear picture of the state of knowledge on the subject.

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Table of contents

What is the purpose of a literature review, examples of literature reviews, step 1 – search for relevant literature, step 2 – evaluate and select sources, step 3 – identify themes, debates, and gaps, step 4 – outline your literature review’s structure, step 5 – write your literature review, free lecture slides, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions, introduction.

• Quick Run-through
• Step 1 & 2

When you write a thesis , dissertation , or research paper , you will likely have to conduct a literature review to situate your research within existing knowledge. The literature review gives you a chance to:

• Demonstrate your familiarity with the topic and its scholarly context
• Develop a theoretical framework and methodology for your research
• Position your work in relation to other researchers and theorists
• Show how your research addresses a gap or contributes to a debate
• Evaluate the current state of research and demonstrate your knowledge of the scholarly debates around your topic.

Writing literature reviews is a particularly important skill if you want to apply for graduate school or pursue a career in research. We’ve written a step-by-step guide that you can follow below.

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Writing literature reviews can be quite challenging! A good starting point could be to look at some examples, depending on what kind of literature review you’d like to write.

• Example literature review #1: “Why Do People Migrate? A Review of the Theoretical Literature” ( Theoretical literature review about the development of economic migration theory from the 1950s to today.)
• Example literature review #2: “Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines” ( Methodological literature review about interdisciplinary knowledge acquisition and production.)
• Example literature review #3: “The Use of Technology in English Language Learning: A Literature Review” ( Thematic literature review about the effects of technology on language acquisition.)
• Example literature review #4: “Learners’ Listening Comprehension Difficulties in English Language Learning: A Literature Review” ( Chronological literature review about how the concept of listening skills has changed over time.)

You can also check out our templates with literature review examples and sample outlines at the links below.

Download Word doc Download Google doc

Before you begin searching for literature, you need a clearly defined topic .

If you are writing the literature review section of a dissertation or research paper, you will search for literature related to your research problem and questions .

Make a list of keywords

Start by creating a list of keywords related to your research question. Include each of the key concepts or variables you’re interested in, and list any synonyms and related terms. You can add to this list as you discover new keywords in the process of your literature search.

• Social media, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok
• Body image, self-perception, self-esteem, mental health
• Generation Z, teenagers, adolescents, youth

Search for relevant sources

Use your keywords to begin searching for sources. Some useful databases to search for journals and articles include:

• Your university’s library catalogue
• Google Scholar
• Project Muse (humanities and social sciences)
• Medline (life sciences and biomedicine)
• EconLit (economics)
• Inspec (physics, engineering and computer science)

You can also use boolean operators to help narrow down your search.

Make sure to read the abstract to find out whether an article is relevant to your question. When you find a useful book or article, you can check the bibliography to find other relevant sources.

You likely won’t be able to read absolutely everything that has been written on your topic, so it will be necessary to evaluate which sources are most relevant to your research question.

For each publication, ask yourself:

• What question or problem is the author addressing?
• What are the key concepts and how are they defined?
• What are the key theories, models, and methods?
• Does the research use established frameworks or take an innovative approach?
• What are the results and conclusions of the study?
• How does the publication relate to other literature in the field? Does it confirm, add to, or challenge established knowledge?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the research?

Make sure the sources you use are credible , and make sure you read any landmark studies and major theories in your field of research.

You can use our template to summarize and evaluate sources you’re thinking about using. Click on either button below to download.

Take notes and cite your sources

As you read, you should also begin the writing process. Take notes that you can later incorporate into the text of your literature review.

It is important to keep track of your sources with citations to avoid plagiarism . It can be helpful to make an annotated bibliography , where you compile full citation information and write a paragraph of summary and analysis for each source. This helps you remember what you read and saves time later in the process.

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To begin organizing your literature review’s argument and structure, be sure you understand the connections and relationships between the sources you’ve read. Based on your reading and notes, you can look for:

• Trends and patterns (in theory, method or results): do certain approaches become more or less popular over time?
• Themes: what questions or concepts recur across the literature?
• Debates, conflicts and contradictions: where do sources disagree?
• Pivotal publications: are there any influential theories or studies that changed the direction of the field?
• Gaps: what is missing from the literature? Are there weaknesses that need to be addressed?

This step will help you work out the structure of your literature review and (if applicable) show how your own research will contribute to existing knowledge.

• Most research has focused on young women.
• There is an increasing interest in the visual aspects of social media.
• But there is still a lack of robust research on highly visual platforms like Instagram and Snapchat—this is a gap that you could address in your own research.

There are various approaches to organizing the body of a literature review. Depending on the length of your literature review, you can combine several of these strategies (for example, your overall structure might be thematic, but each theme is discussed chronologically).

Chronological

The simplest approach is to trace the development of the topic over time. However, if you choose this strategy, be careful to avoid simply listing and summarizing sources in order.

Try to analyze patterns, turning points and key debates that have shaped the direction of the field. Give your interpretation of how and why certain developments occurred.

If you have found some recurring central themes, you can organize your literature review into subsections that address different aspects of the topic.

For example, if you are reviewing literature about inequalities in migrant health outcomes, key themes might include healthcare policy, language barriers, cultural attitudes, legal status, and economic access.

Methodological

If you draw your sources from different disciplines or fields that use a variety of research methods , you might want to compare the results and conclusions that emerge from different approaches. For example:

• Look at what results have emerged in qualitative versus quantitative research
• Discuss how the topic has been approached by empirical versus theoretical scholarship
• Divide the literature into sociological, historical, and cultural sources

Theoretical

A literature review is often the foundation for a theoretical framework . You can use it to discuss various theories, models, and definitions of key concepts.

You might argue for the relevance of a specific theoretical approach, or combine various theoretical concepts to create a framework for your research.

Like any other academic text , your literature review should have an introduction , a main body, and a conclusion . What you include in each depends on the objective of your literature review.

The introduction should clearly establish the focus and purpose of the literature review.

Depending on the length of your literature review, you might want to divide the body into subsections. You can use a subheading for each theme, time period, or methodological approach.

As you write, you can follow these tips:

• Summarize and synthesize: give an overview of the main points of each source and combine them into a coherent whole
• Analyze and interpret: don’t just paraphrase other researchers — add your own interpretations where possible, discussing the significance of findings in relation to the literature as a whole
• Critically evaluate: mention the strengths and weaknesses of your sources
• Write in well-structured paragraphs: use transition words and topic sentences to draw connections, comparisons and contrasts

In the conclusion, you should summarize the key findings you have taken from the literature and emphasize their significance.

When you’ve finished writing and revising your literature review, don’t forget to proofread thoroughly before submitting. Not a language expert? Check out Scribbr’s professional proofreading services !

This article has been adapted into lecture slides that you can use to teach your students about writing a literature review.

Scribbr slides are free to use, customize, and distribute for educational purposes.

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If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• Sampling methods
• Simple random sampling
• Stratified sampling
• Cluster sampling
• Likert scales
• Reproducibility

 Statistics

• Null hypothesis
• Statistical power
• Probability distribution
• Effect size
• Poisson distribution

Research bias

• Optimism bias
• Cognitive bias
• Implicit bias
• Hawthorne effect
• Anchoring bias
• Explicit bias

A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources (such as books, journal articles, and theses) related to a specific topic or research question .

It is often written as part of a thesis, dissertation , or research paper , in order to situate your work in relation to existing knowledge.

There are several reasons to conduct a literature review at the beginning of a research project:

• To familiarize yourself with the current state of knowledge on your topic
• To ensure that you’re not just repeating what others have already done
• To identify gaps in knowledge and unresolved problems that your research can address
• To develop your theoretical framework and methodology
• To provide an overview of the key findings and debates on the topic

Writing the literature review shows your reader how your work relates to existing research and what new insights it will contribute.

The literature review usually comes near the beginning of your thesis or dissertation . After the introduction , it grounds your research in a scholarly field and leads directly to your theoretical framework or methodology .

A literature review is a survey of credible sources on a topic, often used in dissertations , theses, and research papers . Literature reviews give an overview of knowledge on a subject, helping you identify relevant theories and methods, as well as gaps in existing research. Literature reviews are set up similarly to other  academic texts , with an introduction , a main body, and a conclusion .

An  annotated bibliography is a list of  source references that has a short description (called an annotation ) for each of the sources. It is often assigned as part of the research process for a  paper .  

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McCombes, S. (2023, September 11). How to Write a Literature Review | Guide, Examples, & Templates. Scribbr. Retrieved September 23, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/dissertation/literature-review/

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Teaching ELA with Joy

Middle School ELA Resources

10 Quick Assessment Ideas for Literature

By Joy Sexton Leave a Comment

I love literature, especially sharing stories aloud in class. On some occasions, I just want students to enjoy the read, without being saddled with a deep analysis, essay assignment, and the like. Quick assessments get students thinking and discussing the literature without a heavy workload, yet teachers get valuable snapshots of their learning.

How to Use the 10 Quick Assessment Ideas

You can assign one or two quick assessment ideas or let students choose one or two out of several choices you give. Students can simply complete these on their own paper or a Google doc or slide (less prep time for you!). If I’m assigning a few of them to use for a story, I like to have students fold a sheet of paper into quarters or halves and then number each section. They can divide a digital slide similarly. Having the response page sectioned off and numbered makes it more inviting for middle school minds.

Students love collaboration, and often these topics are fun to discuss with a partner or small group before students write their responses. You might allow a “two-minute talk it over” or something of that nature to help get the ideas flowing.

The 10 Quick Assessment Ideas for Literature

1.  Teacher provides a sentence starter that students use and continue. You can set a parameter for how much writing you want from them. For instance, you might say “finish the sentence and add three more,” or simply “add sentences with more details and examples.”

2.  Students draw a thought bubble for a character and then reflect on what the character is probably thinking, based on the circumstances in the story.

3.  Teacher re-reads a really good part from the text aloud. Then ask students to explain what makes that a really good part.

4.  Teacher reads a description of something (a setting, or something else that is vividly described). Ask students to sketch what they visualize.

5.  Ask students to describe a particular moment that stood out for them in the reading. Next, have them exchange with a classmate and read and comment on each other’s thinking.

6.  Tell students to imagine a small article has appeared in the newspaper regarding our character, ____________. Ask them, “What does it say?” Have them write the small article.

7.  Have students make a T chart. On one side they write + (for positive), on the other – (for negative). Then have them list settings, characters, ideas, and events from the text for each side.

8.  Have students decide on a “suggestion” or piece of advice they’d give to one of the characters at a certain point in the story. They need to provide reasons for the suggestion or advice. Or, have students imagine they could send a greeting card that says “Thinking of You” on the front but is blank on the inside. What message would they write there?

9.  Ask students to explain the “gist” of today’s reading (or the story so far) for someone who has not read it.

10.  Have students locate a number of unfamiliar words they are able to understand based on context clues in the reading. Students will list words, meanings, and context clues they found for each word.

There are so many more options, but hopefully, these 10 quick assessment ideas for literature will be a handy go-to list.  When you want students to enjoy a great read without having to do a “deep dive,” just try few of these : )

You might like these short assessments ready to use with ANY literature .  I have them differentiated for 3 levels of learners.

By the way, have you downloaded a copy of my free “Step into the Action” literature response activity , which you can save and edit in Google Drive? Find it in my post: 5 ELA Emergency Lesson Plan Ideas for Distance Learning.  

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Literature reviews

A literature review is a research task that finds, evaluates and discusses information on a particular topic. You need to analyse multiple texts, and discuss key ideas that you find in the reading.

A literature review may also identify gaps for further research. It is not a process of summarising texts separately – that is done in an annotated bibliography .

A good literature review should:

• be well researched, planned and structured
• discuss a relevant issue, problem or practice that relates to your subject
• explain why your chosen topic is important
• identify key ideas or themes in the literature
• synthesise these findings into thematic paragraphs, using sufficient citations and correct referencing
• demonstrate your understanding of the topic and develop your knowledge and evidence-based practice.

Literature reviews differ across disciplines, so use your assessment instructions and marking criteria as your ultimate guide.

7 steps for writing a literature review

1. analyse the task.

Read the assessment instructions and marking rubric carefully. Note how many sources you need to include in your literature review and any guidelines on selecting the literature.

Choose a topic that interests you. A topic that is important to you will help you stay focused.

2. Establish a clear research question

A good research question will help you narrow down your topic so that it is manageable. If your question is too broad, you may be overwhelmed by the reading. If it is too narrow, you won’t find enough literature.

3. Search for relevant literature

Use keywords from your research question to begin searching .

In the research question "What factors impact student learning when on nursing placement?", the keywords are: student, learning, nursing and placement.

4. Read and review the literature, and take notes

When reading the literature, consider the following:

• Is the article relevant to your topic? For journal articles, read the abstract. For other sources, scan quickly and discard if you can’t see anything useful.
• Who is the author/s and what is their expertise?
• Is the source credible and scholarly ? Use any evaluation tools provided by your subject.
• What is the main topic and what themes are discussed?

Pay attention to important information, such as the abstract, introduction, headings/subheadings, graphs/tables and conclusion.

Take notes using the  Cornell method  or a note-taking grid. Keeping notes that help you remember the content and relevance of each source is vital for writing a literature review.

• Example note-taking grid for a literature review [Word - 14KB]

5. Identify common themes or areas for further research

It's important to understand the relationships between the sources you've read. Look out for:

• themes:  what questions, ideas or topics recur across the literature? Where do authors agree or disagree?
• areas for further research:  what is missing from the literature? Are there any weaknesses?

6. Plan the structure of the literature review

Before you start writing, plan how your literature review will be organised.

Literature reviews are usually organised thematically, meaning they discuss one theme after another. You can also organise your ideas chronologically (from past to present) or by methodology (e.g. comparing findings from qualitative and quantitative research).

7. Write, edit, proofread, submit

It's easy to get lost in the reading and not leave enough time for polishing your writing. Use the Assessment Planner to make a clear study plan that includes time for writing, editing and proofreading.

Structure of a literature review

Introduction.

The introduction should include:

• context or background : give a brief summary of the context for your research question and explain why it is important
• purpose (thesis statement): state the purpose of the literature review. This is a statement generated from the research question
• scope (roadmap):  outline the specific themes the literature review will focus on and give the reader a sense of how your writing is organised.

Each body paragraph focuses on a specific theme and draws on several pieces of literature. 

Paragraphs should include:

• topic sentence:  start with the theme of the paragraph
• synthesis of evidence:  make connections between multiple sources by comparing and contrasting their views. Use summaries, paraphrases and quotes , and don't forget to properly reference your sources
• analysis or evaluation: add your own interpretation of the findings and comment on any strengths, weaknesses, gaps or areas for further research in the literature
• link:  end the paragraph by either linking back to your main topic or to the following paragraph.

Conclusions should include:

• restate the purpose of the review
• summary of the main findings : remind your reader of the main points. Make sure you paraphrase your ideas, so you don’t use the same wording as elsewhere in the literature review
• implications of the findings: suggest how the findings might be important for practice in your field
• areas for further research : provide suggestions for future research to address the problem, issue or question.

The conclusion is followed by a Reference list or Bibliography. Consult the Style notes  page of the  Academic Referencing Tool  for examples.

For complete sample literature reviews with further annotations, see the Word and PDF documents below.

• Example Literature Review - Allied Health [PDF 245KB]
• Example Literature Review - Allied Health [Word 69KB]
• Example Literature Review - Education [PDF 283KB]
• Example Literature Review - Education [Word 104KB]

Further resources

• Using a reading to choose a research topic worksheet
• Manchester Academic Phrasebank - Phrases for academic writing and reporting on research
• Turn a stack of papers into a literature review: Useful tool for beginners (Journal article)

Pathfinder link

Still have questions? Do you want to talk to an expert? Peer Learning Advisors or Academic Skills and Language Advisors  are available.

Cant R., Ryan, C., Hughes, L., Luders, E., & Cooper, S. (2021). What helps, what hinders? Undergraduate nursing students’ perceptions of clinical placements based on a thematic synthesis of literature. SAGE Open Nursing, 7, 1-20.  https://doi.org/10.1177/23779608211035845 Adapted and used under CC BY-NC 4.0 license

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• How to write a literature review

This example shows how a literature review from a PhD thesis can be analysed for its structure, purpose and content.

Three sections of the thesis are analysed to show the:

• relationship between the introduction and the literature review
• structure and purpose of dedicated literature review chapters
• inclusion of literature review in other chapters of the thesis.

Access the thesis

Co-witnesses and the effects of discussion on eyewitness memory by Helen M Paterson

Overview of thesis (introduction)

This introductory section is less than two pages long.

The first paragraph:

• states the overall objective of the thesis
• defines the introduced term
• provides broad motivation for interest in the area
• introduces the sections of the thesis that will address the overall objective.

The other paragraphs describe the content and purpose of each section of the thesis.

Literature review

The literature review is made of up of two chapters.

Chapter 1: Literature review of relevant research

The overall goals of this chapter are to firstly establish the significance of the general field of study, and then identify a place where a new contribution could be made.

The bulk of the chapter critically evaluates the methodologies used in this field to identify the appropriate approach for investigating the research questions.

Chapter 2: Theoretical explanations of memory conformity

Chapter 5, Study 3: Co-Witness Contamination

This chapter has the following structure:

• Introduction
• Discussion.

The introduction introduces the particular study to be reported on, and includes a three-and-a-half page literature review.

The literature review in this chapter:

• links back to the relevant general findings of the earlier literature review chapters
• briefly reviews the broad motivation for this study
• identifies that two previously used methodologies in this field will be compared to resolve questions about the findings of previous studies which had only used a single methodology
• uses previous literature to generate specific hypotheses to test
• reviews additional literature to provide a justification for a second objective to be investigated in the study reported on in this chapter.

Learning Advisers

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• Resource Library
• Maryland Open Source Textbook Initiative

Journal Synthesis Assignment Sheet & Rubric

Oer assignments for introduction to literature, pov assignment sheet & rubric, ya/children's lit assignment sheet & rubric, introduction to literature assignments.

This project was part of the Western Maryland M.O.S.T. Institutional Grant (2020). While it focuses primarily on a 100-level Introduction to Literature course, the open resource and subsequent assignments could easily be adapted for upper-level undergraduate literature courses. Furthermore, the design of this project allows instructors to continue to utilize texts with which they are most familiar.

Introduction

See the attached document for the full resource.

This project was part of the Western Maryland M.O.S.T. Institutional Grant (2020). While it focuses primarily on a 100-level Introduction to Literature course, the open resource and subsequent assignments could easily be adapted for upper-level undergraduate literature courses. Furthermore, the design of this project allows instructors to continue to utilize texts [1] with which they are most familiar.

As the instructor, first explore the primary resource from Oregon State University used in this project. The Oregon State Guide to English Literary Terms video series is licensed by creative commons (CC BY) and available online at https://liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/wlf/oregon-state-guide-english-literary-terms .  The open assignments that follow were created to support instructors utilizing the Oregon State resource in collaboration with texts in the literature classroom. Each assignment contains instructions for instructors, tips for teaching, the assignment, and if applicable, a rubric. This resource is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license © 2021 and can be reproduced or revised as necessary.

[1] Here are a few Open Literature Resources if you need texts to work with in your class:

• https://www.gutenberg.org/
• https://www.oercommons.org/courses/the-open-anthology-of-earlier-american-literature/view
• https://americanliterature.com/100-great-short-stories
• https://most.oercommons.org/courseware/3

Literary Terms Identification Quiz

Instructions for Instructors

Create a quiz of terms and definitions. This can be comprehensive or just a few you introduce in a specific unit. (Bloom’s Taxonomy: Remember). It is recommended that you select terms and definitions ( https://liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/wlf/oregon-state-guide-english-literary-terms )  which you have covered in class and consider essential to meeting the objectives of your particular course. 

Tips for Teaching

You may wish consider these as two sections of the same quiz OR as two related assignments given with a week or two of each other. For instance, you may wish to assign a short quiz in which your students identify/ define several related literary terms (for example, terms related to figurative language) and then, after having read some works which focus those terms, assign the literary terms application quiz based on those works. The students learn to identify the terms first and shortly after, apply them to actual words of literature. You can repeat this combination through the semester as you move from section to section if you arrange your course around different learning units.

Instructions for Students

The objective of this assignment is to assess your ability to remember the definitions of key literary devices and terms. After watching your assigned videos from The Oregon State Guide to English Literary Terms , match  each term to its definition.

Anaphora -the repetition of words or phrases in the beginning of a group sentences, phrases or poetic lines.

Blank Verse -poetry written in unrhymed but metered lines, almost always iambic pentameter.

Deus Ex Machina -a literary device in Latin meaning “God from the machine”, in which a plot is solved at the end of a story through an “miraculous” event.

Ekphrasis -a literary description of a work of art.

Enjambment -the poetic term for the continuation of a sentence or phrase from one line of poetry to the next.

Epistrophe - the repetition of phrases or words in a set of clauses, sentences, or poetic lines.

Figurative Language- a literary device asking the reader or listener to understand something by virtue of its relation to some other thing, action, or image.

Flashback -a trigger that interrupts the present (usually chronological) action of a story to show readers a meaningful scene that happened in the past.

Flat Character -a character who is superficial, predictable, or otherwise not very sophisticated.

Foreshadowing -a narrative device in which suggestions or warnings about events to come are dropped or planted.

Frame Story -a narrative that surrounds another story or set of stories.

Free Direct Discourse -a point-of-view that blends first and third person perspectives.

Genres -categories that have developed over time for what we read, what we watch, and what we listen to.

Graphic Novel -a narrative that involves both pictures and words.

Hyperbole -the art of exaggeration to convey an amplified personal response.

Imagery -the use of vivid language designed to appeal to the senses.

Irony -words or actions that depart from what characters or the reader expect them to say or do.

Juxtaposition -the position of two objects next to one another for the purpose of drawing attention to them.

Metaphor -a comparison between two things that are otherwise unrelated.

Metonymy -a comparison of two objects that are not similar in qualities.

Narrator -the fictional construct the author has created to tell the story through.

Oxymoron -the rhetorical term that describes words or phrases that, when placed together, create paradoxes or contradictions.

Personification -when something nonhuman is described using human characteristics.

Poetic Meter -the basic rhythmic structure of a line within a poem.

Point of View - the audience’s perspective on the events of the narrative.

Prologue -Comes at the start of a literary work and introduces background information such as characters and setting.

Rhyme Scheme -the pattern of end rhymes in a stanza.

Round Character -characters that have a certain depth or complexity.

Satire - the art of making someone or something look ridiculous, raising laughter in order to embarrass, humble, or discredit its targets.

Simile -the comparison of tow objects, usually involving the words “like” or “as”.

Sonnet -a 14-line poem using a specific rhyme scheme.

Stanza -smaller units of prose cut into lines.

Steam of Consciousness -a narrative style that tries to capture a character’s thought process in a realistic way.

Symbolism -a literary device in which words or actions represent something else.

Synecdoche -a metaphorical device in which a part of something represents the whole object.

Understatement -the description of something as having much less of a particular quality than it does.

Unreliable Narrator -a first person narrator that may not be completely trustworthy or unbiased.

Literary Terms Application Quiz

Create a quiz of terms and literary passages. This can be comprehensive or just a few you introduce in a specific unit. (Bloom’s Taxonomy: Apply). Below are example questions to revise for the terms, definitions, and texts you are using in your literature course.

It is recommended that you select terms and definitions which you have covered in class and consider essential to meeting the objectives of your particular course. For each exercise, select a passage from a work your students have studied. Ask that the students to identify a specific literary term in each passage and then write a 1 paragraph (7+ sentences) explanation of how this particular term helps the reader understand the larger work more fully.

In each passage, identify the literary term requested and write a brief definition of that term. Then write a 1 paragraph response explaining how the term in this passage helps the reader understand the whole work. The objective of this assignment is to assess your ability to identify and apply key literary devices and terms.

Question 1. In "Ex-Basketball Player", John Updike writes about a former high school athlete who now works as a gas station attendant. In the 2nd stanza, he has the young man, Flick, identify with the "idiot pumps" using basketball imagery. Aside from this second stanza, where else in the poem does the author use imagery that suggests Flick's preoccupation with his basketball career? Write a 1-paragraph response addressing the following.

• Define the term Imagery.
• Locate a line outside of the 2 nd stanza and explain how the poet is using imagery.
• Explain how the poet is using this imagery to create a broader theme related to Flick and his former glory?

Question 2. In Katherine Mansfield’s story, “Miss Brill”, the story follows the title character through her Sunday afternoon walk to the public gardens. The point of view of the story plays a significant role in how the reader views this story. Write a 1-paragraph response addressing the following.

• Define point of view.
• Explain the specific point of view of this story, quoting at least one line that shows this point of view.
• Describe how this specific point of view provides the reader with unique insights into understanding this story.
• [Bonus] Contrast how this story would be very different if told from a different point of view. Use details from the story to support your claims.

Question 3. The short story, “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne uses various symbols to provide meaning to the story. Write a 1-paragraph response addressing the following.

• Define what a symbol is.
• Locate an object or action in this story that serves as a symbol in the story.
• Explain how this specific object or action provides meaning to the story, using specific references to the text to support your claim.

Point of View Essay

This assignment works best when your students have already been introduced to/ have worked on the concept of point of view. This assignment can be a challenge for some students as it asks them to imagine a concept that isn’t present in the text already. For those students, you may help them get started by engaging in class (or small-group) discussions that practice this change of point of view. This can help some students start to understand how the exercise can work. Edit the highlighted text before giving the assignment sheet to students.

See the sample assignment sheet and rubric that you can modify for your class.

In literature, point of view (POV) is the audience’s perspective on the events in the story. For this assignment, you’ll choose one of the short stories we have read to discuss and apply your understanding of POV. This assignment will have two parts. For Part 1, you’ll analyze and explain the POV in the story. In Part 2, you’ll retell a portion of the story from a new or different POV.

Children’s/YA Literature Essay

This assignment works best when your students have a solid understanding of a variety of literary terms (maybe around the midterm), so they feel like they have various options. Some students who have fond memories of favorite works of children’s or young adult literature (or have favorites they share with their children now) will be able to locate texts for this assignment easily. However, those students who did not read much when they were younger may have difficulties identifying possible children’s texts on their own. Therefore, you may want to prepare a collection of children/YA works that you enjoyed and make recommendations to that latter group of students. 

See the attached assignment sheet & rubric that you can modify to fit your class.

The objective of this assignment is to identify and analyze the literary devices we have discussed in class. For the Children’s Literature Essay, you will analyze a favorite story you read as a kid. A literary analysis examines and interprets a piece of literature. It is NOT a summary. The essay will present an argument, or claim, about the work and the literary devices it employs. The purpose is to demonstrate what you’ve learned about literature and the devices authors use to tell a story.

Journal Synthesis

This assignment works best no earlier than midway through a semester, perhaps even later. If you are asking your students to regularly journal about the literary works, they should ideally have a substantial portfolio of their journals (or discussion boards, if applicable) from which to observe and reflect on their growth during the semester by the time you're deep into the semester.

See the attached assignment sheet & rubric that you can modify for your class.

The objective of this assignment is to synthesize your growth as a reader and writer in Introduction to Literature. For the Journal Synthesis, you will compose a synthesis of your weekly journals, reading strategies, and writing processes throughout the semester. A synthesis is a way to make connections between texts with the goal of presenting and supporting a claim. The purpose is to demonstrate your achievements as a reader, writer, and critical thinker this semester.

Drama Assignment

Audience Your instructor

• Read one of the plays from our list of texts. If you can find a full staged version live or recorded on a platform like YouTube.com, you may watch that performance. Make sure you are well-acquainted with the play as it is written/ performed before an audience.
• Locate a movie/ TV movie full-length adaptation of the same play and watch that movie version.  Consider the written play version the original text and the movie version as the adaptation of the original.
• Characters : Are there significant characters added or subtracted in the movie adaptation? Do some of the characters have greater or lesser importance in the movie version? What is the significance of these differences in character?
• Plot : Are there significant plot differences between the written version and movie adaptation? What plot points/ complications are added or subtracted from the written version? How do these plot changes influence the movie version? Why do you think the creators of the movie made these changes?
• Language/ Content : Are there significant language differences between the written and movie version? What are these differences? What do these changes suggest about what is permitted in a play version and a movie version? Are there themes or issues that are addressed in the original play that are changed in the movie version? Are these differences related to the eras when the play was written and when the movie was produced?
• Setting : Does the movie version set scenes in locations different than are presented in the original play version? Are scenes arranged in a different order in the different versions? How does the movie version employ use of flashbacks/ flashforwards or time changes versus the play version? What are tools regarding scene and time changes that can be used in a play version versus in a movie version?
• Music/ Lights - Do the two different versions of the text use background music/ underscoring? Does the use of music differ between versions? What is the effect of these uses of music? Do the two versions employ lighting in different ways? What is the effect of these differences?
• You may wish to merely identify the significant differences in your essay or you may wish to analyze and critique these differences and their effects on the two versions of the play.
•  Be aware that changes from the original version are not automatically bad. Some changes might be necessary or appropriate when producing a play versus a movie. You may wish to research whether the playwright participated in the production of the movie version.
• MLA Web Publications Citation on a Works Cited page, information about electronic sources from the Purdue OWL: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_works_cited_electronic_sources.html
• Writing in Literature- suggestions about how to structure a literature paper from Purdue OWL. There are several excellent links within this main page: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/writing_in_literature/index.html

Note to Instructors: The seven plays below work well for this assignment. This list also includes at least 1 movie/ TV movie adaptation of the play. You may wish to screen these plays and movie versions for content, language, etc. ahead of assigning them.

          Play                                Playwright                        Movie Version Date/ Details

Grading Rubric

0-2

Title

0-5

Introduction

0-15

Content

0-10          

Language Use

0-10

Organization/Arrangement

0-5

Conclusion

0-3

MLA Formatting, Citations, & Works Cited

      

            *Overall grade will be reduced one letter grade each day the assignment is late.

Narrative Assignment

Personal narrative assignment.

Objective: To research an excerpt from a personal narrative and explain its theme and purpose and the historical context of the narrative.

Audience: Your instructor

Length: 500-700 words

Assignment:

• Read one of the personal narrative excerpts below.
• Research important biographical information of the author and the historical context of the narrative
• Write a paragraph (at least seven sentences) in which you provide basic biographical information about the author of the narrative. Make sure you properly cite the source of this biographical information following Modern Language Association (MLA) guidelines.
• Write a full paragraph (at least twelve sentences) in which summarize the actions, events of the narrative. You may wish to directly quote from the narrative but make sure no more than 20% of this paragraph is direct quotes.
• The setting of the events of the narrative (where and when did it occur)
• The purpose of the author writing this narrative
• The audience of this narrative
• The general reaction of this narrative
• What sections of the narrative did you find most interesting/ compelling?
• What sections of the narrative were the hardest to understand/ relate to?
• How do you respond to the author as a person?
• Do you see any similarities in this narrative to your own experiences?

Makes sure that you use in-text citations when necessary and provide an appropriate Works Cited page at the end. Both the in-text citations and Works Cited page should follow MLA guidelines.

List of Narrative excerpts:

Mary Antin- “The Promised Land”

Olaudah Equiano “The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano”

Fanny Fern- “The Working Girls of New York”

Sarah Winnemucca Hopkins – “Life among the Piutes”

Red Cloud  “Address to Cooper Union” [All I want is Peace and justice]

Mary Rowlandson “A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson”

Zitkala-Sa- ”The School Days of an Indian Girl”

Booker T Washington “Up From Slavery” 

[Instructors may add/ subtract works as needed]

Poetry rhythm assignment, poetry- rhythm assignment.

Objective: To identify the specific rhythm of a poem and explain how that rhythm is significant to understanding that poem.

Audience: Your instructor.

Length: 250-350 words

Select two poems from the list of poems [Instructor- it is best to provide a list of poems in order to limit opportunities for plagiarism and give students some boundaries]. Make one of your poems [name of “base” poem, which you’ve discussed with class]. Select a second poem which we have not covered as a class.

For each poem write a paragraph identifying the rhythm(s) of the poem and explaining how the rhythm(s) provide specific meaning to the poem. Feel free to quote specific lines or phrases from the poems to support your points.

If you use outside sources to assist you in writing this assignment, please use MLA format in-text citations and a Works Cited page at the end of the journal. 

List of Poems

Theodore Roethke – “My Papa’s Waltz”

William Shakespeare- Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day”

William Shakespeare- “My Mistresses’ Eyes are Nothing Like the Sun”

Gwendolyn Brooks- “We  Real Cool”

Claude McKay- “The Tropics in New York”

Alfred, Lord Tennyson- “Break, break, break”

[Instructors may add/ subtract poems as needed]

Poetry speaker assignment, poetry- speaker/voice assignment.

Objective: To examine a poem and identify how the poet creates a speaker or voice in the poem that we recognize as separate from the actual voice of the poet.

Length of assignment: 250-350 words.

Assignment: Select a poem from the list below. Read it several times to determine the “voice” or “speaker” of the poem. Write a 250-350 journal in which you explain how the poet intentionally creates a distinct speaker or voice in the poem, separate from that of the poet. Refer to or quote specific lines to support your points. Explain how the poet creates a full, unique character as the speaker of this poem.

List of poems:

                A.E. Houseman- “Is my Team Ploughing?”

                Robert Browning- “My Last Duchess” or “Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister”

                William Blake- “The Chimney Sweeper”

                Langston Hughes- “Mother to Son”

                Jane Johnston Schoolcraft- “Invocation”

                Wilfred Owen- “Dulce et Decorum Est”

                Howard Moss- “The Pruned Tree”

                James Stephens- “ A Glass of Beer”

[Instructors: Add/ Subtract from this list as you choose. Just make sure that the poems involve a speaker or voice who is distinct from the voice of the poet]

Short Fiction Theme

Short fiction-theme assignment.

Objective: To identify and trace a theme or motif in a short story.

Assignment Length 400-600 word essay:

• Select one (1) short story from the list below.
• Read it carefully, noting keys plot points. Make a list of the key characters and their main goals and actions through the story.
• Identify a key theme, locating at least three (3) specific instances/ references to this theme in the story.
• Summarize the plot of the story in one paragraph. Do not attempt to mention every minor plot point; highlight the key events that following the main characters and their most important goals and actions.
•  In 1-2 paragraphs, articulate the central theme identified in (3) above. Specifically quote these instances, explaining how these references to the theme add to a greater understanding of the story as a whole.  You do not need to retell the plot; your goal is to highlight the key moments when this theme is used to articulate the larger idea of the story.

List of Short Stories.

John Cheever- “The Swimmer”

James Joyce- “Araby”

Flannery O’Connor- “Good Country People”

Tobias Wolf- “Hunters in the Snow”

John Updike “A & P”

Kate Chopin- “The Story of an Hour”

“ Zora Neale Hurston- Spunk”

Katherine Mansfield- “Miss Brill”

Bobbie Lee Mason- “Shiloh”

Alice Munro- “How I Met My Husband”

W.W. Jacobs- The Monkey’s Paw

[ Instructors can add/ subtract works according to their preferences]

Version history.

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