SOC 489: The Research Experience

A literature review assesses a body of research, published by accredited scholars and researchers, that is connected to your research question and can either be a part of a larger work (e.g. thesis or dissertation) or stand on its own. 

Purpose: A literature review

• Identifies what is already known about an area of study
• Includes all the facets that might touch the topic
• Helps identify questions a body of research has yet to answer
• Makes a case for why further study of research questions is important

Process:

It is a journey that is cyclical rather than linear.  Expect to return to and refine earlier efforts as your understanding of the research changes and grows.  

• Framing a research question
• Searching through the existing work
• Managing your search results
• Synthesizing the content from the research literature you've selected
• Writing an assessment of the existing literature