SPEA V491 Honors Research in Public and Environmental Affairs

A literature review discusses the literature published on a particular topic and combines both summary and synthesis. You might create a literature review to:

• demonstrate the ability to find, analyze, and synthesize literature in a specific field
• convey the importance or significance of a research question or topic
• identify what is known or not known about a research question or topic
• provide background or context for a research question or topic

Literature Review Examples:

• Journal Article
• Review Article

Literature Review Resources:

The literature review process includes the following steps (also reflected in the tabs on the left). Some steps may need to be revisited once the research and writing process begins. 

• Literature Search 
• Read & Evaluate
• References & Writing the Review 

Some of the ideas in this guide were derived from the following sources:

• Literature Review (Oregon State)
• Literature Reviews: An Overview for Graduate Students (North Carolina)
• Public Policy Research at Princeton University: An Introductory Guide