Overview
A literature review provides an overview of the scholarly information published to date on a specific topic, summarizing and synthesizing the ideas presented. At the undergraduate level, a literature review differs from a research paper in that no new primary research is presented. At the graduate level, literature reviews often constitute a chapter of a thesis or dissertation and provide an intellectual context for the author's own research.
The literature review differs from an annotated bibliography: it is a narrative document that synthesizes the sources consulted to develop a conclusion. An annotated bibliography deals with each resource in turn, describing and evaluating the source in a single paragraph. (From Research 101: Literature Reviews, Ithaca College Library)
A literature review provides an overview of the scholarly information published to date on a specific topic, summarizing and synthesizing the ideas presented. At the undergraduate level, a literature review differs from a research paper in that no new primary research is presented. At the graduate level, literature reviews often constitute a chapter of a thesis or dissertation and provide an intellectual context for the author's own research.
The literature review differs from an annotated bibliography: it is a narrative document that synthesizes the sources consulted to develop a conclusion. An annotated bibliography deals with each resource in turn, describing and evaluating the source in a single paragraph. (From Research 101: Literature Reviews, Ithaca College Library)
Examples and guidelines
Social Work Literature Review Guidelines
APA Sample Paper (pdf) (Purdue OWL)
Use authoritative sources to gain a solid understanding of the issues before you finalize your problem statement.
Background and conceptual information
- Encyclopedia of Gender and Society
- Encyclopedia of Human Relationships
- Encyclopedia of Race, Ethnicity, and Society
- SAGE Encyclopedia of Qualitative Research Methods
Demographic data
- Asian American Data Links (U.S. Census)
Data and reports based on the 2010 U.S. Census and the annual American Community Survey. - Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Data Links
Data and reports based on the 2010 U.S. Census.
Health data
- Asian American Health (MedlinePlus)
Links to health issues that affect Asian Americans, from the U.S. National Library of Medicine. - Asian American Profile (Office of Minority Health)
Overview of demographic and health-related statistics of Asian Americans. - Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Health (MedlinePlus)
Links to health issues that affect Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, from the U.S. National Library of Medicine. - Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders Profile (Office of Minority Health)
Overview of demographic and health-related statistics of Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders.
Advocacy
- Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF)
Information to help communities mobilize in order to influence policy and to strengthen their community-based organizations to achieve health equity for AAs and NHPIs across the country. - Asian American Health: National Organizations
A directory provided by the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Figuring out what keywords to use and how to construct your searches is one of the most difficult aspects of doing research.
- Identify the main concepts of your topic and think of synonyms to describe each concept, where appropriate
Try searching with broader and then more specific terms such as:
east asian american*, korean american*, pacific islander*, chinese american*, japanese american*, hmong american*, api, aapi, aanhpi, native hawaiian*
Combine your search terms for the API component of your topic with search terms for the sexuality component of your topic.
- Use database searching tips to formulate your search
* Combine synonyms with OR and enclose in parentheses
* Combine the different concepts with AND
* Use truncation (*) to find multiple endings of words
* Use quotation marks around phrases
Sample searches:
("asian american*" OR "pacific islander*") AND intimate partner relationship*
("east asian american*" OR "chinese american*") AND "cervical cancer"
"asian american*" AND ("sexual assault" OR "sexual abuse") AND "college student*"
Try your search in at least two different databases.
LibSearch
Search the library's physical collection (books, movies, music, government publications, etc.) along with online journals and e-books to which the Library subscribes -- all in a single search.
Alt HealthWatch
Emphasis on holistic and integrated approaches to wellness and health care. Index with abstracts to articles back to 1984, full text for 180 journals and reports back to 1990.
GenderWatch
Articles on topics like sexuality, religion, societal roles, feminism, masculinity, eating disorders, day care, and the workplace that support LGBT studies, family studies, gender studies, and women's studies with a unique interdisciplinary approach. Click the check box to limit results to "Peer-reviewed" for scholarly articles.
Ethnic NewsWatch
Articles from over 200 newspapers, magazines and journals of the ethnic, minority and native press. Provides in-depth coverage of a wide range of current and historical topics. Limit the Source Type to "Scholarly Journals" for peer-reviewed articles.
APA Formatting and Style Guide from OWL at Purdue
Provides examples of formatting papers, in-text citations, footnotes and endnotes, and reference lists in APA style. Updated according to the 6th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.
Provides examples of formatting papers, in-text citations, footnotes and endnotes, and reference lists in APA style. Updated according to the 6th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.
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From Idea to Library
Video tutorial on how scholarly articles are written, published, and made accessible to researchers and students. From the NCSU Libraries.
Scholarly vs. Popular Materials Guide (NCSU)
Guide to distinguishing between scholarly journals, popular magazines, and trade journals/magazines.
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The Multicultural Resource Center (MRC) is an academic center that supports those who are learning, researching or teaching about the experiences of people of color in the United States. Books in the MRC collection are on Miller Center 1st floor, near MC 137.
Search for materials in the Multicultural Resource Center
Melissa Prescott
Professor, Diversity and Inclusion Librarian
MC 204E
(320) 308-4751
mkprescott@stcloudstate.edu
