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Literature Reviews

Steps to writing a literature review, with links to learn more.

Step 4: Analyze the literature

Read the sources you’ve saved, and start writing as you read. Writing about the research will help you understand it, discover connections, and figure out how it all fits together. Don’t worry about style at this point; just get your thoughts down. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each source so that you can provide a critical analysis of the literature.

Provide brief summaries of important studies, including information about the scope of the study (for example, the size of the sample, or the years covered). If you write down the exact phrasing of the source, note that clearly so as to avoid plagiarism.

Look for commonalities, relationships and trends in the literature. Consider categorizing the sources, or parts of sources, based on which aspects of your topic they address.

Make note of any definitions, theories or special terms you want to use, define or investigate further.