Skip to Main Content

Literature Reviews

General information on how to organize and write a literature review.

Quick Search

Search Criss Library and beyond

Search the Databases

Reviewing the Literature

Evaluate Your Sources

When you work with the literature you will read and critically examine the articles and books. You want to evaluate the information based on:

  • Credibility—What are the author's credentials? Are the author's arguments supported by evidence (e.g. primary historical material, case studies, narratives, statistics, recent scientific findings)?
  • Objectivity—Is the author's perspective even-handed or prejudicial? Is contrary data considered or is certain pertinent information ignored to prove the author's point?
  • Persuasiveness—Which of the author's theses are most/least convincing?
  • Value—Are the author's arguments and conclusions convincing? Does the work ultimately contribute in any significant way to an understanding of the subject?

http://guides.library.ucsc.edu/write-a-literature-review

Click images to enlarge.

Describes parts of an empirical research article