FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY
When I was a budding undergraduate researcher in a summer research program, I met my advisor bi-monthly to discuss how my project was going. At the end of one meeting, he advised me on the next steps to take.
“Become an expert on your topic and read all that you can!” said Dr. Rochin. He added that I needed to spend more time in the library.
Me, become an expert? That was different, along with having to spend my beloved summer days in my university’s main library. I did, however, follow my advisor’s advice. I got familiar with its library catalog and where the psychology books were located. I even learned about PsycInfo for finding psychology journal articles, and used the interlibrary loan (ILL) service to get books and articles that weren’t in the library.
Once I skimmed what I found, I came up with a refined research topic. I knew more and could write about it towards the end of the summer research program. My library and research skills had me well prepared for a senior-level independent study and then graduate school.
This was my introduction to the literature review, or the process of finding, examining, and synthesizing scholarly information and publications on a topic. ‘Literature’ is usually thought of as works of fiction, but it is also a body of work and publications. The literature review formed the foundation of my research and gave me ideas for ways I could approach it. It also assisted me with identifying what was not studied; my topic was on mental health issues in BIPOC populations, which in the 1990s was not highly researched.
If you are a student who needs to do a literature review, the FAU Libraries can help you get started! All students, staff, and faculty are invited to attend our upcoming webinars:
Library Research 101: Get to Know the FAU Libraries
Monday, February 1, 2022
12:00 – 12:50 PM
Via Zoom; Register at https://fau-edu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_eaRX5TMKRXCWh_X-y3syOQ
The Literature Review: A Roadmap for Finding Scholarly Information
Wednesday, February 3, 2022
4:00 – 4:50 PM
Via Zoom; Register at https://fau-edu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_X5X76GLQRw-DWhbRtn989g
If you can’t attend, use our Ask a Librarian service or request a research consultation. Our librarians can show you what is available on your topic and give overviews of the services you need. If you prefer to go solo or have a tight schedule, see our Research Guides, slides and recordings that can help you with your literature review. A little time with us will help you save time on your work!
More Information:
The Literature Review (Research Guide): https://libguides.fau.edu/c.php?g=325509&p=2182108
Image credit: Watching the skyline, by Peter F. on Flicker.com, https://flic.kr/p/acHQmj. Permission by CC BY 2.0.
