CONDUCTING LITERATURE

REVIEWMAKING IT EASIER

Information Overload versus Information LiteracyInformation overload occurs when one is overwhelmed by the volume of information being presented to him/her and is, therefore, unable to effectively extract relevant information. To succeed in the Information Age you must become Information Literate. An information literate person is able to recognise when information is needed and has the skills to locate, evaluate and use information effectively.

http://www.cilip.org.uk/policyadvocacy/learning/informationliteracy/definition/definition.htm [accessed 7/11/2009]

Starting your Literature Review

• A literature review is an account of what has been published on a topic by accredited scholars and researchers. There are some excellent websites that explain the process of conducting a literature review. A good place to start is Mike Hart's site, which will help you with practical sources of advice to successfully write your projects, dissertation or thesis. http://final-year-projects.com/index.htm and http://uw-tutor.co.uk/ess_help/

Starting your Research

Define what your topic and focus will be. Compile a list of keywords and synonyms. Use dictionaries, thesauri, and encyclopaedias to aid you. Check www.wikipedia.org and Oxford Reference (from our database pages)

• List the resources you will use for your review – Internet, books, journals etc

• Evaluate results -are they reliable, accurate

• Structure and write review

Types of Sources

Libraries, including UCC Library, are repositories of information sources. Information sources are generally defined as either print or electronic.

Print: Reference material, general textbooks, academic journals, popular journals, newspapers, annual reports, theses and inter-library loans.

Electronic: Databases, electronic journals and books, and the Internet.

Common Examples of Sources• BOOKS

There can be a wealth of useful information for your research contained in books. To locate books on your topic you could use the Library Catalogue, look at online vendors such as Amazon, or search Google Print

• The Library Catalogue http://library.ucc.ie/screens/opacmenu.html

Libraries use catalogues to record their contents. In the past, card catalogues were used. Details of library books were written on cards, which were then, arranged in alphabetical order by author/ subject etc.

• Google Books http://books.google.com/

A very useful resource for finding out what is inside a book. Often when you look for a book on Amazon or on our library catalogue you are searching by the title of the book. Your research may be Ring Tailed Lemurs but there may be few books called this. Google Books allows you to search within the book so you may find books with good chapters on your topic.

Common Examples of Sources

• The Internet

• Google www.google.ie

Google is a very versatile search engine. It covers a variety of topics, and includes options for basic and advanced searches. It is a good starting point for anyone undertaking research. Its content is not, however, definitive. Therefore you must learn to evaluate the results. There is an excellent tutorial, Internet Detective at http://www.vts.intute.ac.uk/detective/index.html

In order to zone in more accurately on your required results always use the “Advanced Search” option in Google. This will allow you to broaden or narrow your search with ease. Also take a look at the “Advanced Search Tips”

Common Examples of Sources

• Google Scholar http://scholar.google.com/

Google Scholar enables you to search specifically for scholarly literature, including peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, preprints, abstracts and technical reports from all broad areas of research. Use Google Scholar to find articles from a wide variety of academic publishers, professional societies, preprint repositories and universities, as well as scholarly articles available across the web.

• Scirus http://www.scirus.com/

Search engines are all different in the Web sites they cover, and the way they classify these Web sites. Scirus, the search engine for science, focuses only on Web pages containing scientific content. Searching more than 200 million science-related pages, Scirus helps you quickly locate scientific information on the Web: Filters out non-scientific sites. For example, if you search on REM, Google finds the rock group - Scirus finds information on sleep, among other things

WritingThe three ways of incorporating other writers' work into your own writing differ according to the closeness of your writing to the source writing.

• Quotations must be identical to the original, using a narrow segment of the source. They must match the source document word for word and must be attributed to the original author. Short quotes should be enclosed in "quotation marks". Longer quotes should be separated from your text and indented from the left hand margin. In this case you do not need to use double quotation marks.

• Paraphrasing involves putting a passage from source material into your own words. A paraphrase must also be attributed to the original source. Paraphrased material is usually shorter than the original passage, taking a somewhat broader segment of the source and condensing it slightly.

• Summarizing involves putting the main idea(s) into your own words, including only the main point(s). Once again, it is necessary to attribute summarized ideas to the original source. Summaries are significantly shorter than the original and take a broad overview of the source material. When you use your own words to draw out the key points or main arguments of the original text, significantly reducing its length.

(From “The Plagiarism Handbook” by Robert A. Harris (Pyrczak Publishing, 2001)

(From “The Plagiarism Handbook” by Robert A. Harris (Pyrczak Publishing, 2001)

Why Use?

Quotations, paraphrases, and summaries serve many purposes. You might use them to:

• Provide support for claims or add credibility to your writing

• Refer to work that leads up to the work you are now doing

• Give examples of several points of view on a subject

• Call attention to a position that you wish to agree or disagree with

• Highlight a particularly striking phrase, sentence, or passage by quoting the original

• Distance yourself from the original by quoting it in order to cue readers that the words are not your own

• Expand the breadth or depth of your writing

Writing

• Paraphrasing is one way to use a text in your own writing without directly quoting source material. Anytime you are taking information from a source that is not your own, you need to specify where you got that information.

Writing

A paraphrase is...

• Your own rendition of essential information and ideas expressed by someone else, presented in a new form.

• One legitimate way (when accompanied by accurate documentation) to borrow from a source.

• A more detailed restatement than a summary, which focuses concisely on a single main idea.

Paraphrasing is a valuable skill because...

• It is better than quoting information from an undistinguished passage.

• It helps you control the temptation to quote too much.

• The mental process required for successful paraphrasing helps you to grasp the full meaning of the original.

Writing6 Steps to Effective Paraphrasing

• Reread the original passage until you understand its full meaning.

• Set the original aside, and write your paraphrase on a note card.

• Jot down a few words below your paraphrase to remind you later how you envision using this material. At the top of the note card, write a key word or phrase to indicate the subject of your paraphrase.

• Check your rendition with the original to make sure that your version accurately expresses all the essential information in a new form.

• Use quotation marks to identify any unique term or phraseology you have borrowed exactly from the source.

• Record the source (including the page) on your note card so that you can credit it easily if you decide to incorporate the material into your paper.

ExamplesExample Summary, Paraphrase, and Quotation from the Essay:

• Example summary: Roger Sipher makes his case for getting rid of compulsory-attendance laws in primary and secondary schools with six arguments. These fall into three groups—first that education is for those who want to learn and by including those that don't want to learn, everyone suffers. Second, that grades would be reflective of effort and elementary school teachers wouldn't feel compelled to pass failing students. Third, that schools would both save money and save face with the elimination of compulsory-attendance laws.

• Example paraphrase of the essay's conclusion: Roger Sipher concludes his essay by insisting that schools have failed to fulfill their primary duty of education because they try to fill multiple social functions (para. 17).

• Example quotation: According to Roger Sipher, a solution to the perceived crisis of American education is to "Abolish compulsory-attendance laws and allow only those who are committed to getting an education to attend" (para. 3).

Citations• Always cite and document other people's words, ideas, and other intellectual property that you use in

your papers and that influence your ideas.

• Plagiarism is taking other people's words and/or ideas and presenting them as your own.

• Always use quotation marks when using exact words of an author. It is not enough to give the source.

• When paraphrasing, do not copy author's style or wording. Even if you have a citation, such borrowing is considered plagiarism. When you paraphrase using your own words, credit must still be given to the original author for the idea.

• There are many citation styles - always ask which style your professor prefers.

• Always make sure you are clear on what would be considered

• acceptable group work.

• When in doubt, ask your professor.

Why cite?It may seem like citing your sources is tedious, but it's important and there are many reasons to do it. Attributing and documenting your sources:

• Helps you avoid plagiarizing.

• Allows the reader to find your research sources. Think of citations as footprints leading the reader through some of the steps you took to reach your conclusions.

• Provides evidence for your arguments and adds credibility to your work by demonstrating that you have sought out and considered a variety of viewpoints on a given topic.

• Is standard practice for scholars and students engaged in written academic conversations. By citing your sources, you demonstrate that you are responding to this person, agreeing with that person, adding something to what so-and-so said and so forth.

What to cite?Always cite other people's words, ideas and other intellectual property that you use in your papers or that influence your ideas. This includes but isn't limited to:

• direct quotations

• paraphrasing of passages

• indebtedness to another person for an idea

• use of another student's work

• use of your own previous work

If you got an idea or information from another source, you need to cite it no matter its format--books, articles, web pages, e-mails, etc.-- or how it was presented -- in print, in person (interviews, lectures, etc.), or through media (television, radio, podcast, etc.).

You don't need to cite what would be considered common knowledge, such as facts, events, concepts, etc. that are widely known and can be confirmed in a general encyclopedia.

How to cite?

• Two techniques of citing and documenting sources that are usually required in academic writing are:

• providing a list of citations at the end of the paper

• citing within the text of the paper.

These two techniques are used together.

• Cite at the End

The final page of your paper is usually a list of the complete citations for the resources you cited or consulted. Depending on the style you're using, this list could be called "Works Cited," "References," "Bibliography," or "Works Consulted."

• Cite as You Write

Citing within the text of your paper helps your reader quickly distinguish between your thoughts and words and those of someone else. Whenever you refer to the work of another person, you must indicate within the text where you got the information. Depending on the citation style you use, this indication within the text may take the form of a superscript number 1 for a footnote or endnote or a notation within parentheses such as (Walker 21) or (Smith, 2008). The in-text citation is a marker that points the reader to the complete reference for the source at the end of your paper.

American Psychological Association (APA) FormatBooks

Basic Format for Books

Last name, First Initial. (Year). Book title: Subtitle. (Edition) [if other than the 1st]. Place: Publisher.

One Author

Brader, T. (2006). Campaigning for hearts and minds: How emotional appeals in political ads work. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Two Authors

Elder, L. & Paul, R. (2006).The miniature guide to the art of asking essential questions. Dillon Beach, CA: Foundation for Critical Thinking.

Three Authors

Miller, T. E., Bender, B. E., & Schuh, J. H. (2005). Promoting reasonable expectations: Aligning student and institutional views of the college experience. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

- See more at: http://www.landmark.edu/library/citation-guides/landmark-college-citation-guides/apa-citation-style-guide/#Books%20-%20Basic

American Psychological Association (APA) FormatBook, Corporate Author

American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed., text revision). Washington, DC: Author.

eBook from NetLibrary (accessed via the Landmark College Library Catalog)

Moshman, D. (2005). Adolescent psychological development: Rationality, morality, and identity (2nd ed.) [NetLibrary Online Reader version]. Retrieved from http://www.netlibrary.com

- See more at: http://www.landmark.edu/library/citation-guides/landmark-college-citation-guides/apa-citation-style-guide/#Books%20-%20Basic

American Psychological Association (APA) FormatEncyclopedia Entry

Basic Format

Author’s Last name, First Initial. (Year). Article Title. In Encyclopedia title. (Vol. #, pp.# - #). Place: Publisher.

(If no author is given for the entry, place the title in the author position.)

(You do not need to include an edition statement if the encyclopedia is a first edition.)

Example

Perez, Jr., L. (2005). Cuba. In The world book encyclopedia. (Vol. 4, pp. 1168-1179). Chicago: World Book.

- See more at: http://www.landmark.edu/library/citation-guides/landmark-college-citation-guides/apa-citation-style-guide/#Books%20-%20Basic

American Psychological Association (APA) FormatBasic Format for Periodical Articles

Last name, First Initial. (Year, Month Day). Article title. Magazine/Journal/Newspaper Title. Volume number(Issue number*), Page numbers, inclusive (the page numbers of the entire article).

*You only need the issue number for journals in which each issue is paged separately.

Magazine Article, Monthly

White, C. (2006, April). The spirit of disobedience. Atlantic, 312(1871), 31-40.

Magazine Article, Weekly

Tumulty, K. (2006, April 10). Should they stay or should they go? Time, 167(15), 3-40.

Anonymous Author (Magazine or Journal)

Class distinctions. (2006, April). Psychology Today, 39(2), 21.

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See more at: http://www.landmark.edu/library/citation-guides/landmark-college-citation-guides/apa-citation-style-guide/#Books%20-%20Basic

SOURCE WEBSITES• http://www.landmark.edu/library/citation-guides/landmark-college-citation-guides/apa-citation

-style-guide/#Books%20-%20Basic

• http://web.williams.edu/wp-etc/acad-resources/survival_guide/CitingDoc/APA1.php

• http://www.aquinas.edu/library/pdf/ParaphrasingQuotingSummarizing.pdf

• https://ilrb.cf.ac.uk/plagiarism/paraphrasing/page02.html