Literature Review Basics: Collecting Resources

If UIW doesn't have something you need, we can get it for you via Interlibrary Loan.

Or, you may borrow books from other libraries in Texas with a TexShare Card.

Regardless of where you live, your public library also provides interlibrary loan services and you may request materials through them. Check with your local public library for more information.

Government Publications

The U.S. government produces a wide variety of information sources, from consumer brochures to congressional reports to large amounts of data to longitudinal studies. Official state websites can be helpful for individual state statistics and information.

Google Scholar

It specializes in scholarly information and government websites, but does not have the depth and breadth of the libraries' databases.

Your research for a literature review will come from a variety of places. It will be necessary for you to use more than one book, one journal, one database, or even one library to do a thorough job. Your topic will dictate what sources you need but they may include:

• Books
• Reference Materials
  Encyclopedias, atlases, and dictionaries provide overviews, keywords, and sometimes citations to other sources.
• Scholarly or Peer-Reviewed Journals
• Conference Papers
  At conferences, professionals and scholars explore the latest trends, share new ideas, and present new research. Searching Conference papers allows you to see research before it is published and get a feel for what is going on in a particular organization or within a particular group.
• Dissertations & Theses

Depending on your topic, the general internet (using search engines like Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, or others to find information) can be a valuable resource. Keep in mind that the web is largely unregulated. It is up to users to evaluate what they find. Here are some tips:

Audience

• To whom is the site directed - children, adults, students; a certain ethnicity, gender or political affiliation?
• Is it understandable by the lay person, or is it highly technical requiring specialized knowledge?

Authority

• Is the author of the site listed?
• Can you determine his/her expertise?
• Is contact information given?
• With what organization is he/she associated?

Bias
Organizational affiliation can often indicate bias whether it is an airline site trying to convince to buy tickets from them or a doctor's site promoting a particular surgery for which the doctor is certified. If a site seems to be trying to convince you of something, ask yourself why.

• Does the language, tone, or treatment of its subject give the site a particular slant or bias?
• Is it designed to sway opinion?

Currency

• Is the site up-to-date with working links?
• Are dates given for when it was created and last updated?
• Is the topic current?

Scope

• Is the site an in-depth study of the topic going several pages deep, or is it a superficial, single-page look at the subject from a hobbyist's point of view?
• Are statistics and sources referenced properly cited?
  No matter how good a citation looks, you have to be able to actually find it to know if it is real.
• Does the site offer unique information not found anywhere else like print sources?