Scholarly publications come in many forms and formats. The most well-known is probably the “original research article,” for example, a case study. However, literature reviews are different because sometimes they are part of an original research articles, and sometimes they are published on their own and known as "review articles.” Review articles summarize and synthesize published information on a particular topic. In this session, we will discuss what goes into a literature review, how to identify them and how you can use them in your library research. 

By the end of this session, you will be able to:  

• Locate and identify literature reviews using library databases and search tools.  

• Explain how using literature reviews when learning about new topics can be helpful. 

• Indicate two sources of assistance on campus for writing literature reviews. 

A complementary session to this one is Finding Sources through Citation Networks (aka Scholarship is Connected). Citation Managers can also play a key role in preparing to write a literature review.