A literature review is a type of academic writing that summarizes and evaluates the existing research on a specific topic. It is often a part of a larger research project, such as a thesis, dissertation, or research paper, but it can also be a standalone assignment.
A literature review in psychology aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge, theories, methods, and debates in a particular field of psychology. It also identifies the literature’s gaps, limitations, and inconsistencies and suggests future research directions.
Writing a psychology literature review can be challenging, especially for students new to this writing genre. It requires a lot of reading, critical thinking, analysis, synthesis, and organization skills. Moreover, it requires following the specific guidelines and standards of academic writing, such as APA style, citation, and formatting.
If you are looking for help with a psychology literature review, you have come to the right place. In this article, we will provide useful tips and resources on writing a high-quality psychology literature review that will impress your professors and peers. Here are the steps you need to follow:
Choose a topic and define your research question.
The first step of writing a psychology literature review is to choose a topic that interests you and is relevant to your field of study. You can start by browsing the recent issues of psychology journals, searching online databases, or consulting your professors or mentors for some ideas.
Once you have a general topic, you must narrow it down and define your research question. A research question is a clear and focused question that guides your literature review and indicates what you want to find out. For example, if your topic is “memory and aging,” your research question could be, “How does memory decline with age, and what factors influence it?”
Conduct a literature search and select the sources.
The next step is to conduct a systematic and comprehensive literature search to find and collect the relevant sources for your literature review. You can use various sources, such as books, journal articles, reports, dissertations, conference papers, etc. However, you should focus on the most recent, credible, authoritative sources directly related to your research question.
You can use different tools and strategies to conduct a literature search, such as:
- Using online databases and search engines, such as Google Scholar, PsycINFO, PubMed, etc. You can use keywords, filters, and Boolean operators to refine your search results and find the most relevant sources.
- Using reference management software like Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote, etc. You can use these tools to store, organize, and cite your sources easily and efficiently.
- Using citation tracking, such as Google Scholar Citations, Web of Science, Scopus, etc. You can use these tools to find the sources that cite or are cited by the sources you already have, thus expanding your literature search.
- Snowballing is a technique of following the references of the sources you already have and finding more sources related to your topic.
As you conduct your literature search, you should keep track of the sources you find and select the most relevant, reliable, and representative of your topic. You should also evaluate the quality and credibility of the sources by considering their authors, publishers, dates, methods, results, and conclusions.
Read and analyze the sources.
The third step is to read and analyze the sources you have selected for your literature review. You should read each source carefully and critically and take notes of the main points, arguments, evidence, and implications. You should also compare and contrast the sources and identify the literature’s similarities, differences, gaps, and controversies.
As you read and analyze the sources, you should also consider your research question and the purpose of writing the literature review. You should ask yourself questions such as:
- What is the main focus and contribution of each source?
- How does each source relate to your research question and topic?
- How does each source support or challenge your thesis or hypothesis?
- What are the strengths and weaknesses of each source?
- What are the gaps and limitations in the literature?
- What are the emerging trends and themes in the literature?
- What are the implications and recommendations for future research?
Organize and structure your literature review.
The fourth step is to organize and structure your literature review. You should arrange your sources and ideas logically and coherently to answer your research question and support your thesis or hypothesis. You should also create an outline of your literature review that shows your paper’s main sections and sub-sections.
There are different ways to organize and structure your literature review, depending on your topic, research question, and purpose. Some of the common ways are:
- Chronological: You organize your sources according to the publication time, showing the topic’s historical development and evolution.
- Thematic: You organize your sources according to the main themes, topics, or issues that emerge from the literature, showing the different perspectives and approaches.
- Methodological: You organize your sources according to the methods, techniques, or procedures they use, showing the different ways of investigating and analyzing the topic.
- Theoretical: You organize your sources according to the theories, models, or frameworks they use, showing the different conceptual and theoretical foundations of the topic.
Depending on your topic and research question, you can also use a combination of these ways to organize and structure your literature review. For example, you can use a chronological structure to show the historical development of the topic and then use a thematic structure to show the current state of the literature.
Write your literature review.
The fifth step is to write your literature review. You should follow the outline you have created and use your notes and analysis to write a clear, concise, and coherent paper that answers your research question and supports your thesis or hypothesis. You should also follow the specific guidelines and standards of academic writing, such as APA style, citation, and formatting.
Your literature review should have three main parts: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.
- Introduction: In the introduction, you should introduce your topic and research question, provide some background and context, state your thesis or hypothesis, and explain the purpose and scope of your literature review. You should also provide an overview of the main points and themes you will discuss in the body of your paper.
- Body: In the body, you should present and discuss the sources and ideas you have organized and structured in your outline. You should use headings and sub-headings to divide your paper into sections and sub-sections and use transitions and topic sentences to connect your paragraphs and points. You should also use evidence, examples, quotes, and paraphrases from the sources to support your arguments and analysis. You should also cite your sources properly and consistently, using APA or any other style required by your instructor or institution.
- Conclusion: In the conclusion, you should summarize the main points and themes of your literature review, restate your thesis or hypothesis, and explain the implications and significance of your findings. You should also identify the literature’s gaps and limitations and suggest future research directions.
Revise and edit your literature review.
The sixth step is to revise and edit your literature review. You should review your paper and check for any errors, inconsistencies, or weaknesses in your content, structure, style, and language. You should also use various tools and strategies to improve the quality and readability of your paper, such as:
- Using grammar and spelling checkers, such as Grammarly, Hemingway, ProWritingAid, etc. You can use these tools to identify and correct any grammatical, spelling, punctuation, or syntax errors in your paper.
- Using plagiarism checkers, such as Turnitin, Copyscape, PlagScan, etc. You can use these tools to ensure that your paper is original and contains no unintentional or intentional plagiarism from the sources.
- Using readability checkers, such as Readable, Flesch-Kincaid, Gunning Fog, etc. You can use these tools to measure and improve the readability and clarity of your paper by adjusting your sentence length, word choice, vocabulary, and tone.
- Using feedback and peer review, such as asking your friends, classmates, professors, or mentors to read your paper and give you constructive comments and suggestions. You can use their feedback and peer review to improve your paper and address any issues or concerns they may have.
Add an image where necessary.
The seventh and final step is to add an image where necessary. An image can enhance your literature review by visually representing your topic, research question, thesis, or findings. It can also help attract and engage your readers and make your paper more appealing and memorable.
However, you should not add an image just for the sake of adding an image. You should only add an image if it is relevant, informative, and appropriate for your literature review. You should also follow some guidelines and best practices when adding an image, such as:
- Choose an image that is high-quality, clear, and professional. You should avoid using blurry, pixelated, or distorted images that may compromise the credibility and quality of your paper.
- Choose an image that is relevant, informative, and appropriate. You should avoid using irrelevant, misleading, or inappropriate images for your topic, research question, thesis, or findings. You should also avoid using offensive, controversial, or sensitive images to your readers or audience.
- Choose an original image or cite the source. You should avoid using images that are copyrighted or that you do not have permission to use. You should create your own image or use images that are free to use, such as those from Creative Commons.