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EDUC 703, Writing a Literature Summary/Review

Evaluating Sources - Peer Review versus Popular Sources

Comparison chart

 

 Scholarly journals Trade/Professional magazines Popular magazines
Example       Cover of The British Journal of Criminology, aquamarine colour, dark blue text. Cover of Corrections Today magazine, images of prisoners on two-tone blue background. Cover of CrimeScene magazine, Benedict Cumberbatch is behind the word Sherlock.
Audience
  • Researchers and scholars
  • Professionals and practitioners in the field
  • General public
Authors
  • Researchers Experts, often affiliated with research institutions
  • (Note: Author credentials are usually stated clearly)
  • Industry specialists and business representatives
  • Journalists and staff writers
Bibliography 
  • Almost always
  • Seldom
  • Rarely
Structure/Language
  • Focused, lengthy and detailed
  • Often includes abstract, literature review, research methodology, analysis and conclusion, and extensive bibliography
  • Specialized vocabulary
  • Usually short
  • Uses specialized language that is understood by professionals within the trade
  • Assumes readers have basic knowledge of the field, and generally does not explain jargon 
  • Provides overview on a topic
  • Information is gathered from scholarly journals and repackaged in layman’s terms 
Purpose
  • Provide original report on research
  • Analyze research findings
  • Facilitate communication between scholars
  • Engage discussions about new trends in the field
  • Offer advice to professionals
  • Provide information on industry news 
  • Debate viewpoints
  • Sell products

 
  • Provide secondary report on research
  • Entertain and inform
  • Sell products
  • Promote viewpoints
Review Process
  • Editorial board comprised of scholars in the field
  • Often peer-reviewed
  • Magazine editors
  • Possibly an editorial board
  • Magazine editors
Publishers
  • University, Institution, Association, or Society
  • Professional or trade organization
  • Commercial publishing house or other business entity
Access
  • Available in library, both electronically and in print
  • Electronic access through library’s database subscription
  • Some journals published in Open Access format and freely accessible online
  • Available in library, both electronically and in print
  • Electronic access through library’s database subscription
  • Sometimes available on the magazine’s website
  • Available on newsstands and by subscription 
  • Available in library, both electronically and in print
  • Electronic access through library’s database subscription
Appearance
  • Plainly-designed charts and graphs pertaining to research findings
  • Little or no advertising
  • Glossy, with eye-catching photos
  • Trade/industry-specific advertising
  • Glossy, with eye-catching photos
  • Large amount of commercial/political advertising

 

Predatory Journals

A dark side of Open Access publishing has been the emergence of predatory journals, so-named because these journal publishers "prey" on unsuspecting academics trying to publish. They may engage in a number of dubious, academically illegitimate, or even unethical practices, including, but not limited to, the following:

  • Withholding company location and contact information
  • Spamming academics to solicit article submissions
  • Charging exhorbitant author-side fees
  • Duplicating other publications' articles (content piracy)
  • Utilising inadequate or false peer review processes
  • Creating fake editorial panels using the names of actual academics (without their consent or knowledge)
  • Advertising and organising fake conferences

Articles examining the predatory journal issue do not often mention the detrimental effects proliferation of this journal content can have on students' academic development. While academics should avoid these journals for both research and publishing, it is also important to inform students as well.

There are librarians, scholars, and institutions monitoring these "suspect" publishers -  check out the libguide and ask Heather for more information.

Looking for Journal Articles

Here is a list of research databases that will work best for searching. Remember that each database will give you different results, so try each one.

When doing a database search, start with your own keywords. Once you find an article that matches your criteria, take a look at the subject terms used in the database and redo your search using those keywords. The following list of keywords may help you get started:

  • Case studies
  • Cooperation
  • Collaboration
  • Distributed leadership
  • Educational change
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Leadership
  • Participative decision making
  • Protocol analysis
  • Reforms
  • Resistance to change

If you are looking for empirical studies, try adding one or more specific terms to your main search. For example:
“Student centered leadership” + “questionnaires”
Below are some of the key terms that may help you retrieve articles that are based on empirical research. Once you find an article that fits your criteria, make a note of the subject terms used in the database and redo your search using those keywords.

  • Case studies
  • Data analysis
  • Evidence based practice
  • Interviews
  • Semi-structured interviews
  • Statistical analysis
  • Surveys
  • Qualitative research
  • Questionnaires
  • Research methodology

You’ll find that many empirical studies will report on individual anecdotes or describe how personal identity affects teaching and leadership practice. Used in addition to your key search terms, the following keywords may help you find identity-focused and anecdotal narratives:

  • Administrator attitudes
  • Beliefs
  • Interpersonal relationships
  • Personal attitude
  • Perception
  • Professional identity
  • Social attitudes
  • Student attitudes
  • Teacher attitudes
  • Teacher identity

Searching more then one database at once in ERIC:

When you open up ERIC you can select the "Choose Databases" to add more then one database to be searched at once! 

  • Broaden or narrow your search using:  boolean operators (ANDis used to link keywords together; OR is used for synonyms), use of "quotation marks" to search by a phrase  and truncation or stemming (learn"=learn, learns, learner, learned, learning) 

Screenshot of search fields for ERIC and additional databases, search terms are using quotation marks and asterisk.

Searching with Find It! Interdisciplinary search tool

The Find It search tool is found on library main website.  It is similar to a Google type of search for almost all the content that UFV Library subscribes too and pays for.  Type in a keyword  or phrase and hit the Find It button.  Then switch to the Advanced Search so you can add in more then one keyword!  

Limit Your Results (optional)
~ OR ~

[Note: We are working to improve access to our collections and revising our subject headings to be more respectful and inclusive. Please be aware that you may see certain words or descriptions in search results or library materials which reflect the author’s attitude or that of the period in which the item was created and may now be considered offensive.]

Finding Articles in Google Scholar

Tip: If you already have a Google account, you can set up your browser to automatically look for articles available through our library:

  • Make sure you are logged in to your Google account.
  • Click on "Settings"
  • Click on "Library Links"
  • Enter "University of Fraser Valley"
  • Click Save

Finding Books on Communication and Leadership

    Author    
 


[Note: We are working to improve access to our collections and revising our subject headings to be more respectful and inclusive. Please be aware that you may see certain words or descriptions in search results or library materials which reflect the author’s attitude or that of the period in which the item was created and may now be considered offensive.]

Click on the following subject headings to browse the library's book collection on the topics of communication and leadership:

Finding Existing Literature Reviews

Existing literature reviews may already be available for your topic.

Different databases offer different tools or methods for locating literature reviews:

  • By keywords in title: Because many reviews include the phrases "literature review" or "review of the literature", you can often include the words "literature review" as keywords. This may retrieve results that are not literature reviews.
  • Using a subject descriptor: Some databases have identified "literature review" as a subject term, which makes it possible to retrieve results that only contain literature reviews.
  • Using a search limiter: Some databases provide search limiters to help you narrow your search and retrieve only those results that match the specified limiter.  

Here are a couple of databases that allow you to search for literature reviews:

Because most literature reviews use the phrases "literature review" or "review of the literature" in the title, you can simply enter these as keywords in your search:  Some databases, such as ERIC have "literature review" as a subject descriptor. Using this descriptor will allow you to retrieve results that only contain literature reviews:

Screenshot of search fields for ERIC database with red arrow to Subject Descriptors drop-down menu.

And other databases provide search limiters to help you narrow your search. In this example in PsycINFO, you can specify "Literature Reviews" in the Methodology Limiter (below the search boxes):

Screenshot of search fields for Psycinfo database.

Screenshot of methodology drop-down menu, literature review option is highlighted.

Following Citation Trails

Following citation trails can help you find more resources for a particular topic of discussion. It will also allow you to situate a particular work in its greater academic context, and understand how the discussion around it has progressed. By tracking the citation forward (identifying who has cited the article), you can see how previous scholars have responded to the work, including confirmation of research findings, disagreements, corrections, criticisms and further discussions. This, in turn, will help you identify current trends in the research community and other areas for further exploration.

Google Scholar, along with many of the library's research databases (e.g., ERIC, ScienceDirect, and SpringerLink), allows for tracking citations forward. Look for the links "Cited by" (ERIC, Wiley Online Library, and Google Scholar), "Citations" (SpringerLink), "Citing Articles" (ScienceDirect), and "Cited Reference Search" (Web of Science).

Example: Google Scholar

 

Screenshot of author named Michelle Pidgeon, showing titles published and academic affilitions.

 

A specific article:

Specific article co-authored by Michelle Pidgeon, with 'Cited by 106' highlighted.

 

Example: Web of Science

  1. Use the Basic Search drop-down menu to select "Cited Reference Search."
  2. To find a specific article, enter article title or search by author name. 

Search result with authors name and times cited highlighted.

 

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