This document provides an overview of how to conduct a literature review using the tool Publish or Perish. It defines a literature review as a survey of published research in an area that combines summary and synthesis. Conducting a literature review establishes existing knowledge, identifies gaps, and situates an argument in context. Publish or Perish allows users to find seminal articles, trace the development of a field, and identify important journals. When reading sources, researchers should evaluate the authority and relevance of information. Organization is key, and citation management tools like Zotero, Mendeley, and EndNote can help track the large number of sources involved in a literature review.
3. What is a literature review?
• Survey of published research in a subject area
• Usually one component of an academic paper, but sometimes
published as a stand-alone paper
• Combines summary and synthesis
• Not a systematic review
4. Why write a literature review?
• Establish existing knowledge on the topic
• Identify gaps in the literature
• Trace intellectual progression of the field, including major debates
• Situate your argument in context
• Provide evidence to support your own findings
7. Publish or Perish
• Find Keyword
• Identify Founding Fathers/Seminal Articles
• See historical development in field
• Find Important Journals
• Look up citations of seminal works
9. Keeping Organized
• Depending on the size and scope of your paper, literature reviews can
involve keeping track of a large number of sources
• The easiest way to keep track of sources is a citation management
tool.
• Zotero
• Mendeley
• EndNote
• Refworks
10. Recap
• Introductions
• Literature review overview
• Publish Or Perish + Demo
• Reading and evaluating sources
• Organizing your materials
Systematic Review definition - A systematic review answers a defined research question by collecting and summarising all empirical evidence that fits pre-specified eligibility criteria.
After reading The American Ulysses: Rehabilitating U.S. Grant, how would you begin writing your own literature review on the topic?
What major issues, debates, or interpretations appear in the literature about Grant?
How might you use this review to seek direction for an original interpretation or argument?
What are some of your strategies for:
Searching?
Evaluating sources?
Keeping up to date?
Keeping your sources organized?
Created by Anne-Wil Harzing
Dutch professor, at University in London
Tool for individual academics
Showcase research impact
Prep for job interview/tenure application
See trends in your field’s literature
Literature Review
Find Keyword
Ex: born digital, cryptocurrency, social media
Identify Founding Fathers/Seminal Articles
Sort results by year, look at highly cited articles
See historical development in field
Sort by date, look at high citations, identify trends in field this way
Find Important Journals
Look up citations of seminal works
Identify foundational works
In google scholar results right click and “Look Up citing works in publish or perish”
Authority
Who wrote it? Where was it published? Have other authors refuted or challenged this research?
Relevance/Significance
Have you seen it cited other places? Is this a major argument or interpretation that has informed your topic?
It’s ok to scan!
Start with abstracts, introductions, and book reviews to see if it’s a source you want to include in your literature review.
Show Zotero demonstrate downloading article, adding notes, cite while you write