PSY 301: Overview of Research Methods: Home
How to conduct research for Psychology 301 assignments
APA Printable Quick Guide
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What is a Literature Review
What is a literature review?
A literature review summarizes and synthesizes published information on a particular subject.
How is it different from a research paper?
A research paper develops a new argument. A literature review summarizes and synthesizes arguments and ideas of others. A literature review may serve as a foundation/support for new insights in research papers.
What is the purpose of a literature review?
- Professional development: useful reports to keep up to date with a what is current in the field
- Scholarly development: formulate or clarify a research topic
- Research proposal: provide a background for a research topic by showing relationships among prior research and identifying gaps to show that your research is necessary to push the field further
- Research paper background: set the context and significance for your research paper (i.e. thesis)
*adapted from Oregon State University Libraries Lit Review Workshop
Searching PsycINFO
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PsycINFO [EBSCO]A database of abstracts for the international literature in psychology and related disciplines such as sociology, education, consumer behavior, linguistics, medicine, law, psychiatry, and anthropology. Coverage from 1840 to the present.
Tip:This database is very powerful for conducting precise searches when using search limiters.
PsychInfo: Methodology Search Examples
Finding Research Articles (empirical study)
Finding Review Articles (literature review)
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Methodology SearchHow to limit your search to a Review article (literature review) or a Research Article (Empirical Study)
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