PSY 301: Overview of Research Methods: Home

How to conduct research for Psychology 301 assignments

APA Printable Quick Guide

APA 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

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.