Want to know more about what a literature review is? The sources below will help guide you in understanding the purpose of a literature review and how to go about writing one.
Don't forget Krista's search tips!
Y'all asked and I'm answering! Below are the questions that were asked at the end of class that I didn't have time to answer.
Q: Where can I find reliable non-academic sources?
A: Databases often have a mix of academic/scholarly resources and more popular/non-academic sources. But some of them have more of one kind than the other. For a specific database suggestion, I’d recommend trying MasterFile Premier. But no matter the database, look at the limiters (these are often on the left-hand side of your results list) and pick Magazine or maybe even Trade/Professional.
Q: I’m having trouble figuring out keywords, can you help?
A: We librarians often recommend that you pick out the two or three main words that define your topic and use those. But sometimes, those terms just aren’t working the way you want. Reach out to me (kschmidt@wcu.edu) or use the orange "Ask Us" chat function to ask for help when your terms aren’t working.
Q: Do my sources need to be recent?
A: This is more of a question for your instructor than for me! I will say that most of the time with assignments like this, you’ll probably want pretty current information, but it totally is topic dependent. And sometimes older material might be useful for when you what to see how thinking or understanding a topic or issue has changed.
Q: How broad does my topic or source need to be? If I have a broad topic (like forest management) but I find articles that are specific (like prescribed fire as management strategy) can I use that article?
A: For this specific example, articles on forest management are likely to be more focused than just the broad topic of “forest management” so yes, an article like that is appropriate. You may see an entire book about forest management strategies, but articles? Those are going to be way more specific in nature.
One difference in books and articles is scope. Books can have many chapters and there’s space to cover a wide range of topics within it. Articles, by their nature, need to be more focused. If you are ever confused, you can talk a librarian about it (like me!) and we’ll help you figure things out.
Q. My topic is more non-academic in nature, but I need academic sources! Where do I go?
A: Using the databases by subject list is a good way to identify a database in your discipline that’s going to have academic sources. You can limit your search to “peer review” or “scholarly” (it depends which database you are searching what words are used) and that will get rid of your non-academic results. If you are still dissatisfied with that, use the chat function or email me and we can talk about where you’ve tried looking so far and databases that may be better bets.
Q: How do I save academic journals?
A: I’m not quite sure what you mean here but I’m going to guess that you are interested in saving your results once you are in a database? Many of our databases have a function where you can create a personal account and save all of your searches (convenient!). Most of those have a sign at the top where you can register for your own personal account. Ask at the reference desk or email me and we can walk you through it.
If this isn’t what you meant by your question, let me know!
Q: How do I cite? Are there resources to help me cite?
A: Ah citations! How I love them. Citations can be frustrating to do. But you are in luck. There are some good resources for citing depending on the citation style you need to use. The WaLC (you can search it on WCU’s website, but it’s linked here, too) has a bunch of documentation for different citation styles. Purdue Owl is useful, too (also linked here). And many of our databases have an auto cite function (look on the right column when you open a specific article or resource). Double check the citation, though, if you use that function because they aren't always completely correct (think ALL CAPS BY ACCIDENT).
The reference desk can help you with quick citation questions but for anything more in depth, contact the WaLC for a one-on-one.
That was a lot of parentheses.
Q: How do I find full text?
A: This can be tricky at times and all the librarians know that, so be sure to ask us if you get stuck. PDFs can be posted above or to the side of citations once you open them. If there isn’t a PDF available, you can use the purple “Find Full Text” link to check to see if we have it elsewhere. Stumped? Chat with us at the ref desk or email me!