Academic Guides: Writing Workshop: The Literature Review: Exercises Part 1

Test your knowledge: Literature review concepts

Are the following statements true or false? Determine the answers on your own, then click the "more..." link to compare against our answers.

Your literature review may cover theories and research approaches that are contrary to the ones you plan to use in your research.
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True. A comprehensive literature review should include all major theories, viewpoints, and approaches to research in your field.
Your literature review should narrowly focus only on research articles that have the same research question, population, and variables as your own research.
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False. Too narrow a focus can impede your ability to write a comprehensive literature review. You will want to cover research that led up to the new study you are designing. Also, your dissertation should be adding something new to the research literature--so ideally there should be very few studies that are similar to your dissertation study in the published literature!

Test your knowledge: Analyze a literature review

Please skim though chapter two of this dissertation by Walden alumna Dr. Christina Whitten-Bauer. What do you notice about the content and structure of this chapter? Use the questions below to help your analyze this literature review. Try to answer the questions on your own, then check your knowledge by comparing your answers to ours. Click the "more..." link to see our answers.

What are the main themes in this literature review?
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One way to get an overview of the themes and topics covered in a literature review is to look at the section headings in the chapter. Dr. Whitten-Bauer's headings include: biopsychosocial theory, infertility, psychosocial and interpersonal consequences of infertility, postpartum depression including paternal experience and risk factors, and previous infertility as related to postpartum depression.
These headings may not name every discrete topic that Dr. Whitten-Bauer writes about in her literature review, but they do provide you, the reader, with a road map to the main themes and most important topics.
Does the literature review cover alternate viewpoints to the author's own research approach? What are these alternate viewpoints?
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Sometimes identifying review of alternate or contrasting viewpoints requires a closer read of the literature. Some things we noticed in Dr. Whitten-Bauer's review include: the positives and negatives of social support (page 39), on page 43 she identifies “conflicting reports in the literature regarding parenting after infertility,” and there are observations on the lack of research attention given to paternal postpartum depression (p. 47).
These may not be the only examples of conflicting findings or opinions in her literature review. Did you discover any others?
How many databases did the author search?
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See Dr. Whitten-Bauer's “Literature Search” section on pages 28 and 29. She searched eleven Walden Library databases: Academic Search Complete, Medline with Full Text, PsycARTICLES, PsycBOOKS, PsycCRITIQUES, PsycEXTRA, PsycINFO, SocIndex, CINAHL, Medline, and Science Direct. Note she also used resources at The Scripps Research Institute.
What keywords/search terms did the author use?
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See Dr. Whitten-Bauer's “Literature Search” section on page 29. The 33 search terms included: assisted conception, assisted reproduction technology, attachment, ART, biopsychosocial, child development, culture, cognitive therapy, diathesis-stress, depression, Edinburg postpartum depression scale, Edinburg postnatal depression scale, ethnicity, fertility, fertility treatment, fertility problem inventory, in vitro fertilization, infertility, IVF, locus of control, marital satisfaction scale, marital dissatisfaction, men, postpartum, postnatal depression, postpartum depression, prenatal, previous infertility, psychotherapy, reproduction, social, social isolation, and spouse.

Practice the skill: Find & analyze a literature review

Find another dissertation in the Library. What are the similarities and differences between the literature review chapter in the dissertation you found and Dr. Whitten-Bauer's chapter two?

Consider:

The amount and structure of chapter two section headers
The overall length of chapter two
Concepts covered in each literature review

Reflect on how the structure and content of the literature review supports the author's research.

Writing Workshop: The Literature Review: Exercises Part 1

Test your knowledge: Literature review concepts

Test your knowledge: Analyze a literature review

Practice the skill: Find & analyze a literature review

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