Writing a Good Literature Review

Reddit Comments Summary

General Advice for Writing a Literature Review

• Create an inverted pyramid structure starting with foundational papers and progressing to more specific ones.
• Use survey papers or review papers to identify key methods and findings in each category.
• Critique papers to find both advantages and disadvantages.
• Seek guidance from a supervisor or advisor on conducting a literature review.
• Consider using literature databases beyond PubMed such as Google Scholar, JSTOR, Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, among others.
• Consult a librarian for assistance on conducting a literature review.
• Include a methods section in your review detailing your search process and findings.

Literature Databases

• Recommended databases include Google Scholar, JSTOR, Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, and others.
• Conducting a literature review properly involves selecting the right databases, developing search terms, and screening results for relevance.

Specific Recommendations

• For psychology, PsycInfo is a good database.
• Additional databases to explore include Web of Science and those specific to your field.
• Seek guidance from librarians, instructors, or program support staff.
• Ensure your methods section in the literature review outlines your search process and findings.

Miscellaneous

• Some users provided examples of allegorical literature.
• Enquire about your program or advisor's expectations for the literature review structure.
• Seek advice from appropriate resources in your department or program.

Overall, to write a good literature review:

• Start with foundational papers and progress to specific ones
• Use survey papers to identify methods and findings
• Critique papers for both advantages and disadvantages
• Consult supervisors, advisors, and librarians for guidance
• Include a detailed methods section in your review.