Getting Started - EDUC 1111 - Great Amer. Experiment - Bradley-Turner

Literature Review Overview
Background Information

Steps for Creating a Literature Review

Identify your topic and define the scope of the review.
Gather the relevant literature. Keep track of links in RefWorks, Zotero, or in a Google/Word Doc.
Read and take notes to engage the sources individually.
Engage the sources as a whole.
- Organize them into groups or “buckets” (by theme, chronology, trend, or method). Be clear about how the “buckets” relate to each other and to your research question. You could use a synthesis matrix or other graphic organizer, or a color-coding scheme to code your notes. (See also, Writing A Literature Review and Using a Synthesis Matrix for further information)
- Return to Step 2: Gather to find additional sources if there are gaps/questions that are not answered by your sources
Write, revise, rewrite, revise again, keeping your focus on synthesis–not summary.

Assistance with Writing/Organizing Your Literature Review

Academic Resource Center

Further Resources

Background and reference sources, such as encyclopedias, are a great place to start your research.

They provide a topic overview with relevant concepts, people, places, events, dates, and vocabulary.
Having this information will help you focus your topic and generate search terms,

Encyclopedias

Statistics/Government Agencies

National Center for Education Statistics
"The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education."
U.S. Department of Education
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Teacher Associations

News Sources (See also the Newspapers guide)
News sources are a great source for current events and news/information that may be changing rapidly.

Boston Globe (1980 - present)
Browse by issue [Content is updated daily by 8 a.m.]:

Los Angeles Times

New York Times - Academic Pass
- I'm a new subscriber, how do I register for a New York Times Academic Pass?
Use the TimesMachine site to explore over 150 years of Times journalism, as it originally appeared.

Washington Post (1996-present)

Trade Websites
Trade publications are geared toward professionals in the field, and the authors are often also professionals in the field. These websites often have good, current content, and can help you understand how education professionals think about issues.

Websites for Educators (Harvard GSE)
This is an enormous list of selected websites in education organized by topic (e.g., bilingual education, charter schools, reading, early childhood, education law, etc.).
Rethinking Schools
Grassroots magazine for social and racial justice in education.
Learning for Justice
The education project of the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Edutopia

How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography
Cornell University Library

EDUC 1111 - Great Amer. Experiment - Bradley-Turner: Getting Started

Need Help?

Annotated Bibliography FAQ