Welcome to CSP's graduate writer's page! Unlike undergraduates, graduate writers must navigate complex academic genres such as literature reviews and research articles while adhering to discipline-specific conventions and research methodologies. The page provides targeted guidance on academic integrity, citation management, and professional writing skills. If you want more information or would like to schedule a writing appointment with a professional tutor, please visit the "Submit Your Paper" page, located under the "Tutoring" dropdown above.
Learn how creating and integrating APA citations can help you avoid plagiarism, along with additional tips to assist the process.
A literature review is a process of analyzing and organizing scholarly literature on a topic. In a literature review, you are not establishing your own argument. Instead, you are gathering what has already been written on your topic: synthesizing the arguments, perspectives, or themes, and summarizing the sources and how they apply to your research question.
Access the tutorial below for instructions and tips on how to write a literature review. Learn how to read and organize your sources, determine the scope of your paper, and write your content.
The distinction between a narrative review and a problem identification review is defined in Machi & McEvoy's The Literature Review: Six Steps to Success (p. 3-5). Be aware that this distinction has been referred to as "basic vs. advanced" and "simple vs. complex" literature reviews in previous editions of this book.
See below for access to the Library's ebook copy:
