Writing the Literature Review, Second Edition

Sara Efrat Efron, EdD, is Professor Emerita of Education at National Louis University. Her areas of interest include teacher research, mentoring, and moral and democratic education in times of crisis. Dr. Efron is coauthor with Ruth Ravid of Action Research in Education, Second Edition, and Writing the Literature Review, Second Edition. She has published numerous book chapters and journal articles and presents widely at national and international conferences. She has also written several foreign-language instruction books for middle and high school students.Ruth Ravid, PhD, is Professor Emerita of Education at National Louis University. Her areas of interest include educational research, action research, assessment, and school–university collaboration. Dr. Ravid has authored or edited eight books, including Writing the Literature Review, Second Edition, and Action Research in Education, Second Edition, both coauthored with Sara Efrat Efron. She has also written numerous journal articles and book chapters.

“This text has excellent examples and provides a good overview of the writing process. Students have given me positive feedback about the engaging style. The book provides specific writing strategies and examples that help take the ‘sting’ out of starting to work on a dissertation--which students often experience as overwhelming and anxiety provoking. Students learn that it is not about perfection from the first paragraph; rather, there is a method to beginning to evaluate and write. The recommendations for working through the writing process are spot-on.â€--Susan Torres-Harding, PhD, Department of Psychology, Roosevelt University“As required reading in our doctoral-level course Scholarly Habits of Mind, this text has proven to be very effective and well received by the students. The book stands out for its nuanced explanations of complex concepts and the appealing visuals that accompany each topic. The second edition is a welcome gift to both students and faculty.â€--Antonina Lukenchuk, EdD, National College of Education, National Louis University“This text walks students through the process of writing a literature review. Throughout, boxed examples and tables allow students to make direct comparisons between techniques and serve as quick references. From the very first step to the last, the text instructs, offers examples, and provides opportunities for practice. A literature review written using the approach outlined in this text is likely to be a successful one. Additionally, this book serves as an appropriate guide for those who might need to construct a literature review as part of a grant application (or similar) in a professional setting.â€--Jennifer Scroggins, PhD, Department of Social Sciences and Cultural Studies, Montana State University Billings“As a social work educator, I like the succinct writing, as well as the charts, boxed examples, and group activities that can be used in the classroom for analysis or application.â€--Kristin Bailey-Wallace, LMSW, School of Social Work, Stephen F. Austin State University-

• 1. What Is a Literature Review?2. Different Orientations to a Literature Review3. Choosing a Review Topic and Formulating a Research Question4. Locating and Organizing Research Sources5. Selecting, Analyzing, and Keeping Notes on Sources6. Evaluating Research Articles7. Structuring and Organizing the Literature Review8. Developing Arguments and Supporting Claims9. Synthesizing and Interpreting Literature10. The Writer Voice and the Writing Process11. Acknowledging Sources: Citations, Quotations, and Plagiarism12. Putting It All TogetherResourcesReferencesIndexAbout the Authors