Literature Reviews

Remember, the literature review will be a comprehensive look at your topic. Depending on your topic, you may also review closely related scholarship.

Keep your sources organized! A dissertation or thesis is more like running a marathon than a sprint. Sources you consult today may be critical to your research two years (or more!) from now.

Finding Sources

Conducting a lit review requires perseverance to uncover a comprehensive list of sources, patience as this process is time-consuming, and flexibility as you will undoubtedly have to use several search strategies (that is why it is called research!)

The type of source will determine where you search. For example:

• Articles are found in periodicals (journals) that are indexed through databases (rarely found available for free online). Access to databases provided by Phillips Library is provided in the "Phillips Library Databases" box below
• Books are found through library catalogs. You have access to the Phillips Library catalog, I-Share catalog and the WorldCat catalog. See the Spartan Search below to begin searching.
• Use free search engines such as Google Scholar as a way to gather citations. Typically, scholarly research is not freely available online. If you are asked to pay for an article, check the Phillips Library databases to see if we already have access to the full-text or if you can place an Inter-Library Loan request to receive the article. This service is already paid for by Phillips Library which makes it free to you.
• Use free search engines such as Google to find information from the government or authoritative organizations. You can also look for supporting information on your topic or key researchers in the field, which may give you new ideas for how to search.

Did you know there's a way to search across all of the library's databases?

Spartan Search is the search box on the library's home page. When you click the magnifying glass search icon, a full search screen will open, giving you the option to use the advanced search and filter your results.

Learn more about choosing where to search. 

You can even get started with your search right here.

Find databases on Phillips Library's A to Z Database list page.  Use this link to get started:

A-Z Database List