This chapter outlines frameworks, principles, and practices that can be helpful in teaching students how to “review the literature” as part of course assignments, capstone papers, theses, dissertations, or other similar writing experiences. Common student concerns and struggles are considered, along with other instructional challenges that are inherent in the teaching of diverse students who are researching and writing about diverse topics. This chapter also includes practical suggestions as to how instructors can support and scaffold students' literature review efforts in ways that align with the frameworks, principles, and practices discussed in this chapter.
TopIntroduction
Whether as part of a course paper, thesis, dissertation, or some other writing assignment, college students are often required to “review the literature” on a given topic. At the same time, it is common for students to receive minimal, if any, formal training and guidance on how to conduct a literature review (i.e., the process) in order to write a literature review (i.e., the product), which can lead to confusion and feelings of helplessness among students (Cisco, 2014; Fergie et al., 2011; McMenamin, 2006). For example, in “content courses” associated with a given field or discipline, students may be assigned to write papers, but not receive any writing instruction because there is so much other content to cover, and the instructor may have little interest and/or ability in teaching writing. Even in courses that focus exclusively on scholarly writing (which are not always required as part of degree programs), there are many topics to cover, so “reviewing the literature” may receive relatively little attention (Beaufort, 2007, 2012).
In addition to these potential barriers, students are diverse in their backgrounds, identities, previous academic training, writing experience and ability, and the extent to which they believe they need instruction and support in their writing (Primary Research Group, 2018). They also write on topics that are similarly diverse, making it impossible to teach “the (one) way” to conduct and write a literature review (Wee & Banister, 2016). In addition, when the underlying purposes of a literature review are considered (e.g., to make claims about what is known about a topic, what research has been conducted on the topic, what research should be conducted in the future, and to substantiate and situate a particular study), it becomes clear that conducting a literature review is a significant and complex undertaking, one that requires students to develop new scholarly dispositions and habits of mind, making it an endeavor that can be difficult to teach and learn (Cisco, 2014; Fergie et al., 2011). Given these realities, making “reviewing the literature” something that students learn primarily on their own, outside of class, and through trial and error (McMenamin, 2006; Shahsavar & Kourepaz, 2020) can be an easy decision among those who teach, oversee, and evaluate students’ writing.
This Chapter
In contrast to a number of existing guides that can offer support to students as they conduct literature reviews (e.g., Galvin & Galvin, 2017; Machi & McEvoy, 2016; Ridley, 2012; Rocco & Hatcher, 2011), and as a complement to other field- and discipline-specific articles written for instructors who teach students how to conduct literature reviews (e.g., Denney & Tewksbury, 2013; Froese et al., 1998; Garrard, 2020; McMenamin, 2006; Melles, 2005; Poe, 1990; Zorn & Campbell, 2006), this chapter offers broadly-applicable frameworks, principles, and practices that can be helpful in teaching college students how to “review the literature” in a variety of fields and disciplines. It is intended primarily for faculty and other higher education professionals and units who teach or mentor students as they complete course assignments, capstone papers, theses, dissertations, or other similar writing experiences. In the sections that follow, common student concerns and struggles are considered, along with other instructional challenges that are inherent in the teaching of diverse students who are researching and writing about diverse topics. This chapter also includes practical suggestions as to how instructors and mentors can support and scaffold students’ literature review efforts in ways that align with the frameworks, principles, and practices discussed herein.