Home What is a lit review? How do I search? What kinds of notes?              How do I put it all together? What do citations look like? Quiz!

What kinds of notes should I take? As you are reading the articles you have found, it is important to keep some information about each document. You will need the full citation information (see the citations section for details). This may or may not be available directly from a copy of the full text, so be sure to record it. You will want to record the types of information listed below for each article you read (or highlight if you have a paper copy): The problem being addressed The hypothesis of the study The methodology used (research design) The subjects The results Strengths, weaknesses, limitations of the study Any useful quotes (with page #) If you are going to use quotes, you will need the exact wording and the page number (citations for quotes need author, date and page number). Even if you have paper copies of all articles, you may want to keep summaries of the information on note cards or in a computer file. It will make it easier to arrange the studies when you begin writing the literature review. Check for Understanding (short quiz) This page was created by F. Fisher for students in the College of Education at California State University, Dominguez Hills. Last update 8/06. Button created at http://www.buttongenerator.com/