Skip to Main Content

Literature Reviews

This guide provides information to help you prepare to write a literature review.

Searching

To get started, think about your scope and research question. Decide on the type and format of the literature you will review. You may be instructed to only look at peer-reviewed articles or be asked to find a mix of sources.

*Always check with your instructor on what you will need to include in your literature review if writing for an assignment.

 

How do I find...

For scholarly articles, you can search within Discover or in a subject-specific database. You can find these databases (and more subject-specific resources) on our Subject Guides. Select which subject is relevant to your topic under the Subject section and browse through the lists of databases.

 

I need peer-reviewed articles.
No problem! Most databases have an option for you to select "Peer-reviewed" in the filters. This should only show you those articles that have been peer-reviewed in your search results. 
For more information on finding peer-reviewed articles, see our Evaluating Your Sources guide. 

 

What is a database? 
Think of it as a container that holds resources for your research and makes them easy to find. Not all databases will contain all of the resources shown below and they may contain more than those listed.

Boxes listed as Journals, eBooks, Newspapers, and Other below the title "Database".

Subject-specific databases limit the information to a certain subject or subjects - making sure that you get the most relevant information in your search.

 

Tutorial Icon Tips and tricks for searching databases

For books and eBooks, you can check out our online library catalog, Gil-Find! Here you will find eBooks, physical books, DVDs, journals, and other items that Odum Library has in its collection. You can also have books sent to any USG institution from another library.

 

We have several eBook databases that you can browse through as well.

 

Tutorial Icon Tutorial on using Gil-Find

Looking for other sources? Here's a list of guides to help you find what you need:

 

 

If you don't see what you need here, please reach out to a librarian using the chat feature on this page or give us a call at 229-333-7149

 

Please remember to always follow your instructor's guidelines of what to use in your literature review. If you are asked to use "peer-reviewed articles" only, you will want to stick to looking in databases for those. While the sources listed above could be considered scholarly, they are not usually peer-reviewed. For more information about the differences between types of sources, see our Evaluating Your Sources Guide.

Keep It Organized

One of the most important things you will do is develop a way to organize and track your research. Here are few tips we have found work well for us:

  • Keep track of what databases you have searched and the keywords and limiters you used
    • You can use a Word doc, Google doc, or print your search history
    • To copy a search url, click Share (located at the top of the Search results) and copy the Permalink
    • To view or print your Search History, click on Search History (located under the search boxes). Click Search History a second time to close it. You can also rerun an earlier search from the same session by clicking on View Results.
    • Once you close the browser window, your Search History will be cleared. Save any permalinks or Search History before you close the window.
  • Save the articles you find in a couple of locations
    • In your email, on a stick drive, etc.
  • Use the tools in the databases
    • Most databases allow you to create a free account and save search results (articles)
    • Permalinks allow you to always return to an article page
    • Email the article to yourself
  • Use a free citation manager tool, such as Zotero