The Literature Review

From daunting to doable in six steps



Graduate students who turn in exceptional literature reviews are recognized as excellent critical thinkers, as well as masters of academic argumentation, research writing and writing academic papers. But literature searches and composing the review itself can be intimidating and frustrating. 



The six-step process pioneered by this book has made the task flowing and seamless for masters and doctoral candidates in Education and related fields. This updated third edition features a wealth of all-new content including:



• A flowchart that graphically illustrates Machi and McEvoy’s process.

• Reflective Oversight boxes in each chapter that prompt readers to direct metacognitive activities.

• Links to online guides and resources. 

• Expanded examples illustrating theoretical concepts.


When you apply this system to your next literature review the work will be intuitive and enjoyable for you, and the results will impress your teachers and fellow researchers. 
Editable, chapter-specific PowerPoint® slides offer complete flexibility for creating a multimedia presentation for the course:
Slides - Introduction to The Lit Rev
Slides - Step 1 - Select a Topic
Slides - Step 2 - Develop Tools of Argumentation
Slides - Step 3 - Search the Literature
Slides - Step 4 - Survey the Literature
Slides - Step 5 - Critique the Literature
Slides - Step 6 - Write the Thesis

"The Literature Review clearly walks educators through the steps to completing a literature review with helpful checklists and graphic representations of the process. It makes a very daunting task much more manageable and systematic."

Andrea M. Capizzi

Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN



"This text is the best guide yet for our dissertation students. The format provides the learner with the framework to think about each step of the literature review process. This thorough and practical guide will provide candidates with the scholarly application that they require to think about their research."

Barbara J. Poling, Interim Dean

College of Education and Organizational Leadership, University of La Verne