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Course & Subject Guides

EDUC 3001: Research Guide

This guide is designed as a component of EDUC 3001: Fundamentals of Research in the University of Pittsburgh's Online Doctor of Education (EdD) program.

What is "the Literature"?

When instructors or researchers talk about “the literature” they are referring to the body of research, scholarly articles, books and other sources (e.g. dissertations, conference proceedings) relevant to a particular issue, area of research, or theory.

The purpose of a literature review is to analyze critically this segment of a published body of knowledge through summary, classification, and comparison of prior research studies, reviews of literature, and theoretical articles.

Literature Reviews: An Overview for Graduate Students

NCSU Libraries  http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/tutorials/litreview/