CORE: Literature Review

Reviewing Literature

A thorough literature review consists of looking for books, symposiums, reports, journal articles, and World Wide Web sources. Each type of source serves a different purpose. For instance, books generally contain established theories, facts, and foundations of scientific thought; journals often contain studies on completed research; reports and symposiums may contain research in progress; and Web sources vary widely.

For books, symposiums, and reports, consult your own library's online catalog as well as the OhioLINK Central Catalog.
For journal articles, consult the appropriate online database, some of which are now available full-text online. Connect to the Overview of OhioLINK Electronic Resources for Chemistry.
For World Wide Web sources, connect to a search engine like Metacrawler, Alta Vista, or Infoseek. Pay special attention to Web sources since they do not undergo the same rigorous review that books and journal articles undergo before being published. See Evaluating Print and Electronic Sources before selecting Web sources.

Be sure to review your instructor's assignment. Note any special instructions or source requirements.

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