ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the first step in developing any research project, establishing the literature that supports a guiding question or research topic. After identifying a topic to research, it is critical to engage with the scholarship germane to the topic to determine what has already been written about the topic, to illuminate the emerging issues related to the topic, and to identify gaps in the knowledge that the research study will attempt to fill. The literature review is the systematic way of doing this. This chapter presents tips for writing a meaningful review of literature. Strategies for organizing literature are also presented. Specifically, literature mapping is highlighted as a systematic way of organizing a literature review that is useful for dissertators. Steps to creating a literature map and examples of well-designed literature maps are presented in this chapter as well. Finally, this chapter offers links to helpful resources in beginning the literature search process.
