Time to put all those notes together! Here are some ways to organize your written review of the literature:

• by themes or patterns
• by the main theories or concepts in a subject area
• by methodology

Be selective and only include the sources that are the most reliable, valid and relevant to your topic.

Make an outline with the main areas you want to address as the headings and subheadings of the literature review.

Synthesize the information by:

• making connections between and among ideas and concepts
• comparing and contrasting ideas and concepts
• explaining why your approach is valid in light of opposing viewpoints
• building a knowledge base for your research question
• extending new lines of thinking you've developed during the survey and evaluation
• avoiding simply summarizing isolated sources

It may not seem like it, but the writing the literature review is actually a creative activity because you are bringing your own perspective to it:

"An imaginative approach to searching and reviewing the literature includes having a broad view of the topic; being open to new ideas, methods, and arguments; ‘playing’ with different ideas to see whether you can make new linkages; and following ideas to see where they might lead." – Bloomberg and Volpe, 2008

What is RefWorks?

RefWorks is a web-based bibliographic citation manager that allows you to create your own personal database of references for both academic and personal use. With RefWorks you can:

• Easily import references from electronic databases, the UNT library catalog, text files, websites and more into your account
• Quickly create reference lists for papers and projects in the citation style of your choice
• Share references with colleagues

RefWorks is provided by the Libraries to the UNT community free of charge, but to create an account for the first time an access code is needed. Please contact our AskUs service at 940-565-3245 or email AskUs@unt.edu using your UNT email address to receive the code.

See the information below to start using your RefWorks account, provided to all students, faculty and staff by the UNT Libraries. Visit the RefWorks Library Guide for video tutorials and instructions for basic and advanced functions.

If the video below is gray, sign into Microsoft Stream with your UNT email address and EUID password.

Citation Style Guides

The UNT Libraries provide print manuals and online style guides to assist you in correctly formatting papers and citing references. The links below take you to manuals and guides for the major citation styles. To see all styles available, visit the Citations and Style Guides webpage.

The UNT Writing Center is a great resource to use for assistance with formatting style and citation, writing style, organization, flow and more. The lab accepts appointments and walk-ins, but appointments are encouraged to guarantee time with a tutor. To make an appointment, drop by the Writing Center or call at (940) 565-2563.

Need help? Then use the library's Ask Us service. Get help from real people face-to-face, by phone, or by email.