The foundation of any academic research project lies in its literature review, which assembles and synthesizes the available knowledge on a subject matter. But where do researchers get data for their literature reviews? This blog post on sources of literature review answers this question. Whether you are an undergraduate student embarking on your first research project or a seasoned researcher, this blog post will help you find more dependable sources for your literature review. This blog post will also help you understand the different types of literature review tools at your disposal. Whether you can discover a wealth of new sources in this blog post or are just getting started on your literature review, the tools you need to do an excellent job are all here.
What Is A Literature Review?
A literature review discusses published information in a specific subject area and sometimes focuses on a particular subject area within a specific timeframe. This review type often combines summary and synthesis to convey a comprehensive view. While a summary recaps the essential information of the sources, a synthesis involves reorganizing the details to provide a fresh interpretation or incorporate new with existing interpretations.
In some cases, the literature review may evaluate the sources, guiding the reader to the most relevant or pertinent information available to help gain a deeper understanding of the subject matter.
One of the most crucial aspects of conducting a literature review is using primary sources. These are raw, unfiltered, and directly related to the subject matter. In the scientific and social sciences, primary sources usually take the form of original research reports found in academic publications detailing the methodology employed in the research. These sources contain in-depth descriptions and discussions of the findings.
Other primary sources include speeches, letters, diaries, autobiographies, interviews, official reports, court records, artifacts, photographs, and drawings. These materials offer first-hand information and are considered closest to the object under study. Therefore, they are highly valuable for literature review.
The secondary sources of literature review are vital to understanding the context and relevance of primary sources. Secondary sources are written about primary sources. This type of source provides non-original or secondhand data or information. They offer research summaries reported in textbooks, magazines, and newspapers.
These are considered secondary sources as they typically offer global descriptions of results with few details on the methodology. Other examples of secondary sources include biographies and critical studies of an author's work. The insights from secondary sources can help shape how you approach primary sources and provide a broader understanding of the subject matter.
Encyclopedias are a fundamental tertiary source of literature review. Their purpose is to provide general knowledge about a variety of topics. They are reference books that include a wealth of information on various subjects. Encyclopedias can be general or specialized, focusing on a specific field or subject area.
Almanacs
Almanacs are also tertiary sources useful for providing detailed facts and statistics. They are typically published annually and contain weather predictions, astronomical data, and various statistics. Almanacs can be valuable for providing specific data relevant to a literature review.
Standards
Standards provide explicit specifications, guidelines, or rules to ensure that materials, processes, or services meet specific quality criteria. Professional organizations typically establish these to define a baseline of acceptable quality within a particular field. Standards play a crucial role in literature review by setting benchmarks for evaluation and analysis.
Handbooks and Manuals
Handbooks and manuals summarize major topics or processes within a particular field. They often include established measurements, definitions, or research methods that can be valuable to researchers conducting literature reviews. These resources provide detailed insights into specific topics, making them a valuable tool for gathering information.
Pathfinders (Research Guides)
Pathfinders, or research guides, are curated lists of recommended information sources on a particular topic or discipline. These guides can be invaluable to literature review researchers by providing a curated selection of high-quality resources. Pathfinders can help researchers navigate the vast landscape of available information and identify relevant sources for their review.
Complete Step-by-Step Guide On How To Use Unriddle's AI Research Tool
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to use Unriddle. I’ve also copied it below :)
From here, it's pretty simple.
Unriddle helps you read, write and learn faster.
Interact with documents via AI so you can quickly find and understand info.
Then start writing in a new Note and Unriddle will show you relevant content from your library as you type.
When you upload a document, Unriddle generates an AI assistant on top of this data.
Click 'New' in the right sidebar and then select 'Upload' to get started.
Use this assistant to answer specific questions about the text, summarize content and simplify jargon.
The trick is to be super clear about what you want.
If you're summarizing a research paper, for example, instead of saying “Summarize” or “Summarize this research paper”, say something like “Explain this research paper to me in simple terms. What method did the researchers use? What did they find? Why does it matter?”.
The second prompt will produce a much better overview of the paper because we're giving the AI more hints about what we want.
Automatic relations
Unriddle grasps the context behind each Note and Document in your library and automatically links them based on meaning.
Let's say you have a collection of nuclear physics papers in your library.
When you start writing a note about The Manhattan Project, simply mentioning "The Manhattan Project" will prompt Unriddle to find the connection between this note and the nuclear physics papers.
Even if you didn't explicitly mention the research papers, Unriddle's knowledge of Oppenheimer, his work, and the significant relevance of these papers means it understands the connection and automatically links them together.
In short, Unriddle shows you relevant content from your library at the exact moment you need it, even if you haven't explicitly mentioned it.
Citing your sources
Writing is hard when you have a ton of sources to track.
So we made it easy.
Highlight some text, click ‘Cite’ and you’ll see items from your library that contain information related to the selection of text you just highlighted as determined by our AI.
When you select an item Unriddle inserts a link into highlighted text that, when clicked, takes you to the referenced item.
Writing with AI
Click ‘New’ in the sidebar and hit ‘Note’ to open up a new note.
Here you’ll find all the text formatting options you’re used to and more.
Type ‘++’ to generate text based on the context of what’s already written.
Highlight text and click ‘Ask AI’ to open up the AI menu where you’ll find options to improve, expand, summarize and explain.
You can type custom prompts too!
Finally, you can open any note in a pane on the right side of the screen while interacting with documents. Just click the orange pencil icon at the top of the chat window.
Chat Settings
Adjust the model, temperature and response length in the Setting sidebar.
Click the cog icon in the top right corner of the screen and look for "Chat Settings".
These apply across all documents but you can easily flip between them regardless of settings at the time of upload.
Model: the machine learning model used to generate responses.
Temperature: the amount of creative license you give to the AI.
Max length: the maximum number of words generated in a response.
Got feedback or questions? Send us an email and we'll get back to you within a day.
— Naveed
6 Acceptable Sources Of Literature Review
1. Unriddle.AI: The Ultimate Literature Review Tool
Unriddle is a cutting-edge tool designed to help you read faster and write better in academia. This tool utilizes the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to simplify complex topics, extract critical information from documents, take notes, and effortlessly write. Thousands of researchers and students rely on Unriddle to enhance their reading and writing experiences.
Unriddle allows you to read faster and write better. Quickly find info in documents, simplify complex topics, take notes, and write with the power of AI. Unriddle is trusted by thousands of researchers and students, from the classroom to the boardroom.
Unriddle generates an AI assistant on top of any document so you can quickly find, summarize, and understand info. No more endless skimming.
Unriddle understands the meaning behind your writing and automatically links you to relevant things you’ve read and written about in the past.
Highlight text and Unriddle will show you the most relevant sources from your library using AI. Never lose a citation again.
Generate text with AI autocomplete to improve and expand your writing, with suggestions based on the context of your work.
Step into a collaborative workspace where everyone can contribute and chat with the same documents in real-time, and much more!
2. Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles: The Gold Standard
Peer-reviewed journal articles are the crème de la crème of academic sources. These papers undergo a rigorous, blind review process where experts critique and approve them for publication. This meticulous review process can take up to a year and a half to complete. Consequently, these articles serve as the foundation for your literature review.
3. Edited Academic Books: A Scholarly Compilation
An edited academic book is a collection of scholarly papers from various authors. These papers are reviewed but not always through a blind review process. While edited academic books can be used in your literature review, you should predominantly include peer-reviewed journal articles.
4. Articles in Professional Journals: Proceed With Caution
Professional journal articles should be utilized carefully in your literature review. While they may appear to be peer-reviewed, they often are not. Verify the peer-review status by reading the "About Us" section of the journal or conducting a quick online search.
5. Statistical Data from Governmental Websites: A Reliable Resource
Governmental websites are excellent sources for statistical data. Institutions like Statistics Canada gather and share data on various aspects of the economy, society, and the environment, making them a reliable source of information for your review.
6. Website Material from Professional Associations: Use Sparingly
Professional association websites can provide valuable statistics to support your research. Exercise caution and use such sources sparingly. These materials can help you justify the significance of your research and findings but should not be the primary focus of your literature review.
Read Faster & Write Better With Unriddle for Free Today
Unriddle is a powerful tool that enhances the way you read and write. By leveraging AI technology, Unriddle empowers you to quickly access information within documents, simplify intricate topics, take notes, and achieve better writing outcomes. With Unriddle, you can elevate your research projects and academic endeavors.
Unriddle's AI Assistant
Unriddle boasts an AI assistant that surfaces key insights from any document you're engaged with. This feature saves you time that would have been spent sifting through extensive content. Unriddle can recognize the context of your writing, linking you to pertinent resources you've previously interacted with.
Expanding Your Literature Review
Another striking feature of Unriddle is its ability to generate text using AI autocomplete. This tool suggests ways to enhance and expand your writing by drawing from the specific context of your ongoing work. This is particularly helpful when you're looking to bolster your literature review with fresh perspectives and insights.
Real-Time Collaboration
Unriddle also fosters collaboration by providing a shared workspace where individuals can work on documents together in real-time. This feature is especially beneficial for group projects or when feedback from peers is needed to refine your literature review.
Unlocking Efficiency and Insight
Experience the efficiency and power of Unriddle in your reading and writing endeavors. By using this innovative tool, you can unlock new levels of productivity and insight in your literature review process. Elevate your research capabilities and academic writing with Unriddle today.