Literature Review Tips in Education

Discipline specific journal indexes/databases are available so that you may narrow your search to a specific subject.  Subject specific databases are available for Education and are linked below (for Lakehead students).   

Brock students may access Education specific databases from this page.

University of Windsor students may access Education specific databases from this page.

Discipline Specific Databases are available for all disciplines taught at Lakehead University, Brock University and University of Windsor. 

Searching Using Subject Headings:

In discipline specific databases, each journal article is assigned several standardized subject headings which describes the major subject areas of the article.   These subject headings are unique to and are standardized for each database and will help you to locate other articles on that same subject in that database.  

Each database will have its own set of standardized subject headings, although there may be some overlap between databases.  Subject headings are usually listed below the abstract. 

Complete lists of subject headings for each database are also available.

Another way to locate subject headings is by beginning with a Keyword search.  From your search results you can identify relevant subject headings that are assigned to the journal articles that are relevant to your search. 
 

It is possible to find literature reviews using various article databases. Here are some tips for searching:

• CBCA Complete - In Advanced Search, select "Literature Review" as a Document Type limiter.
• ERIC via Proquest - add the subject heading "literature reviews" to your search.
• Education Source - add the subject heading "literature reviews" to your search.

Listed below are research journals in Education that specialize in publishing reviews of research literature on topics in education.  Lakehead University Library provides access to these journal titles, simply click on the title to access the issues:

Review of Educational Research: Official journal of the American Educational Research Association (AERA).  RER is published quarterly and is indexed in ERIC, Professional Development Collection and PsycInfo. 

Review of research in education:   The Review of Research in Education provides an annual overview and descriptive analysis of selected topics of relevant research literature through critical and synthesizing essays. RRE promotes discussion and controversy about research problems, in addition to pulling together and summarizing the work in a field.  Also an American Educational Research Association (AERA) publication.

Educational Review:   This is a leading journal for generic educational research and scholarship from Britain. This journal includes authoritative reviews of current national and international issues in schooling and education. It publishes peer-reviewed papers from international contributors which report research across a range of education fields including curriculum, inclusive and special education, educational psychology, policy, management and international and comparative education.

Educational Psychology Review:  Features review articles in general education psychology: learning, cognition, measurement, school-related counseling, and development.