Literature Review Checklist

Format and references

Was the paper presented in APA-style?
Were there a minimum of at least 20-25 references?
Was there a title page, with the topic listed and the author identified?

YES
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NO
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Abstract
Was the abstract 100-120 words long?
Was it clear and understandable?
Does it specify the central focus of the review?
Does it describe clearly what is covered in the review?
Does it give a brief summary of the conclusions reached?

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Introduction
Does the first page indicate what the review is about?
Is background information about the topic provided?

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Main Body of the Review

Are the cited studies relevant to the topic being reviewed?
Are the studies summarized clearly?
Were there a sufficient number of studies reviewed?
Were the majority of articles reviewed empirical studies?
Does the reader get a sense of the state of research in the topic under review?

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Organization
Is the review broken down into relevant sub-sections?
Are the subheadings appropriate to the content of the sections?
Is each sub-section well-organized
Is the sequence of sections organized logically?
Is the overall organization of the review understandable?
Is there a brief summary at the end of each sub-section?

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Composition
Was the review well-written?
Were there any spelling or grammar mistakes?
Was the active voice used throughout?
Was any unnecessary detail provided?
Were there any awkward sentences?

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Conclusions
Was a summary of the review provided?
Were any conclusions drawn from the reviewed literature?
Were the conclusions appropriate?
Were implications of these conclusions discussed?
Were limitations of current knowledge indicated?

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