CHEM 451 (Rivera) - Introduction to Physical Chemistry

A scientific literature review is a critical account of what has been published on a topic by accredited researchers. Literature reviews contribute to the communication and advancement of scientific knowledge. They help us understand how knowledge in a particular field is changing and developing over time, they provide a good introduction ot the major work in a field, and they may uncover gaps in research, conflicting results, and under-examined areas.

You will need to pick a topic that will fit this assignment. Initial research can help you narrow down or focus your topic. General resources might include books, library encyclopedias, overview articles, industry surveys, documentary video, etc. There are movements among both librarians and the general scientific community to create and edit articles in Wikipedia to improve reliability.

Make sure your topic and list of articles to review matches the requirements of your assignment.

Search the literature and identify sources to include in the literature review. Some things to consider about each article are:

Who are the authors? Who is the publisher? Who funded the research? What is the stated purpose of the article?

What evidence is included? Is contradictory evidence presented fairly? Is the writing impartial?

Is the article current? 

Do I think that the article's conclusions are reasonable?

Your review should include:

Abstract -- provide a summary of your review; often there will be a word limit to ensure that the abstract is concise.

Introductory Paragraph -- include core scientific facts, why is this important, what is the aim of the review, what topics will be covered. It makes sense to write the introduction after you've written the main body of the paper.

Body of the Paper -- divided into sections with one key point per paragraph. Each paragraph will include the topic sentence, supporting sentences, concluding sentence. The structure of the sections will depend on your topic.

Concluding Paragraph -- point back to the Introduction, highlight major research, indicate gaps and inconsistencies, and express your own point of view. Provide closure.

Reference List

Evaluate your own work. Did you use representative sources? Does your critical analysis contribute to understanding of the topic?

Example of a review:

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10956-016-9619-3