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Literature Reviews in Sociology

Guidance, strategies and resources to support conducting & writing literature reviews in Sociology.

Literature Review Sources

What Types of Literature Should I Use in My Review?

There are several different types of literature available and you may draw on all of them. The ones you will refer to in your literature review generally fall into two main areas.

  1. Published research done by specialists in the field. Their writings will become your secondary sources on which you will draw in your own research.
    • Articles in academic journals
    • Print books or e-books 
  2. Documents which use social science research methods but are written for a non-academic purpose, commonly referred to as grey literature. Examples are:
    • Government reports, which include policy recommendations
    • Private sector research, often marketing research, which is produced for business purposes
    • Surveys to provide material for planning enquiries.

Adapted from: Byrne, D. (2017). What types of literature should I use in my review?. Project Planner. 10.4135/9781526408518.

BEAM model for Using Sources (Joseph Bizup)

Source Function Explanation Examples Common Locations
Background Factual and noncontroversial information, providing context

Encyclopedia articles, overviews in books, statistics, historical facts; see CREDO Reference

 Introduction
Exhibit/Evidence Data, observations, objects, artifacts, documents that can be analyzed

Text of a novel, field observations, focus group transcriptions, questionnaire data, results of an experiment, interview data (primary sources)

 Body, Results section
Argument Critical views from other scholars and commentators; part of the academic conversation Scholarly articles, books, critical reviews (e.g. literacy criticism), editorials

Body, sometimes in Introduction or in Literature Review
Method (or Theory) Reference to methods or theories used, usually explicit though may be implicit; approach or research methodology used

Part of books or articles with reference to theorists (e.g. Foucault, Derrida) or theory (e.g. feminism, post-colonialism, new historicism etc.); information on a research methodology

 Methods section or referenced in Introduction or Body

A source may serve more than one function.  For instance, a journal article could include background information, exhibits, argument and method.  However, some sources are focused on a single function.  For example, an encyclopedia entry on “Alzheimer's disease” is likely to only serve as background information.

Adapted from Bizup, J. (2008) “BEAM: A Rhetorical Vocabulary for Teaching Research-Based Writing.” Rhetoric Review 27.1: 72-86.

Using Your Sources

Using Your Sources: The BEAM Research Model (3:25), from Portland State University Library

What am I going to do with my sources?  BEAM ask you to consider the function of the source.