Why a Literature Review?
Even though the Fulbright does not require a research proposal with a literature review, the exercise can be essential in developing your proposal. A literature review will help you determine:
- What information is already out there on my area of interest?
- Who are the leading scholars or what are the leading institutions in this field?
- Where does your research interest lie in the broader academic conversation?
- Where are there gaps in the study of this issue?
- Why is your potential area of focus unique? Why should they fund you?
Starting Points
These resources highlight important sources in a specific field, and can be a great way to identify important authors and survey what has been written about a specific topic.
- Oxford Bibliographies Online This link opens in a new window
- Oxford Handbooks Online This link opens in a new window
- How do I find reference sources?This guide lists databases and search strategies for locating specialized encyclopedias, dictionaries, and more.
Search the Literature for a Field
What is "current" literature?
Before conducting your search, consider where different disciplines publish their current research. For science, current may be the last few weeks or month. For humanities fields, current research may be books published several years ago!
Where disciplines tend to publish
- Science–Peer-reviewed academic journals, conference papers
- Social Sciences–Working papers, academic journals, conference papers, essays, policy papers, reports, books
- Humanities–Books, book chapters, academic journals, exhibition catalogs
How do I find current literature?
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Library Research GuidesThe Library's research guides by subject include comprehensive lists of academic journal article databases for each field of study. Click on the "Articles" page on most guides to find a list.
