Rubric for Evaluating a Literature Review
Selection of Literature
- Are parameters of the review reasonable?
- Why Is certain literature included and others excluded?
- Which years are included?
- Are primary sources emphasized over secondary sources?
- Is the literature is relevant to the problem?
Criticism of the Literature
- How is the review organized?
- By topics or ideas
- By author
- Is the review organized logically?
- Are major studies or theories discussed in detail?
- Are minor studies discussed as a group?
- Is there criticism of the design and methodology of the studies?
- Are studies compared and contrasted and conflicting results noted?
Summary Interpretation
- Does the summary provide an overall interpretation of the problem?
- Does the summary conclude that the research is necessary?
- Do the implications provide theoretical or empirical justification for the research questions or hypothesis that follows?
- Does the methodology provide a rationale for the design to follow?