Setting the Stage for Your Research: Conducting a Literature Review (Online)

This course will be offered via Zoom only. However, this course will not be recorded.

Literature reviews play multiple roles at multiple stages in scholarly work. A review establishes the foundation of a project and can support the construction of hypotheses and selection of methods. It should also outline a project’s scholarly contribution and help contextualize findings. A systematic review seeks to answer a focused research question using a search strategy spanning relevant databases.

This on-line course is divided into two sections. The first section will summarize the goals of a literature or systematic review and explore techniques to support the search, organization, and synthesis of peer-reviewed and technical literature. This section will introduce tools to guide your search (e.g., PICO, SPIDER, and SPICE) and delve into the issues around audience, disciplinary styles, and inclusion and exclusion standards. The second section will focus on the use of technology and different software packages at multiple stages: search, organization, and analysis.

Instructor Bio:
Danielle Spurlock is an assistant professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She holds a master’s in public health, a master’s in city and regional planning, and a PhD in city and regional planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research expertise includes the use of qualitative and quantitative methods to investigate questions of equity and implementation in the social and built environment. Her interest in literature and systemic reviews stems from her experience meeting the challenge of building robust foundations for interdisciplinary research.

Registration Fees:
– UNC CH Students: $0, with a $20 deposit to hold your spot (deposit is refundable upon your attendance for at least 66% of the course)
– UNC CH Faculty/Staff/Postdoc: $20
– Non UNC CH: $20

Register Here

This class will be offered via Zoom ONLY. Registration closes at 12:01am on 4/6/2021. Once registration closes, no late registrations will be accepted. NO EXCEPTIONS!

* Cancellation/ Refund Policy: A full refund will be given to those who cancel their registration no later than 10 days prior to the course. If you cancel within the 10 days prior to the class, no refund will be given. Please allow 30 days to receive your refund.

Zoom link for this course will be sent prior to the course. Registration must be made at least 3 days prior to the course date to receive the Zoom link.