Writing Literature Reviews: A Guide for Students of the Social and Behavioral Sciences (7th Edition)

About the Book

Writing Literature Reviews: A Guide for Students of the Social and Behavioral Sciences by Jose L. Galvan and Melisa C. Galvan is a practical academic guide that helps students and researchers understand how to find, evaluate, organise, and present scholarly literature effectively.

The book provides a structured, step-by-step approach to writing literature reviews, from identifying a research topic and locating relevant academic sources to analysing previous studies, synthesising findings, and developing a well-organised review. It uses examples from published research to demonstrate how to build strong arguments, identify research gaps, and connect existing studies to a research question.

Designed especially for students in the social and behavioural sciences, this guide also offers useful advice on academic writing, research organisation, citation practices, and avoiding common mistakes. Its practical explanations and examples make the literature review process easier to understand and apply.

Key Highlights:

• Step-by-step guidance for writing effective literature reviews.
• Explains how to search for and evaluate academic sources.
• Helps organise and synthesise findings from previous research.
• Demonstrates how to identify research gaps and develop research questions.
• Includes practical examples and model literature reviews.
• Strengthens academic writing and research skills.

Ideal For: Undergraduate and postgraduate students, research scholars, PhD candidates, educators, and professionals in the social and behavioural sciences.

Build stronger research foundations and develop the skills to produce clear, organised, and academically sound literature reviews.

About the Authors

Jose L. Galvan, Ph.D., is Professor Emeritus at California State University, Los Angeles. He earned his doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin and had a distinguished academic career spanning 39 years. During his career, he held academic appointments at UCLA, Teachers College at Columbia University, California State University, Los Angeles, and San Francisco State University. His work focuses on academic research, scholarly writing, and helping students develop effective literature review skills.

Melisa C. Galvan, Ph.D., earned her doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley. She is a Professor at California State University, Northridge, USA. She is also the co-author of academic guides including Proposing Empirical Research: A Guide to the Fundamentals and Writing Empirical Research Reports: A Basic Guide for Students of the Social and Behavioral Sciences.

Together, Jose L. Galvan and Melisa C. Galvan bring extensive academic and research experience to their writing. Their work helps students and researchers strengthen their research methods, critically evaluate scholarly literature, and communicate academic findings with clarity and confidence.