Critical Synthesis in Education
This guide is designed to provide a very brief introduction to tools and resources that may be useful for you as you begin work on your critical synthesis.
Each critical synthesis project is unique and not all tools and resources will apply to your project. Please feel free to email me at karen.tatarka@uconn.edu for any questions related to your specific project, or complete the Critical Synthesis Intake Form.
For a more thorough guide to Education resources at UConn Library, please visit the Education Subject Guide.
Identifying Your Review
There are many types of recognized research reviews that can apply to your critical synthesis. To help you better understand and identify the right review for your project, UCLA Library provides an overview of the most popular types of reviews.
Examples of different types of reviews:
Sample Critical Literature Review
Kirkwood, Adrian and Price, Linda (2014). Technology-enhanced learning and teaching in higher education: what is ‘enhanced’ and how do we know? A critical literature review. Learning, Media and Technology, 39(1) pp. 6–36. https://oro.open.ac.uk/36675/7/TEL%20in%20Higher%20Education-What%20is%20enhanced%20and%20how%20do%20we%20know.pdf
Sample Scoping Review
National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO), Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), Applied Engineering Management Corporation (AEM), Center for Parent Information & Resources (CPIR), National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE), WestEd, Kristin K. Liu, Martha L. Thurlow, Mari Quanbeck, Jessica A. Bowman, & Amy Riegelman. (2024). Universal design and K-12 academic assessments: A scoping review of the literature. NCEO Report 442. In National Center on Educational Outcomes. https://nceo.umn.edu/docs/OnlinePubs/NCEOReport442.pdf
Sample Meta-Analysis
Moore, T. R., Lee, S., Freeman, R., Mahmoundi, M., Dimian, A., Riegelman, A., & Simacek, J. J. (2024). A meta-analysis of treatment for self-injurious behavior in children and adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Behavior Modification, 48(2), 216–256. https://doi.org/10.1177/01454455231218742 (UConn Access)
Sample Systematic Review
Langham-Putrow A, Bakker C, Riegelman A (2021) Is the open access citation advantage real? A systematic review of the citation of open access and subscription-based articles. PLoS ONE 16(6): e0253129. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0253129
Helpful Texts for Literature Reviews in Education
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Systematic Reviews in Educational Research
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ISBN: 9783658276010Publication Date: 2019-12-02In this volume, international researchers of the field describe and discuss the systematic review method in its application to research in education. Alongside fundamental methodical considerations, reflections and practice examples are included and provide an introduction and overview on systematic reviews in education research. -
An Introduction to Systematic Reviews
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ISBN: 9781473929425Publication Date: 2017-05-05Focused on actively using systematic review as method, An introduction to systematic reviews provides clear, step-by-step advice on the logic and processes of systematic reviewing. Stressing the importance of precision and accuracy, this practical text carefully balances a need for insightful theory with real-world pragmatism.
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Research in color: A hands-on roadmap to literature reviews in the social sciencesIf you are feeling overwhelmed with starting your literature review, this workbook created by Frances Brady at National Louis University guides you through the steps in plain language.
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