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Literature Review Step by Step

Apply the TRAAP Test

Timeframe
Relevance
Authority
Accuracy
Purpose

Timeframe

❖ When was the source written and published?
❖ Why is publication date relevant to your topic?
❖ Why is publication date important; was the material written at a particularly pivotal moment in the field?

Relevance

❖ Does the article contain information you need at this moment?
❖ Is the material from the right category?
(for instance, you are looking for dissertations and the source is written as a blogpost.)
❖ What is the connection between the source and my topic?

Authority

❖ Who is the author? 
❖ Is the author an expert in this area? 
❖ What are her credentials?
​❖ Why is this author qualified to write on this topic?

Accuracy

❖ Are the facts stated in the source correct?
❖ Is the evidence backed up by documentation?
❖ Does the author cite her sources?
❖ Did these sources go through a review process?

Purpose

❖ Why was the paper published?
❖ Could the author or institution have a motive or bias in publishing the information?