Writing a literature review as a class project in an upper-level undergraduate biochemistry course.

Abstract

A literature review is an important part of conducting academic research. Knowing how to conduct a literature search and write a high-quality literature review is a valuable skill. Herein, the authors describe the method of introducing a literature review writing exercise in an upper-level biochemistry course. Since 2020, authors have collaborated with numerous undergraduates writing literature reviews on topics in biochemistry that resulted in peer-reviewed publications. Authors believe that this unique idea of providing a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) to many undergraduates, especially those who otherwise do not receive collaborative research experience through traditional research paths, must be shared with other instructors.