Academic research often begins with a literature review, or a Lit Review. One might call a literature review in history a "secondary literature review" since it typically means a review of the secondary literature on your topic.
In a literature review, you try to answer the question, "what have other scholars already said about this topic?" and you will respond in some way to what has already been said. When you reach the final stage of your research -- writing up your conclusions and making your own argument -- you will want to show how your analysis relates to previous interpretations.
1. To begin this process, you want to find as many books and articles as you can on your topic. Start by looking for books that Marymount has; then move to the rest of the WRLC and then see what is available in Worldcat or the Library of Congress.
2. Use library databases for your article searches
3. Examine the bibliographies of the items you have already located and look for books and articles that they cited that you do not yet have.
Interior Design and Architecture by 
Architecture and Interior Design by 
Domestic Interiors by 
History of Interior Design by
This classic reference presents the history of interior design from prehistory to the present. Exploring a broad range of design styles and movements, this revised and expanded edition includes coverage of non-Western design and vernacular interior architecture and features 665 photographs and drawings (color and black-and-white). A History of Interior Design is an essential resource for practicing and aspiring professionals in interior design, art history, and architecture, and general readers interested in design and the decorative arts.
Interior Finishes and Fittings for Historic Building Conservation by 
The Codes Guidebook for Interiors by
The Codes Guidebook to Interiors is the only book devoted exclusively to codes that are applicable to interior designers. The guide features jargon-free explanations of all the codes and standards that are relevant to designers and architects, including performance codes, building and finish standards, energy codes, and ADA standards. I
Construction and Detailing for Interior Design by 
Residential Interior Design by
The completely revised room-by-room guide to home interior design Residential Interior Design, Second Edition teaches the fundamental skills that are needed to plan interior spaces for all types of homes, regardless of decorative styles, from remodeling to new construction. Taking a step-by-step approach, this valuable primer reviews all aspects of interior architecture as it relates to human factors and daily use. Authors Maureen Mitton and Courtney Nystuen explore the minimal amount of space that is necessary for rooms to function usefully, from the kitchen to the bathroom, the bedroom to the hallway, and every room in between. Packed with hundreds of drawings and photographs, this valuable tool is brimming with useful information regarding codes, mechanical and electrical systems, keys to creating wheelchair accessible spaces, and a variety of additional factors that impact each type of room and its corresponding space. Now featuring a companion website with instructor resources, this new edition is: Revised and updated with new building codes information and expanded information on sustainability, building construction, doors, windows, home offices, and outdoor spaces Illustrated throughout with line drawings and photographs to clearly explain the concepts covered The perfect study aid for the NCIDQ exam With a focus on quality of design over quantity of space, Residential Interior Design, Second Edition is the first stop to designing equally efficient and attractive rooms.
Toward a New Interior by
Interior design, as a relatively young discipline within the academic world of design, has historically been interpreted as an extension of other fine arts. Narratives exist, but they all too often treat interior design as a function of architecture or display rather than experience. An independent interior design theory is virtually nonexistent. Professor Lois Weinthal envisions a future where interior design is treated with parity to architecture and industrial design, a future with a new interior. A reader for architects and interior designers, Weinthal has carefully curated a collection of forty-eight essays that will form the foundation of interior design theory and shape future interior space. Her introductory essays illuminate each source, prefacing and directing discussion of the material as it relates to interior design theory. Alluding to Le Corbusier s classic text, she has organized this material into a framework that inspires conversation, marking a break with the past and forming a new vocabulary for the discourse. Contributions to the book s eight sections include essays by David Batchelor, Aaron Betsky, Petra Blaisse, Andrew Blauvelt, Beatriz Colomina, Le Corbusier, Robin Evans, Adolf Loos, Ellen Lupton, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Michel Serres, Henry Urbach, Wim Wenders, and Mark Wigley.
Design Details for Health by
Praise for Design Details for Health "Cynthia Leibrock and Debra Harris have developed a vitally important reference. They draw upon and compile a rich source of evidence that supports the application of specific research-based details for particular health-related settings."--From the Foreword by Dr. Wayne Ruga, AIA, FIIDA, Hon. FASID The revised edition on implementing design details to improve today's health care facilities--an inspiring, comprehensive guide In this significantly revised second edition, Cynthia Leibrock and Debra Harris offer up-to-date information on design details that can improve patient outcomes and user experience by returning authority to the patient, along with fascinating case studies and research demonstrating the positive role design can play in reducing health care costs. Design Details for Health, Second Edition offers contemporary examples showing how design can improve patient comfort and independence, and demonstrates how to design highly functional health care facilities that operate at peak performance. The book addresses a range of health care facility types including hospitals, ambulatory care, wellness centers, subacute care and rehabilitation, adult day care and respite, assisted living, hospice, dementia care, and aging in place. This Second Edition includes: The latest research, which was only anecdotal in nature as recently as a decade ago, illustrating how design through evidence produces measurable outcomes Real-world case studies of a range of excellent health care facilities that have been designed and built in the twenty-first century Updated contributions with leading practitioners, researchers, and providers conveying how design has a positive impact on health care delivery When design empowers rather than disables, everybody wins. Sensitive to the needs of both patients and providers, Design Details for Health, Second Edition is essential reading for today's architects, interior designers, facility managers, and health care professionals.
