Literature Reviews
A lot goes into writing a literature review. It is more than a descriptive list or summary of the material available in a particular research area. When writing your review, you have to survey scholarly sources that provide insight into a particular topic. You should then express the ideas and knowledge that have been established on the topic as well as their strengths and weaknesses.
This article explains what literature reviews are and provides their essential components, structure, and writing guidelines.
What is a Literature Review?
A literature review is an analysis and comprehensive summary of previous research on a topic that has been published by accredited researchers and scholars. Literature reviews provide a written account of the existing research on a selected topic
When a literature review is part of a research paper, it is used as a foundation and support for the new arguments and insights presented in the paper. As a standalone document, it summarizes the ideas and arguments presented in existing research without making new contributions.
Purpose of a literature review
A literature review's purpose is to give an account of the current research of a selected topic. Students are asked to write literature reviews to demonstrate their understanding of a topic's literature.
A useful literature review on a topic should:
- Determine research the has already been done on a topic.
- Identify any gaps in the research.
- Identify any conflicting evidence
- Provide an overview of key concepts
- Identify strengths and weaknesses.
- Identify major patterns or relationships.
Performing a literature search
Before you write your literature review, you need to perform a literature search to determine what relevant information is out there. Some pointers that can help you in your search include:
1. Define your research question
Your literature review should not be a collection of loosely related studies. Instead, it should be built around a central research question. You must define your research question before interpreting and analyzing the background and research developments in a synthesized way.
Understand your research question and figure out the key concepts. Compiling a list of keywords should help you develop a research strategy.
2. Search creatively
Relevant information sources for your paper include indexes, libraries, internet, and electronic databases. They hold books, journals, newspapers, and magazines. When researching your literature review, do not limit yourself to apparent sources. Less obvious sources include conference papers, publisher's websites, and government publications.
3. Select a database from which to conduct your research
Find comprehensive databases from which to source material for your literature review. You should take advantage of librarians' expertise on campus since they are experienced in creating research guides for multiple disciplines.
4. Find the relevant literature.
You can use references for research studies and bibliographies to locate the relevant literature for your paper. Start by carefully reviewing the abstracts of research studies. To avoid duplicating searches, record all the searches you conduct in each database.
Components of a literature review
Your literature review paper should include the following components:
- Objective
- Overview of the subject
- Precise categorization of sources. Categorize your sources into those in support, those opposed, and those offering a different argument
- Discussion of the similarities between sources and the distinctiveness of each
Structure of a literature review
A literature review is structured just like any other essay. It has three main sections. These are:
Introduction
In the introduction section, you should start by defining your topic. Establish your reasons for the literature review and explain the sequence of the review.
Body
You should organize the main body of your literature review according to common themes. It should provide insight into your topic in relation to the broader subject area. Shift the focus of the reader from the broader view of the subject area to your research.
Conclusion
In the conclusion of your literature review, provide a summary of the key points in the body. Your conclusion should also
- Provide an overview of the existing knowledge
- Identify gaps and flaws in the existing knowledge
- Outline areas for future study
- Establish a link between your research and the existing knowledge
Tips for writing a literature review
1. Find models
To get a sense of how your literature review should look like, find similar documents in your discipline or area of interest. They will give you an idea of organizing your document and the themes you should look for in your research.
2. Narrow your focus
There are very many articles and books in every study area from which you can source material for your literature review. When researching your literature review, decide on the number of studies you need to look at, your research's comprehensiveness, and the number of years your research should cover. The narrower your scope, the easier it will be to get an in-depth survey of the research material.
3. Use current sources
Literature reviews require that your source information is as current as possible. How current information is, depends on the discipline. In the sciences, information is always changing, depending on the latest studies. In the humanities, what matters is the change of perspective through the years.
Using current sources also gives you an idea of what is currently of interest in your field.
Final Thoughts
Literature reviews have different uses for researchers, professionals, and scholars. These uses range from providing updated information on progress made in various fields to provide a solid foundation for a research paper's investigation.
When writing a literature review, your goal should not be to list all the published material. You should instead present themes, theories, and trends per your thesis topic or research question.
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