Writing a short literature review. Learn how to write a review of literature. What is a review of literature?
The format of a review of literature may vary from discipline to discipline and from assignment to assignment. A review may be a self-contained unit -- an end in itself -- or a preface to and rationale for engaging in primary research. A review is a required part of grant and research proposals and often a chapter in theses and dissertations. Generally, the purpose of a review is to analyze critically a segment of a published body of knowledge through summary, classification, and comparison of prior research studies, reviews of literature, and theoretical articles. Writing the introduction In the introduction, you should: Define or identify the general topic, issue, or area of concern, thus providing an appropriate context for reviewing the literature. Top Writing the body In the body, you should: How to... write a literature review Part: 1.
Some definitions A literature review is a description of the literature relevant to a particular field or topic.
It gives an overview of what has been said, who the key writers are, what are the prevailing theories and hypotheses, what questions are being asked, and what methods and methodologies are appropriate and useful. As such, it is not in itself primary research, but rather it reports on other findings. Here is one definition of a literature review: "... a literature review uses as its database reports of primary or original scholarship, and does not report new primary scholarship itself. Cooper, H. A literature review may be purely descriptive, as in an annotated bibliography, or it may provide a critical assessment of the literature in a particular field, stating where the weaknesses and gaps are, contrasting the views of particular authors, or raising questions. Some basic do's and don'ts A literature review should never be just a list, as in the example below: What is a Literature Review? As part of their research program, many students are instructed to perform a literature review, without always understanding what a literature review is.
This article is a part of the guide: Discover 30 more articles on this topic Browse Full Outline Most are aware that it is a process of gathering information from other sources and documenting it, but few have any idea of how to evaluate the information, or how to present it. A literature review can be a precursor to the introduction of a research paper, or it can be an entire paper in itself, acting as the first stage of large research projects and allowing the supervisor to ascertain that the student is on the correct path. The Literature Review: A Few Tips On Conducting It. Printable PDF Version Fair-Use Policy What is a review of the literature?
A literature review is an account of what has been published on a topic by accredited scholars and researchers. Occasionally you will be asked to write one as a separate assignment (sometimes in the form of an annotated bibliography—see the bottom of the next page), but more often it is part of the introduction to an essay, research report, or thesis.
In writing the literature review, your purpose is to convey to your reader what knowledge and ideas have been established on a topic, and what their strengths and weaknesses are. As a piece of writing, the literature review must be defined by a guiding concept (e.g., your research objective, the problem or issue you are discussing, or your argumentative thesis). Besides enlarging your knowledge about the topic, writing a literature review lets you gain and demonstrate skills in two areas A literature review must do these things Ask yourself questions like these: Critically Analyzing Information Sources. A.
Author What are the author's credentials--institutional affiliation (where he or she works), educational background, past writings, or experience? Is the book or article written on a topic in the author's area of expertise? You can use the various Who's Who publications for the U.S. and other countries and for specific subjects and the biographical information located in the publication itself to help determine the author's affiliation and credentials.Has your instructor mentioned this author?