Help writing a literature review

Help writing a literature review

Literature reviews,Preparing a literature review involves:

WebMay 4,  · Your literature review should include a balance between substantial academic books, journal articles and other scholarly publications. All these sources WebAug 29,  · Conducting a literature review Focusing on different aspects of your literature review can be useful to help plan, develop, refine and write it. You can use WebOct 7,  · One of the most daunting aspects of writing a literature review is organizing your research. There are a variety of strategies that you can use to help you in this task. WebFeb 1,  · A literature review of any thesis or dissertation research paper is a lengthy piece of academic writing that is based on original research. The literature review WebThe literature review is a written overview of major writings and other sources on a selected topic. Sources covered in the review may include scholarly journal articles, ... read more

More writing resources Check out our full list of online writing resources These guides, templates, and videos are designed to help academic writers at various stages of their writing process, including the pre-writing and revising stages. Get assistance The library offers a range of helpful services. Book an appointment. What is a literature review? To summarize, evaluate, and compare articles or studies that are relevant and important to your topic To highlight key findings To identify inconsistencies, gaps, and contradictions in the literature To provide an analysis of the methodologies and approaches of other researchers To provide clues as to where future research is heading or recommend areas on which to focus To ensure you do not duplicate work that has already been done.

Introduction Purpose: To explain the focus and establish the importance of the subject In general, your introduction should provide the framework, selection criteria, or parameters of your literature review provide background or history outline what kind of work has been done on the topic briefly identify any controversies within the field or any recent research that has raised questions about earlier assumptions conclude with a purpose or thesis statement In a stand-alone literature review, this statement will sum up and evaluate the current state of this field of research In a review that is an introduction or preparatory to a thesis or research report, it will suggest how the review findings will lead to the research the writer proposes to undertake.

Therefore, the literature review will discuss only that research which leads directly to your own project. Conclusion Purpose: To summarize the evidence presented and show its significance Rather than restating your thesis or purpose statement, explain what your review tells you about the current state of the field If the review is an introduction to your own research, the conclusion highlights gaps and indicates how previous research leads to your own research project and chosen methodology. If the review is a stand-alone assignment for a course, the conclusion should suggest any practical applications of the research as well as the implications and possibilities for future research.

References Find out what style guide you are required to follow e. Conduct a Systematic Review. Whichever approach you adopt, make sure everything flows smoothly — that one idea or book leads neatly to the next. Take your reader effortlessly through a sequence of thought that is clear, accurate, precise and interesting. As with essays generally, only attempt to write up the literature review when you have completed all the reading and note-taking, and carefully planned its content and structure. Find an appropriate way of introducing the review, then guide the reader through the material clearly and directly, bearing in mind the following:. Jump to accessibility statement Jump to content Jump to chat University of Kent Help Literature reviews Writing a literature review Literature reviews.

Writing a literature review. Preparing a literature review involves: Searching for reliable, accurate and up-to-date material on a topic or subject Reading and summarising the key points from this literature Synthesising these key ideas, theories and concepts into a summary of what is known Discussing and evaluating these ideas, theories and concepts Identifying particular areas of debate or controversy Preparing the ground for the application of these ideas to new research. Finding and choosing material Ensure you are clear on what you are looking for. Ask yourself: What is the specific question, topic or focus of my assignment?

What kind of material do I need e. theory, policy, empirical data? What type of literature is available e. journals, books, government documents? How much do you need? Where to find suitable material Your literature review should include a balance between substantial academic books, journal articles and other scholarly publications. There are several ways to locate suitable material: Module bibliography: for undergraduate dissertations, look first at the bibliography provided with the module documentation. Check that you have made the right selection by asking: Has my search been wide enough to ensure that I have identified all the relevant material, but narrow enough to exclude irrelevant material?

Is there a good enough sample of literature for the level PhD, Masters, undergraduate of my dissertation or thesis? Have I considered as many alternative points of view as possible? Will the reader find my literature review relevant and useful? Assessing the literature Read the material you have chosen carefully, considering the following:. Structuring the literature review In a PhD thesis, the literature review typically comprises one chapter perhaps , words , for a Masters dissertation it may be around , words, and for an undergraduate dissertation it may be no more than 2, words. Writing up your literature review As with essays generally, only attempt to write up the literature review when you have completed all the reading and note-taking, and carefully planned its content and structure.

Here are some examples:. Any lit review is only as good as the research it discusses; make sure your sources are well-chosen and your research is thorough. More info on the research process is available in our "Conducting Research" resources. Usually you will need to synthesize research rather than just summarizing it. This means drawing connections between sources to create a picture of the scholarly conversation on a topic over time. Often, the literature review is where you can establish your research as filling a particular gap or as relevant in a particular way.

You have some chance to do this in your introduction in an article, but the literature review section gives a more extended opportunity to establish the conversation in the way you would like your readers to see it. You can choose the intellectual lineage you would like to be part of and whose definitions matter most to your thinking mostly humanities-specific, but this goes for sciences as well.

The following guide has been created for you by the Student Learning Advisory Service , for more detailed guidance and to speak to one of our advisers, please book an appointment or join one of our online workshops. What kind of literature is particularly authoritative in this academic discipline e. psychology, sociology, pharmacy? This will depend on the length of the dissertation, the nature of the subject, and the level of study undergraduate, Masters, PhD. Bear in mind that if your dissertation is based mainly around an interaction with existing scholarship you will need a longer literature review than if it is there as a prelude to new empirical research.

Use your judgement or ask your supervisor for guidance. Your literature review should include a balance between substantial academic books, journal articles and other scholarly publications. There are several ways to locate suitable material:. Module bibliography: for undergraduate dissertations, look first at the bibliography provided with the module documentation. Choose one or two likely looking books or articles and then scan through the bibliographies provided by these authors. Skim read some of this material looking for clues: can you use these leads to identify key theories and authors or track down other appropriate material?

Ideally, you should narrow the field to obtain just a few dozen results. Skim through these quickly to identity texts which are most likely to contribute to your study. Library bookshelves: browse the library shelves in the relevant subject area and examine the books that catch your eye. Check the contents and index pages, or skim through the introductions or abstracts, in the case of journal articles to see if they contain relevant material, and replace them if not. Your supervisor may also be able to point you in the direction of some of the important literature , but remember this is your literature search, not theirs. Online: for recent journal articles you will almost certainly need to use one of the online search engines.

Kent students based at Medway still need to use the Templeman pages to access online journals, although you can get to these pages through the Drill Hall Library catalogue. Take a look as well at the Subject Guides on both the Templeman and DHL websites. As you note down the key content of each book or journal article together with the reference details of each source record your responses to these questions. You will then be able to summarise each piece of material from two perspectives:. Content: a brief description of the content of the book or article. Remember, an author will often make just one key point; so, what is the point they are making, and how does it relate to your own research project or assignment? Critical analysis: an assessment of the relative strengths and weaknesses of the evidence used, and the arguments presented.

Has anything conveniently been left out or skated over? Is there a counter-argument, and has the author dealt with this adequately? Can the evidence presented be interpreted another way? Does the author demonstrate any obvious bias which could affect their reliability? In a PhD thesis, the literature review typically comprises one chapter perhaps , words , for a Masters dissertation it may be around , words, and for an undergraduate dissertation it may be no more than 2, words. In each case the word count can vary depending on a range of factors and it is always best, if in doubt, to ask your supervisor. The overall structure of the section or chapter should be like any other: it should have a beginning, middle and end.

You will need to guide the reader through the literature review, outlining the strategy you have adopted for selecting the books or articles, presenting the topic theme for the review, then using most of the word limit to analyse the chosen books or articles thoroughly before pulling everything together briefly in the conclusion. Some people prefer a less linear approach. Instead of simply working through a list of items on your book review list, you might want to try a thematic approach, grouping key ideas, facts, concepts or approaches together and then bouncing the ideas off each other.

This is a slightly more creative and interesting way of producing the review, but a little more risky as it is harder to establish coherence and logical sequencing. Whichever approach you adopt, make sure everything flows smoothly — that one idea or book leads neatly to the next. Take your reader effortlessly through a sequence of thought that is clear, accurate, precise and interesting. As with essays generally, only attempt to write up the literature review when you have completed all the reading and note-taking, and carefully planned its content and structure. Find an appropriate way of introducing the review, then guide the reader through the material clearly and directly, bearing in mind the following:.

Jump to accessibility statement Jump to content Jump to chat University of Kent Help Literature reviews Writing a literature review Literature reviews. Writing a literature review. Preparing a literature review involves: Searching for reliable, accurate and up-to-date material on a topic or subject Reading and summarising the key points from this literature Synthesising these key ideas, theories and concepts into a summary of what is known Discussing and evaluating these ideas, theories and concepts Identifying particular areas of debate or controversy Preparing the ground for the application of these ideas to new research. Finding and choosing material Ensure you are clear on what you are looking for.

Ask yourself: What is the specific question, topic or focus of my assignment? What kind of material do I need e. theory, policy, empirical data? What type of literature is available e. journals, books, government documents? How much do you need? Where to find suitable material Your literature review should include a balance between substantial academic books, journal articles and other scholarly publications. There are several ways to locate suitable material: Module bibliography: for undergraduate dissertations, look first at the bibliography provided with the module documentation.

Check that you have made the right selection by asking: Has my search been wide enough to ensure that I have identified all the relevant material, but narrow enough to exclude irrelevant material? Is there a good enough sample of literature for the level PhD, Masters, undergraduate of my dissertation or thesis? Have I considered as many alternative points of view as possible? Will the reader find my literature review relevant and useful? Assessing the literature Read the material you have chosen carefully, considering the following:.

Structuring the literature review In a PhD thesis, the literature review typically comprises one chapter perhaps , words , for a Masters dissertation it may be around , words, and for an undergraduate dissertation it may be no more than 2, words. Writing up your literature review As with essays generally, only attempt to write up the literature review when you have completed all the reading and note-taking, and carefully planned its content and structure. Find an appropriate way of introducing the review, then guide the reader through the material clearly and directly, bearing in mind the following: Be selective in the number of points you draw out from each piece of literature; remember that one of your objectives is to demonstrate that you can use your judgement to identify what is central and what is secondary.

Summarise and synthesise — use your own words to sum up what you think is important or controversial about the book or article. Never claim more than the evidence will support. Too many dissertations and theses are let down by sweeping generalisations. Be tentative and careful in the way you interpret the evidence. Keep your own voice — you are entitled to your own point of view provided it is based on evidence and clear argument. Even with a literature review you should avoid using too many, or overlong, quotes. Summarise material in your own words as much as possible. Revise, revise, revise: refine and edit the draft as much as you can. We use cookies to improve your experience on our site.

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How to Write a Literature Review | Guide, Examples, & Templates,What is a review of the literature?

WebAug 29,  · Conducting a literature review Focusing on different aspects of your literature review can be useful to help plan, develop, refine and write it. You can use WebThe literature review is a written overview of major writings and other sources on a selected topic. Sources covered in the review may include scholarly journal articles, WebFeb 1,  · A literature review of any thesis or dissertation research paper is a lengthy piece of academic writing that is based on original research. The literature review WebJul 7,  · The literature review is a written overview of major writings and other sources on a selected topic. Sources covered in the review may include scholarly journal articles, WebOct 7,  · One of the most daunting aspects of writing a literature review is organizing your research. There are a variety of strategies that you can use to help you in this task. WebOct 7,  · One of the most daunting aspects of writing a literature review is organizing your research. There are a variety of strategies that you can use to help you in this task. ... read more

Citation Managers Citation managers are great tools, in general, for organizing research, but can be especially helpful when writing a literature review. You can also use boolean operators to help narrow down your search. It explains the basic why, what, and how of writing a literature review. To read more about concept mapping, take a look at the following help guides:. Using Primary and Secondary Data for Research Read more. Your readers should be able to follow your argument from start to finish without getting lost along the way.

What kind of material do I need e, help writing a literature review. To learn more about how to do a literature review, explore the following topics Learn How to Write Review Article: A Comprehensive Guide with Examples Literature Review: A Detailed Student Guide on How to Write a Literature Review How to Write a Dissertation Literature Review? A literature review is a document or section of a document that collects key sources on a topic and discusses those help writing a literature review in conversation with each other also called synthesis. Components of the literature review The literature review should include the following: Objective of the literature review Overview of the subject under consideration. Literature Review This chapter in SAGE's Encyclopedia of Research Design describes the types of literature reviews and scientific standards for conducting literature reviews. Ledesma, M.