Definition. A literature review is
a comprehensive summary of previous research on a topic
. The literature review surveys scholarly articles, books, and other sources relevant to a particular area of research. The review should enumerate, describe, summarize, objectively evaluate and clarify this previous research.
What are the 3 parts of literature review?
Just like most academic papers, literature reviews also must contain at least three basic elements:
an introduction or background information section
; the body of the review containing the discussion of sources; and, finally, a conclusion and/or recommendations section to end the paper.
How do you write a literature review for a research paper?
- Narrow your topic and select papers accordingly.
- Search for literature.
- Read the selected articles thoroughly and evaluate them.
- Organize the selected papers by looking for patterns and by developing subtopics.
- Develop a thesis or purpose statement.
- Write the paper.
- Review your work.
What should be included in a literature review?
A literature review consists of
an overview, a summary, and an evaluation (“critique”) of the current state of knowledge about a specific area of research
. It may also include a discussion of methodological issues and suggestions for future research.
What is the main purpose of a literature review in research?
A literature review
establishes familiarity with and understanding of current research in a particular field before carrying out a new investigation
. Conducting a literature review should enable you to find out what research has already been done and identify what is unknown within your topic.
What is literature review and example?
1. A literature review is
a survey of scholarly sources that provides an overview of a particular topic
. It generally follows a discussion of the paper’s thesis statement or the study’s goals or purpose. *This sample paper was adapted by the Writing Center from Key, K.L., Rich, C., DeCristofaro, C., Collins, S.
How do you start writing a literature review?
One common way to approach a literature review is
to start out broad and then become more specific
. Think of it as an inverted triangle: First briefly explain the broad issues related to your investigation; you don’t need to write much about this, just demonstrate that you are aware of the breadth of your subject.
What are the 5 C’s of Writing literature review?
Is including the five C’s(
Cite, Compare, Contrast, Critique and Connect
) really important in writing a literature review for your research project?
How do you end a literature review?
The conclusion should not be burdened with an unnecessary chain of details. It should be as
precise and easy to understand
as possible. You should mention important key points and finding. Make sure to put all points in a flow so the reader can understand your researches in one go.
How long is a literature review?
For a written literature review document, the size of a written literature review document should be
between 2000-3000 words
. But the size of a written literature review depends on many factors which are the area study of a written literature review document.
How many sources should a literature review have?
Example: A paper that has 10 pages of content (the body of the paper) needs at least
10 sources
in its literature review. A thesis of 100 pages (in the body) includes at least 100 sources.
What should not be included in a literature review?
Do not include
purely historical or informational material
, such as information from websites. Information from reputable web sites, such as government and state sites, can be useful. … If it is necessary to include historical or informational material in your literature review, do so sparingly.
What are the four major goals of a literature review?
To determine what exists in the scholarly literature. To identify possible gap(s) in the scholarly
literature for further research
.
To inform the research topic, theory (if applicable), and associated methodology
.
To compare/contrast against findings resulting from the current study
.
What is the importance of a literature review?
The purpose of a literature review is
to gain an understanding of the existing research and debates relevant to a particular topic or area of study
, and to present that knowledge in the form of a written report. Conducting a literature review helps you build your knowledge in your field.
What are the main reasons for writing a literature review?
- Provide foundation of knowledge on topic.
- Identify areas of prior scholarship to prevent duplication and give credit to other researchers.
- Identify inconstancies: gaps in research, conflicts in previous studies, open questions left from other research.
How is a literature review structure?
A literature review should be structured like any other essay: it
should have an introduction, a middle or main body, and a conclusion
.
