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, books, government reports, Web sites, etc. The literature review provides a description, summary and evaluation of each source.
What is a literature review and what is its purpose?
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 is a literature review in research?
A literature review is a piece of academic writing demonstrating knowledge and understanding of the academic literature on a specific topic placed in context . A literature review also includes a critical evaluation of the material; this is why it is called a literature review rather than a literature report.
How do we write a literature review?
- 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 is literature review in research example?
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. (2010).
What must a literature review contain?
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.
What a literature review is not?
A literature review is NOT:
is a brief critical discussion about the merits and weaknesses of a particular book . Book reviews of creative works are sometimes called literary reviews. Scholarly books are also reviewed by other scholars. Scholarly book reviews are often published in scholarly journals.
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 are the benefits of a literature review?
The purpose of a literature review is to:
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.
What are the characteristics of a good literature review?
A good literature review shows signs of synthesis and understanding of the topic . There should be strong evidence of analytical thinking shown through the connections you make between the literature being reviewed.
How do you start a literature review example?
- Make a list of keywords. Start by creating a list of keywords related to your research question. ...
- Search for relevant sources. Use your keywords to begin searching for sources. ...
- Take notes and cite your sources. ...
- Chronological. ...
- Thematic. ...
- Methodological. ...
- Theoretical. ...
- Introduction.
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.
What are the steps to write a literature review?
- Define your topic. The first step is defining your task — choosing a topic and noting the questions you have about the topic. ...
- Develop a strategy. ...
- Locate the information. ...
- Use and Evaluate the information. ...
- Synthesize. ...
- Evaluate your work.
What are examples of literature?
- fiction.
- nonfiction.
- manuscripts.
- poetry.
- contributions to collective works.
- compilations of data or other literary subject matter.
- dissertations.
- theses.
What are the types of literature review?
Systematic literature review can be divided into two categories: meta-analysis and meta-synthesis . ... Integrative literature review reviews, critiques, and synthesizes secondary data about research topic in an integrated way such that new frameworks and perspectives on the topic are generated.
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.
