Welcome

Literature Review
Mesfin Kebede
System ID 2017015722
Department of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering
Sharda University
Overview
Literature Review
• What is Research?
• Features of Research
Paper
• What is literature review?
• Key Points of literature
review
• Question to ask when
doing literature review
• Analyzing & ‘digesting’ the
literature
• Approaches to doing
literature review
• Managing literature
What is Research
• Research means finding
answers to the questions
• It is a systematic search for
the truth
• Research is search for
knowledge
• Through research, new
original information ideas
about the world we live in,
are obtained
Features of Research Paper
• Abstract
• Introduction: research
question or hypothesis, Aims
• Literature Review
• Presentation of Findings
• Analysis and Interpretation
• Limitations
• Recommendation
• Conclusions
• References
 What is literature review?
“The selection of available documents (both
published and unpublished) on the topic,
which contain information, ideas, data and
evidence written from a particular
standpoint to fulfil certain aims or express
certain views on the nature of the topic
and how it is to be investigated, and the
effective evaluation of these documents in
relation to the research being proposed.”
Hart, Chris. Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social Science Research
Imagination. London: Sage Publications, 1998.
 Literature review
Standing on the shoulders of giants!

Review of related literature is like standing on the shoulders of the

giants (Previous Scholars). It is not only to see what they have done,
but it is to visualize beyond their vision.
 Key Points of literature review
• Tell me what the research says (Theory)
• Tell me how the research carried out (Methodology)
• Tell me what is missing or the gap that research
intends to fill.(Research Gap)
 Question to ask when doing
literature review

What is Known
about the broad
topic I am
researching, and
from what types
of literature
 …Question to ask when doing
literature review

What are the most

important
‘landmark’ works
within the field
regularly in other
field
 …Question to ask when doing
literature review

What are the

methods and
Methodologies
are being used to
research the area
I am interested in
 …Question to ask when doing
literature review

What theoretical
and conceptual
frameworks are
being used to
understand the
field?
Analyzing & ‘digesting’ the literature

Analyzing Information
Note Taking
Summarizing the key findings
Extracting critical facts/arguments
Examine evidence
Understand interpretation
Note Taking
Reasons for taking notes:
 To help remember something
 To keep a permanent record
 To help in your planning
 To reorder material
 To help you understand what
you are learning
 To help you concentrate
 To share knowledge with
other people
 Reading techniques:
Skimming Scanning Reading to understand

Word-by-word reading
Approaches to doing literature review
It is impossible to read all the research
ever published in your research
area…….
The key is… be selective in
what you read-or else you’ll
get drawn in too much
information!
Managing the literature

How I Organize Every Paper I’ve

Ever read?
Reference Management Software
What Can EndNote Do for You?
 Select & Export References Directly to
EndNote from a Database like Science Direct
Cite While You Write
Create a Formatted list of papers