LITERATURE REVIEW

INSTRUCTOR: MARYAM IQBAL

Agenda
01
What is literature review?

02 What should be included?

03 Types of literature reviews

04 The writing process

What is Literature
Review
 Literature Review

“ An objective, concise, critical summary of published research literature relevamt to a

topic being researched in an article
“
 A Good Literature Review will:

Order articles and books to focus on

01 unresolved debates,
inconsistencies, tensions, and
questions in research field

Summarize the ost relevant

02 important aspects of scientific
literature related to your are of
research

Synthesize past and current

03 research on the topic and show how
your research fits in
 What is included?

Current research
Historical background Relevant theories 1- Your work expands
context---- questions,
of research and concepts the research field or
issues, debates etc.
fills gaps
2- Supporting
evidence the problem
 Literature Reviews Found in Journals
JOURNAL STUDIES/ ARTICLES
Introduce research related to this specific study in the
introduction section.
Shorter than stand-alone
reviews
Narrower in scope.
For e.g. a literature review having 4
paragraphs with 1-2 sources per
paragraph
STAND-ALONE LITERATURE ANALYSIS
Presents and analyzes as much relevant
literature possible to explain background and
Add
contextContents Title
Broader in scope
It has headings which tell what kind of
literature is being discussed.
More extended analysis
Structure of a Literature Review for an Article
General specific
Topic background supporting studies

Introduction (scope
and structure)
Background

Narrower categories of research

Categories/studies closest to your

research
 Not a linear process

01
Go back and check the
literature while
reformulating ideas
02

Work on the literature

before, during, and after
03

your study
These steps can be
applied to all kinds of
04

literature reviews

Add Contents Title

The Literature Review Writing Process
 STEP 1

Topics that are

Step 1: current, well-
Topic you are
established,
Choose a TOPIC focus an familiar with
and have
and interested
d explore the topic ample
in
research for
review

Topic your readers

and other researchers
will be interested in
 STEP 2 Scholarly articles

RESEARCH ----
Collect scholarly information
and sources

Conference papers Books Thesis

 STEP 3
Use thought maps and charts to identify intersect
ANALYZE the network of ions of research and outline important categories
information and SELECT
works

Select the material most useful to your review

 STEP 4
Determine 2-3 important concepts or findings discussed
in each text; take notes of important aspects

DESCRIBE and SUMMARIZE

each selected articles

Example: A Study of Heart Disease

A- Atherosclerosis
B- Hypertension
C- Obesity
 STEP 5

For intro to a journal article:

• Identify the missing parts in previous studies that your study addre
sses.
Demonstrate how con
• Highlight concepts that support your hypothesis, methods, results
cepts in the literature r or conclusions
elate to results of stud For a stand-alone literature review:
y; establish how the lit
erature is connected • Highlight the concepts in each article and show how they strengthe
n a hypothesis or show a pattern.
• Identify unaddressed issues in previous studies
• Identify what is accurate and what is out of scope in these works
 STEP 6

Identify relations
hips in the literat
ure and connect
your own ideas t Focus on the connections between the literature and the current stud
o them. y or guiding concept argument
Thank you