LITERATURE REVIEW

by Moazzam Ali
 LITERATURE REVIEW DEFINED

 Literature review is
 a body of text that aims to review the critical points of
current knowledge on a particular topic
 an account of what has been published on a topic by
accredited scholars and researchers
 intended to summarize and synthesize the relevant
research on a topic by professionals in the field. It can
stand alone or appear as part of a longer work, such as a
research proposal
 LITERATURE REVIEW DEFINED
 Ultimate goal is to bring the reader up to date with current

literature on a topic and forms the basis for another goal, such as
future research that may be needed in the area

 A good literature review is characterized by:

 a logical flow of ideas

 current and relevant references with consistent, appropriate

referencing style

 proper use of terminology; and

 an unbiased and comprehensive view of the previous research on

the topic
 LITERATURE REVIEW DEFINED
 A literature review lets you gain and
demonstrate skills in two areas:
 information seeking: the ability to scan the literature
efficiently, using manual or computerized methods, to
identify a set of useful articles and books
 critical appraisal: the ability to apply principles of
analysis to identify unbiased and valid studies.
 LITERATURE REVIEW DEFINED

 A literature review must do these things:

 be organized around and related directly to the thesis or

research question you are developing

 synthesize results into a summary of what is and is not known

 identify areas of controversy in the literature

 formulate questions that need further research

 QUALITY OF LITERATURE REVIEW

 The quality of the literature review is dependent upon

 The thoroughness of the writer's search

 The quality and reliability of the writer's sources

 The ability of the writer to relate research studies to one

another and to the writer's own thesis or purpose

 The objectivity of the writer in selecting, interpreting,

organizing, and summarizing the research he or she has

reviewed
 PURPOSE OF LITERATURE REVIEW

 The purpose of a literature review is to:

 establish a theoretical framework for the subject area
 define key terms, definitions and terminology
 identify studies, models, case studies etc supporting the topic
 define / establish area of study, i.e. research topic
 KEY POINTS OF A LITERATURE REVIEW

 Tell me what the research says (theory)

 Tell me how the research was carried out

(methodology)

 Tell me what is missing, i.e. the gap that your

research intends to fill

 WRITING A LITERATURE REVIEW

 Ask yourself questions like these:

 What is the specific thesis, problem, or research question

that my literature review helps to define?
 What type of literature review am I conducting? Am I
looking at issues of theory? methodology? policy?
quantitative research (e.g. on the effectiveness of a new
procedure)? qualitative research (e.g., studies )?
 What is the scope of my literature review? What types of
publications am I using (e.g., journals, books, government
documents, popular media)? What discipline am I working
in (e.g., nursing psychology, sociology, medicine)?
 WRITING A LITERATURE REVIEW
 How good was my information seeking? Has my search been wide
enough to ensure I've found all the relevant material? Has it been
narrow enough to exclude irrelevant material? Is the number of
sources I've used appropriate for the length of my paper?
 Have I critically analysed the literature I use? Do I follow through
a set of concepts and questions, comparing items to each other in
the ways they deal with them? Instead of just listing and
summarizing items, do I assess them, discussing strengths and
weaknesses?
 Have I cited and discussed studies contrary to my perspective?
 Will the reader find my literature review relevant, appropriate, and
useful?
 WRITING A LITERATURE REVIEW

 How good was my information seeking? Has my search been wide

enough to ensure I've found all the relevant material? Has it been
narrow enough to exclude irrelevant material? Is the number of
sources I've used appropriate for the length of my paper?
 Have I critically analysed the literature I use? Do I follow through
a set of concepts and questions, comparing items to each other in
the ways they deal with them? Instead of just listing and
summarizing items, do I assess them, discussing strengths and
weaknesses?
 Have I cited and discussed studies contrary to my perspective?
 Will the reader find my literature review relevant, appropriate, and
useful?
 MAJOR MISTAKES
 A literature review is a piece of discursive prose - not a list
describing or summarizing one piece of literature after
another. It's usually a bad sign to see every paragraph
beginning with the name of a researcher
HOW CAN ONE AVOID THIS MISTAKE?
 Organize the literature review into sections that present themes
or identify trends, including relevant theory.
 Summarize each item briefly and follow through themes and
concepts and do some critical assessment of material.
 Use an overall introduction and conclusion to state the scope of
coverage and to formulate the question, problem, or concept the
chosen material illuminates
 TIPS FOR A GOOD LITERATURE REVIEW
 Examining existing literature review models will assist
any student/researcher wishing to know how to write
literature reviews that are accomplished and effective
 Narrow your topic - there are hundreds or even
thousands of articles and books on most areas of study.
The narrower your topic, the easier it will be to limit the
number of sources you need to read in order to get a good
survey of the material
 Keep your own voice - while the literature review
presents others' ideas, your voice (the writer's) should
remain front and center
 EXERCISE

Read as many as possible literature reviews written by both students

and professionals