How to Write a Good Literature ReviewLiterature review tipsThesis & dissertation Reading time Show
 published on Oct 25, 2021Views 14,287 What is a Literature Review in Academic Research?If you are proposing a research topic that has a substantial amount of previously published work already in place, the prospect of delivering a good literature review can seem like a daunting task so many books and articles with so many citations! In simpler words, a literature review is a critical collation of data from different sources relevant to your topic of research. What are the Four Major Types of Literature Reviews?Based on their structure and formulation, literature reviews are broadly classified as-
What are the 3 Main Components of a Literature Review?Irrespective of the type of literature review, three main components remain constant while formulating the same. A good literature review consists of:
How Long Should a Literature Review be in a Research Paper?Keeping these components in mind, the length of a literature review is not restricted to word limit. It differs with respect to its purpose, audience, and discipline. Ideally, a literature review written for a dissertation or thesis can be constructed into a full length chapter of 20 pages. What is the Purpose of a Literature Review?You may be tempted to save time by restricting your review to the last decade, but this can be a critical failure point. The purpose of writing a literature review is to establish your authority in your research. Without that established credibility, your research findings are dismissed as nothing but your opinions founded on some basic methodologies. What Should Not be Included in a Literature Review?A poorly executed scientific literature review can destroy a research thesis in four easy steps:
How to Write a Literature ReviewTo write a good scientific literature review, you have to begin with a clear understanding of the role it plays in executing a substantive piece of academic research:
Demonstrate Command of the MaterialIts not about maximizing the quantity of material reviewed, nor should the objective be to read everything about your proposed topic for some topics that would be a physical impossibility. Focus on the relevance of the material to your proposed topic, and map out a logical framework for analyzing that material. Develop relationships that make sense within that framework and organize your review around ideas not tenuous links by researcher or subject or chronology. Dont Ever Try to Fake ItOnly include the material that you actually read cutting and pasting someone elses bibliography will come back to bite you later especially if you have to do an oral defense and someone asks for your thoughts on a specific article or study. Remember that just having read a dissertation or conference paper doesnt count you must critique it what worked, what didnt, what would you do differently? Its All about Making SenseYour reader should reach the end of your literature review with a sense of full comprehension as to how your proposed study fits together with the current body of published work:
If your reader cant figure out what youre doing in relation to what has come before you, your literature review has failed both as a stand-alone piece of academic work and as a building block for your overall study. Literature review tipsThesis & dissertation What is a Literature Review in Academic Research?If you are proposing a research topic that has a substantial amount of previously published work already in place, the prospect of delivering a good literature review can seem like a daunting task so many books and articles with so many citations! In simpler words, a literature review is a critical collation of data from different sources relevant to your topic of research. What are the Four Major Types of Literature Reviews?Based on their structure and formulation, literature reviews are broadly classified as-
What are the 3 Main Components of a Literature Review?Irrespective of the type of literature review, three main components remain constant while formulating the same. A good literature review consists of:
How Long Should a Literature Review be in a Research Paper?Keeping these components in mind, the length of a literature review is not restricted to word limit. It differs with respect to its purpose, audience, and discipline. Ideally, a literature review written for a dissertation or thesis can be constructed into a full length chapter of 20 pages. What is the Purpose of a Literature Review?You may be tempted to save time by restricting your review to the last decade, but this can be a critical failure point. The purpose of writing a literature review is to establish your authority in your research. Without that established credibility, your research findings are dismissed as nothing but your opinions founded on some basic methodologies. What Should Not be Included in a Literature Review?A poorly executed scientific literature review can destroy a research thesis in four easy steps:
How to Write a Literature ReviewTo write a good scientific literature review, you have to begin with a clear understanding of the role it plays in executing a substantive piece of academic research:
Demonstrate Command of the MaterialIts not about maximizing the quantity of material reviewed, nor should the objective be to read everything about your proposed topic for some topics that would be a physical impossibility. Focus on the relevance of the material to your proposed topic, and map out a logical framework for analyzing that material. Develop relationships that make sense within that framework and organize your review around ideas not tenuous links by researcher or subject or chronology. Dont Ever Try to Fake ItOnly include the material that you actually read cutting and pasting someone elses bibliography will come back to bite you later especially if you have to do an oral defense and someone asks for your thoughts on a specific article or study. Remember that just having read a dissertation or conference paper doesnt count you must critique it what worked, what didnt, what would you do differently? Its All about Making SenseYour reader should reach the end of your literature review with a sense of full comprehension as to how your proposed study fits together with the current body of published work:
If your reader cant figure out what youre doing in relation to what has come before you, your literature review has failed both as a stand-alone piece of academic work and as a building block for your overall study. |
