Writing Literature Review

What is literature review?

finding and assessing available
literature on the chosen topic
What is literature review
documents the state of the art
with respect to the subject or
topic you are writing about
Objectives
SURVEYS the literature in
your chosen area of study
SYNTHESIZES the
information in that literature
into a summary
Objectives
CRITICALLY ANALYSES the
information gathered by
identifying gaps in current knowledge;
showing limitations of theories and
points of view
formulating areas for further research
and reviewing areas of controversy
Objectives
PRESENTS the literature in
an organized way
Why write a literature review?
identifies gaps in current
knowledge
avoids reinventing the done
show that you are building on a
foundation of existing knowledge
and ideas
Why write a literature review?
identifies other people working in
the same field
demonstrates the depth of your
knowledge about your research
identifies the important works in
your area and shows that you’ve
read them
Why write a literature review?
provides an intellectual context for
your own work, and enables you to
position your project in relation to
others in the field
identifies opposing views
puts your own work in perspective
Why write a literature review?
demonstrates your research skills
identifies information and ideas that
may be relevant to your project
identifies methods that may be
relevant to your project
 How to write literature review?

RESEARCH RESEARCH ANALZYE & WRITE LETERATURE

QUESTION
•write a specific question to
guide you in your research
•find relevant sources EVALUATE REVIEW
•note (main points, •asses how each sources •include introduction, body, &
conclusions, strengths & relates to other research conclusion
weaknesses •group by theme •include summary, analysis,
•critically evaluate synthesis & evaluation
Things to remember in finding
literature review
claims, conclusions, and findings about
the constructs you are investigating
calls for follow-up studies relevant to
your project
gaps you notice in the literature
disagreement about the constructs you
are investigating
Structure of literature review
Introduction
define your topic and provide an
appropriate context for reviewing
the literature
establish your reasons
state the scope of the review
Structure of literature review
Main body
organize the literature according to
common themes
provide insight into the relation between
your chosen topic and the wider subject
move from a general, wider view of the
literature being reviewed to the specific
focus of your research
Structure of literature review
Conclusion
 summarize the important aspects of the
existing body of literature
 evaluate the current state of the literature
reviewed
 identify significant flaws or gaps in existing
knowledge
 outline areas for future study
 link your research to existing knowledge
Example
From an analysis of 982 published papers from
five contentment involving 92 countries, half of
this is Asia, the trend in literature of the issue of
…
However, there is a gap of literature…

Hence this paper address…

Ways to organize your LR
Chronology of Events
follows the chronological method
By publication
order your sources by publication
Ways to organize your LR
Thematic (conceptual
categories)
organized around a topic or
issue, rather than the
progression of time
Ways to organize your LR
Methodological
focus on the methods utilized by
the researcher
Literature Review strategies
Summary
briefly state the
argument and main
points of relevant
research
Literature Review strategies
Evaluation
assess the
research based on
criteria you choose,
state, and explain
Literature Review strategies
Analysis
closely examine
the elements or
structure of the research
and interpret through
the lens of the field
Literature Review strategies
Synthesis
combine ideas in order
to form an integrated theory
or system through critical
evaluation, compare/contrast, etc.
Things to remember
it is not a descriptive list.
it is not a book by book and
article by article summary
it is not a survey of every single
thing that’s ever been written
about your topic
Things to remember
it must be defined by a guiding
concept
it must tell the reader what
knowledge and ideas have been
established and agreed in your
area and outline their strengths
and weaknesses
References
John Wiley U Sons, I. (n.d.). Writing a literature
review: six steps to get you from start to finish |
Wiley. Retrieved December 6, 2017, from
file:///C:/Users/NEOJOHN/Desktop/research/W
riting a literature review_ six steps to get you
from start to finish _ Wiley.html
Royal Literary Fund. (n.d.). What is a literature
review? Retrieved December 6, 2017, from
https://www.rlf.org.uk/resources/what-is-a-
literature-review/