How to make a Good Literature Review
The literature review phase of the research process might be intimidating for many students as well as teachers who are interested in conducting research. If you are stressed for time and must generate an output as quickly as possible, reviewing the literature becomes considerably more difficult. You will be guided step-by-step through the literature review writing process in this tutorial.
What is a Literature Review?
A critical analysis of the past and, ideally, recent (3-5 years) scientific literature on a predetermined study topic or variable constitutes a literature review. It is typically located in Chapter 2 of a thesis. The literature review is integrated with the introduction or background of the study in condensed, article-length versions of research papers that are published in scientific journals.
The literature review reviews what has been done so far by scholars from around the world to explain a specific event using an approach that methodically looks at how it happens. As a result, it includes a variety of theories and approaches that aid in solving the puzzle of mysterious facts or happenings.
A literature review is a critical summary of the body of research on the subject you, as the researcher, have chosen to investigate for your thesis proposal or research paper. It emphasizes the word “critical.” This suggests that you have studied a lot of material to be able to understand the situation and form an informed opinion.
Why must you write the Literature Review?
Why is the literature review necessary? Before a study begins, a literature review is written for primarily two reasons:
- To avoid duplicating research into a phenomenon, which will save time, money, and effort; and
- To clearly show the “gap” in knowledge on a particular subject, so identifying the area on which the future study will be concentrated.
The assessment of the literature demonstrates how broadly or specifically professionals in the field have investigated the topic. It makes use of secondary data. It acts as a broad guide for other scholars as they attempt to confirm, deny, or provide fresh interpretations to an interesting fact or event.
The review of the literature is necessary for conducting research. The review gives you, as a researcher, a solid understanding of the subject at hand.
Things to Consider prior to composing the Literature Review
A difficult undertaking, doing a literature review requires a systematic approach alone. To fully understand the literature review’s contribution to the completion of your research paper or thesis, you must first go back to the exact reason why you are writing it.
Care must be taken while choosing research papers that will support your thesis because the internet is a fantastic source of knowledge and is currently a popular destination for researchers who want to get the newest information as quickly as possible.
Reinvention of the Wheel
By doing a literature review, you can avoid repeating work that has already been done on the chosen subject. Therefore, a literature study is cost, time, and effort effective. The “reinvention of the wheel” is avoided. It is a waste of time to do something that has already been done, according to this idiom.
Reading a lot does not imply that you will read whatever that is presented to you. This indicates that you have studied works of literature supported by data, i.e., research papers, articles from peer-reviewed journals, or other trustworthy sources. Reliable sources make sure you have a solid foundation for developing a well-considered perspective that is reflected in your thesis statement.
Understanding the Research topic clearly
The research subject or research challenge serves as the central theme of a literature review. To help the literature review, explicitly state your research question. A solid comprehension of the study issue is the foundation of a good review of the literature.
The literature review is made easier when the study topic is written as a series of questions. The observation of a phenomena that necessitates a research inquiry gives rise to the research challenge.
For instance, the disaster response team noticed that many locals chose to stay in their homes despite government warnings to evacuate in advance of a powerful typhoon, posing a risk to their lives and property.
There are several inquiries, including:
- Does the fact that people ignored the government’s warning of impending danger suggest that they don’t trust weather forecasts?
- Do locals place a higher value on their possessions than on their lives?
- Despite the disaster’s severity, do the locals believe they will survive? What gave rise to their feelings?
Using Pertinent Keywords to find related Literature
The three questions make the purpose of the literature review very obvious. One can determine pertinent search terms for online literature searches. You may, for instance, use the keyword “believability of weather predictions” in the first problem statement.
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Where to Source the Literature Review’s Contents
ACCESS OPEN JOURNALS
Due to the abundance of “scientific” journals preying on academics looking for a platform to publish their findings in open access journals, you must be cautious when choosing the material from websites that will be included in your review. Check the validity of your sources to avoid being a victim.
Everyone has ready access to a vast corpus of literature via the internet, making it simple to be mislead. As a result, you must choose websites’ literature with caution in order to create a strong thesis statement.
A good researcher must have a sharp eye for separating the wheat from the chaff as open-access journals gain popularity as sources of scientific information. One quality of a competent researcher is their keenness.
Check to see if your library has purchased subscriptions to well-known scientific periodicals that provide extra options. This will shorten the time it takes for you to comprehend recent findings and determine the state of the art.
SEEK COPIES OF A PROFESSOR’S ARTICLE COLLECTION
Don’t be afraid to approach someone who may be engaged in work in your area of interest. Almost always, he or she will have a collection of reading materials that you can peruse quickly.
JOIN WEBSITES THAT SHARE SCIENTIFIC ARTICLE
Academia.edu is one of the expanding websites that many scientists use. Because some kind scientists upload and share their works for everyone to read and maybe add to their lists of related material, it is a good place to find scientific papers.
There are 168,557,587 professors and researchers who are members of Academia.edu.
Additionally, you can contact any scientists who might be interested in your proposed research. Given the possibility for citation in their works, you should have a decent probability of getting a response from the author. When the author is kind enough to share the results with you, show your appreciation by citing the article. The approach section is a great resource for your own investigation.
GO TO THE APPROPRIATE GOVERNMENT OFFICES
You can improve the caliber of the information in your study area’s profile by visiting government offices, which typically contain mini-libraries where information on office programs, initiatives, and activities is kept alongside other educational materials for public use. These offices frequently contain maps with great detail, recent public service projects, and demographic statistics.
Government is responsible with providing welfare to the general people, whereas research is intended to enhance human existence. As a result, you can focus your research on problems and difficulties that these government offices have already recognized.
The government’s environment agency is a logical choice if your study is focused on the environment. As government workers deal directly with local communities, you can contribute to improving or enhancing current environmental policy by utilising identified environmental issues and concerns. Certainly, politicians will value your research.
Replicate Yourself
Why conduct a literature study on your own when you can hire someone to do it for you?
A few resourceful graduate student groups have offered to conduct the literature evaluation for a set fee. They perform all the labor, which includes searching libraries for pertinent resources using my list of keywords and problem statement.
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How to make a Good Literature Review
Include the stated study objectives in the Literature Review:
The goals of the research paper and the literature review should be directly related to one another. You can create a logical central argument for your study by tackling the subject bearing the research objectives or being directed by the problem statements.
Set a Priority On The References:
Sort the books in your library in order of the ones that have undergone the most thorough review:
- Internationally renowned scientific publications that publish these works,
- Books or sections of books issued by reputable publishers,
- Articles published in reputable national publications,
- Papers published in proceedings of national and international conferences, research reports,
- Masters theses, Ph.D. dissertations, and
- Websites and non-refereed journal publications.
Given the recent focus on gender equality, you can give scientific articles produced by women priority to achieve a balance in perspectives in the body of literature that has historically been predominately written by men.
Classify your book Reviews by Themes:
Look for terms that, when grouped together, may describe the results. Comparing arguments that are similar and contrasting them with opposing viewpoints After that, summarize the conversation and identify any knowledge gaps or ambiguous areas that remain unanswered.
FAQs about Literature Review
What three components make up a literature review?
Think about organization. Literature reviews must, like the majority of academic papers, include at least three fundamental components: an introduction or background information part; the review's body, which discusses the sources; and, finally, a conclusion and/or recommendations section to wrap up the study.
How should a literature review be concluded?
The main conclusions of your literature review should be presented in the conclusion. You should emphasize the research that is particularly pertinent to your research questions and draw attention to any gaps in the body of knowledge in this area.
What is the length of a literature review?
A literature review's length varies according to its audience and purpose. The review often takes up an entire chapter (at least 20 pages) in a thesis or dissertation, however it might just take up a few pages for an assignment.
What constitutes a strong literature review introduction?
Your introduction should concisely explain the scope of your research as well as the depth of the information you plan to present. It should also typically describe the sources you plan to use.
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