A literature review is an integral task of an academic’s journey as they begin working on their thesis or dissertations. Spending adequate time in doing a literature review and structuring this component will go a long way in streamlining the researcher’s writing process.
What is a literature review?
When a student or a researcher embarks on a process of evaluating and assessing the available literature on a specific subject area, this method is called a literature review. Literature review has a basic structure though the details may be defined by the field of study and the argument or research question. The organization of the information in the literature review can take several approaches or follow certain patterns. For instance, you can choose a sequential or chronological approach where you show how a topic or issue evolved over a period of time. A thematic approach to organizing the information can be adopted when you choose to arrange the information around themes, schools of thoughts, contexts and so forth. Other relevant approaches include the methodological approach and theoretical approach. A mixed method is also followed where you utilize a combination of approaches.
Why do you need to write a literature review?
There are various reasons for which you will be required to write a literature review. As a student, the purpose will be to show your familiarity with the scholarship in your subject area. The faculty can also assess your ability to critically engage with the literature. As a researcher you are not only identifying the existing and relevant literature on the topic of your study but also situating your own study within the wider body of knowledge. While preparing grants proposal, you have to demonstrate a familiarity with the context of your study through a literature review. In any case, literature review provides an opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge about the scholarship in your subject area, develop theoretical frameworks, identify potential gaps in literature, make links between your study and that of others and indicate areas for future research.
Structure of a literature review
Ideally, three key elements are integral to the structure of a literature review. These are introduction, main body and conclusion.
Introduction: the introduction should define the topic, provide appropriate context and define key concepts. State clearly the purpose or objectives and the scope of the literature review. Provide an outline of the main aspects that will be discussed and how the information will be organized.
Main body: the review of literature relevant to your topic of study is carried out in this section. As discussed above, choosing the approach to be taken in organizing your information will help in presenting it in a logical manner. Accordingly, sub-sections can be provided. The process of reviewing literature entails synthesizing information from a range of literature and complementing it with your own analysis and interpretation wherever possible. Your analysis can point out gaps or inconsistencies in previous studies, evaluation of main themes, understanding of how the topic links with the overall subject area and so on. Make sure that the paragraphs are well-structured, have a logical flow and proper citations are provided.
Conclusion: at the end of the literature review, you have a concluding section where you summarize the important aspects discussed in the review and its significance. Where possible, areas for future study and research can be recommended. Citations and introduction of any new information should not be part of a conclusion.
Key points to remember when researching and writing your literature review
- Literature review should not be understood as providing a mere summary of the scholarship you have read. What is required is a synthesis of what is known about the topic and presenting it as a complete whole.
- Literature review involves a review of a collection of relevant scholarship rather than an article-by-article review.
- While a short description can be provided, what is more important is to present a critical assessment of the literature you have read.
- Literature review should be guided by the research objective, or research question.
While conducting literature review always remember to use relevant and up-to-date literature, important scholarship in the subject area and demonstrate critical engagement with the literature. Along with the content, give due importance to language, grammar and punctuation.
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