ROYAL HOLLOWAY UNIVERSITY OF LONDON - DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES

COURSE GL 2901/2930 GUIDELINES FOR LITERATURE REPORT

(2) Topic
The best reports will identify a particular area of controversy and will critically test hypotheses based on
the literature. Note that it is important to avoid making your topic too narrow (so there is not enough
material to discuss) but equally important, it is important not to be too broad (the danger being that your
report will lack depth as a result).

(5) Preparing report

Remember that the report must be in the form of a scientific paper (not an essay), drawing on a variety of
literature sources to cover the chosen topic. The style must, therefore, follow that of published papers
(abstract, introduction, methods, data, discussion, conclusions, references), to which you should refer for
guidance on layout. Specifically, we ask you to follow the layout and structure of Journal of the Geological
Society, London. It is essential that you regularly consult your personal advisor and/or an appropriate
member of the teaching or research staff for advice while preparing your literature report. Three of your
tutorial prior to the final deadline will be allocated for this purpose.

(6) Sources of information

Apart from the initial sources provided by the Web of Knowledge/Scopus, which will usually be scientific
journals, you could also look in textbooks where you will also find references to other authors who have
written on your topic. You could also draw on webpages. However, 90% of your information should be
from peer-reviewed scientific papers. The report should be based on a number of sources of information;
aim to use at least twenty references. When taking notes from literature ensure that you record and
correctly cite the reference source using the Harvard Scheme (see accompanying file).

(8) Structure of the report

Length & structure. The report should not exceed 3000 words (excluding references, tables, figures and
figure captions). Quality is not indicated by number of words, and a shorter, well written, clearly presented
report is preferred. It should be organised so that the facts are given before the speculation. If in doubt,
have a look at papers in a scientific publication and see how things are presented. A typical structure might
be:
• Title page.
• Abstract (100-250 words). As it is a summary, write this last.
• Introduction (c. 10%).
• Descriptive / factual part (c. 50%).
• Interpretive part (c. 30%): comparing models, discussing controversy, new correlations,
recommendations, etc.
• Conclusions/Summary (c. 10%). Emphasise your conclusions; do not re-cycle abstract.
• List of references (in alphabetic order by author). Use the style of the Journal of the Geological Society
of London.

Title page. Should list the title of the report (in capitals), your candidate number, and “GL2901 Literature
Report, Royal Holloway University of London", followed by the academic year.

Headings and subheadings. These make the text easier to read and give it a structure: if you decide on
your headings before you start writing it is easier to see if you are covering all the main points.

Abstract. This should be a brief (100-300 words) summary of the main points presented in the rest of the
work. Write the abstract last so that it is a true summary of the report.

Introduction. Use this to "set the scene", providing geographical background, geological setting and
perhaps a history of the study. Avoid letting the introduction get too long, and make sure it does not
overlap too much with later sections.
Conclusions. State the main points which have come out of the study.

References. The reference from which factual information was obtained should be quoted, and the
reference source of interpretations (other than your own) should be given. References in the text should be
in the form of Smith (1991), Smith and Jones (1990) or Smith et al. (1989). All the references should be
given in full in the reference list at the end of the report. All references cited in the text should be in the
reference list and vice versa. Look at a recent published paper in a major geological journal (Journal of the
Geological Society of London) to check the format for reference citations. You should distinguish those
papers you did not actually see by adding [not seen] at the end of the reference.

Figures and Tables. These serve several purposes. Maps may need to be included if you describe an area -
all place names/features mentioned in the text should be located on relevant map(s). The criteria for all
figures used are: Can the reader understand the text without the diagram? Does this make the text clearer?
Could a diagram or chart be used instead of text? Illustrate where possible, but remember that unnecessary
diagrams serve no useful purpose. Figures should have captions and if they are copied from another text
you should state the reference. Authors of figures and tables taken from the literature should be
acknowledged in the caption as 'after ...' or 'modified from....' if it is redrawn, or 'from ...' if it is a direct
copy. Cite the source in the reference list. Photocopies of figures (but not captions) are acceptable
provided the source is cited; always write your own caption. Each diagram should have its own caption
typed on the same page, beginning with ‘Figure 10’ or whatever the number may be. The same applies to
tables: each should have its own caption beginning ‘Table 6’; do not refer to tables as figures. You are
encouraged to include original figures illustrating your own analysis, interpretation or model.

Style. Be careful with tenses: in general, the description of the geology is in the present tense and
statements about geological events are past tense. Use first person only if you are expressing your own
opinion. It is usually better to keep sentences short. Paragraphs are collections of sentences about a single
topic: when the topic changes, start a new paragraph.