P S Consulting Literature Review A Basic

Literature Review
A Basic Guide to How on Write a Literature Review

A literature review is a body of text that aims to review the critical points of current
knowledge, including substantive findings, as well as theoretical and methodological
contributions to a particular topic. Literature reviews are secondary sources and, as such, do
not report any new or original experimental work.
Not to be confused with a book review, a literature review is essentially a specific type of
‘research paper’ that focuses on published literature on a given topic. It is often the first step
in doing original research, either scientific or otherwise.
It is important to note that a literature review is more than a mere summary of the literature; it
presents analysis, patterns, and critiques of individual sources, groups of sources, and the
body of literature as a whole.
A literature review is a survey of literature relevant to a

particular issue, area of research, or theory, providing a
description, summary, and critical evaluation of each work.
Examples of relevant sources include:
 Scholarly articles
 Books
 Other sources such as:
o Dissertations
o Conference proceedings
The Purpose of Literature Review

The purpose of a literature review is to offer an overview of significant literature published
on a topic that critically analyses a segment of a published body of knowledge through:
 Summary of prior research studies;
 Classification of prior research studies;
 Comparison of prior research studies;
 Reviews of literature; and
 Reviews of theoretical articles.
Someone reading a literature review should be able to gain an understanding of trends,

issues, unresolved questions, controversies, and the importance of the scholarly knowledge
related to a specific question (topic).
The Literature Review Format

 The literature review format varies by discipline, according to the purpose for the review,
or with different ‘venues for publication’.
P S Consulting, Plot 4253 Bukasa Close, Muyenga, P.O. Box 26334, Kampala-Uganda
Email: consult@psconsulting-ug.com Website: www.psconsulting-ug.com
Tel : +256-414-269572 Fax : +256-414-267773
Changing Lives Through Partnership
1
 A review may be an end in itself or a preface to and rationale for engaging in primary
research.
 It is also important to note that a review is usually a required part of research and grant
proposals, and often a chapter in theses and dissertations.
No matter what format is used, a literature review should be well-written and well-structured,
the said structure being characterised by:
1. A logical flow of ideas;

2. Current and relevant references;
3. A consistent and appropriate referencing style;
4. Proper use of terminology;
5. An unbiased and comprehensive view of the previous research on the topic; and
6. Correct spelling and grammar: Spell and grammar-check software comes preloaded
with all word-processing software, such as Microsoft Word (MS Word), so incorrect
spelling and bad grammar is considered inexcusable.
Stages in Conducting a Literature Review

1. Problem Formulation:
a. Which topic or field are you exploring?
b. What specific question are you researching?
c. What are the components within the question?
It is useful to conduct preliminary library and/or internet-based searches at this point.
2. Literature Search:
a. Find materials relevant to the subject being explored.
3. Data Evaluation:
a. Determine which literature makes a significant contribution to the understanding
of the topic.
b. Determine which literature comes from reliable sources.
c. Determine which literature relates to your question in particular.
Remember, a literature review uses scholarly literature.
4. Analysis and Interpretation:

a. Analyse components and patterns in the literature.
b. Discuss the overall findings.
c. Critique the literature.
d. Form your conclusions.
Elements Included When Writing a Literature Review

1. An overview of the subject, issue or theory under consideration, along with the objectives
of writing the literature review.
2. Division of the ‘works’ under review into categories:

a. Those in support of a particular position.
Tel : +256-414-269572 Fax : +256-414-267773
2
b. Those against a particular position.
c. Those offering alternative theses entirely.
3. Explanation of how each work is similar to, and how it varies, from the others.
4. Conclusions as to which pieces:

1. Are best considered in their argument.
2. Are most convincing of their opinions.
3. Make the greatest contribution to the understanding and development of their area
of research.
Remember it is essential to (always) use correct English grammar and spelling.
Common Format for Writing a Literature Review

A. The Introduction
1. Define or identify the general topic, issue, or area of concern:

a. Provide an appropriate context for reviewing the literature.
2. Point out:
a. Overall trends in what has been published about the topic;
b. Conflicts in theory, methodology, evidence, and conclusions;
c. Gaps in research and scholarship; and
d. A single problem or new perspective of immediate interest.
3. Establish your reason (point of view) as a writer for reviewing the literature:
a. Explain the criteria to be used in analysing and comparing literature;
b. Explain the organisation of the review (sequence); and
c. Where/when necessary, state why certain literature is or is not included (scope).
B. The Body
The body of the literature review should provide the reader with strong ‘umbrella’ sentences
at beginnings of paragraphs, ‘signposts’ throughout, and brief ‘so what’ summary sentences
at intermediate points in the review, to aid in understanding comparisons and analyses. In
writing the body:
1. Group research studies and other types of literature (reviews, theoretical articles, case
studies, etc.) according to common denominators such as:
a. Qualitative versus quantitative approaches;
b. Conclusions of authors;
c. Specific purpose or objective; and
d. Chronology, etc.
2. Summarise individual studies or articles with as much or as little detail as each merits,
according to its comparative importance in the literature. Remember, space
(length/amount written) denotes significance.
3. In assessing each piece, consideration should be given to:
Tel : +256-414-269572 Fax : +256-414-267773
3
a. Provenance:
i. What are the author's credentials?
ii. Are the author's arguments supported by evidence, for example:
1. Primary historical material.
2. Case studies.
3. Narratives.
4. Statistics.
5. Recent scientific findings.
b. Objectivity:
i. Is the author's perspective even-handed or prejudicial?
ii. Is contrary data considered, or is certain pertinent information ignored to
prove the author's point?
c. Persuasiveness:
i. Which of the author's theses are most/least convincing?
d. Value:
i. Are the author's arguments and conclusions convincing?
ii. Does the work ultimately contribute in any significant way to an
understanding of the subject?
C. Conclusion
1. Summarise major contributions of significant studies and articles to the body of

knowledge under review.
2. Maintain the focus established in the introduction.
3. Evaluate the current ‘state of the art’ for the body of knowledge reviewed. Point out:
a. Major methodological flaws or gaps in research.
b. Inconsistencies in theory and findings.
c. Areas or issues pertinent to future study.
4. Conclude by providing some insight into the relationship between the central topic of the
literature review and a larger area of study such as a discipline, a scientific endeavour, or
a profession.
Writing Tips
1. Open Web Sources:
a. Not considered reliable sources for academic research!
b. Should be used sparingly, if at all, and only after careful research into site owners.
c. Examples of what is meant by ‘open web sources’ include:
i. Somebody's home page, as opposed to:
1. Peer-reviewed online journals.
2. Licensed database sites that provide access to scholarly works.
Basically, be careful of using (too much and too dependently) generally available internet
search engines for your literature review.
Tel : +256-414-269572 Fax : +256-414-267773
4
2. Place each work in the context of its contribution to the understanding of the subject
under review.
3. Describe the relationship of each work to the others under consideration.
4. Identify new ways to interpret and shed light on any gaps in previous research.
5. Resolve conflicts among seemingly contradictory previous studies.
6. Identify areas of prior scholarship to prevent duplication of effort.
7. Point the way forward for further research.
8. Place (one's) original work, in the case of theses or dissertations, in the context of existing
literature.
Remember, a literature review does not present new primary scholarship.
Tel : +256-414-269572 Fax : +256-414-267773
5

P S Consulting Literature Review A Basic

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

P S Consulting Literature Review A Basic

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Literature Review

A Basic Guide to How on Write a Literature Review

A literature review is a survey of literature relevant to a

Examples of relevant sources include:

The Purpose of Literature Review

Someone reading a literature review should be able to gain an understanding of trends,

The Literature Review Format

1. A logical flow of ideas;

Stages in Conducting a Literature Review

It is useful to conduct preliminary library and/or internet-based searches at this point.

Remember, a literature review uses scholarly literature.

4. Analysis and Interpretation:

Elements Included When Writing a Literature Review

2. Division of the ‘works’ under review into categories:

4. Conclusions as to which pieces:

Remember it is essential to (always) use correct English grammar and spelling.

Common Format for Writing a Literature Review

1. Define or identify the general topic, issue, or area of concern:

3. In assessing each piece, consideration should be given to:

1. Summarise major contributions of significant studies and articles to the body of

2. Maintain the focus established in the introduction.

3. Describe the relationship of each work to the others under consideration.

5. Resolve conflicts among seemingly contradictory previous studies.

6. Identify areas of prior scholarship to prevent duplication of effort.

7. Point the way forward for further research.

Remember, a literature review does not present new primary scholarship.

You might also like