University of Algiers 2 Research Methodology (L3)

Department of English Ms. Daghi

Review of the literature

What is literature?

By hearing the word literature, we usually think of novels and poetry, which is not always the
case. In research, the term literature means the works researchers consult in order to understand
and investigate the research problem. In other words, reviewing the literature is a survey of
scholarly sources providing an overview of a particular topic, which implies the researcher to
select only the works that are relevant to the topic.

 Reviewing the related literature is not just providing a list of what has been read or what
was said about the topic, it should be highly critical where the researcher summarizes,
discusses and evaluates previous research.
 It is reading what other people have written about an area of interest and gathering
information to support or refute arguments. It aims to convey the reader with knowledge
and ideas that have been established on the topic.
 The literature provides the reader with an explanation of the topic (problem) being
studied.
 It familiarizes the reader with any contrasting viewpoints about the topic.

Due to its importance (in familiarizing, explaining the topic and providing arguments) it always
takes place at the beginning of research.

Aims of reviewing the literature:

1. Contextualizing research to have a clear idea about has and has not been investigated.
 Identifying the relationship between different works and how they relate to the current
research.
 Finding out how a research project is related to the work of others.
 Comparing and contrasting between previous research and finding the gap.

2. Defining and explaining the key constructs (concepts), identify the relationship between them
and have a clear vision on how other researchers defined and measured them.

3. Providing arguments of why undertaking the research.

4. Helps in shaping the research (both theory and practice).

 Blaxter et al. (1996 b) as cited in Bell (1999, p.92-93) summarizes the aims of using references
and reviewing literature as follow:

 justify and support your arguments;

 allow you to make comparisons with other research;
 express matters better than you could have done;
 demonstrate your familiarity with your field of research.

They also suggest that you should not use references to:

 impress your readers with the scope of your reading;

 litter your writing with names and quotations;
 replace the need for you to express your thoughts;
 misrepresent other authors
(Blaxter et al. 1996b, p. 115)

The last four points suggested by (Blaxter et al. 1996b) lead to avoid some errors when reviewing
literature.

Common errors when reviewing literature:

 Literature review is not an amounted bibliography.

 It is not a literary survey, an overview of an author or a summary of a researcher’s life and
work (autobiography).
 Relying too heavily upon secondary sources.
 Over-relying on Internet sources and accepting them uncritically.
 Copying bibliography data incorrectly which leads disability in locating the references you
need.

(The sources and their types that are used in the literature are to be mentioned in the next lesson)

References:

Bell, J. (1999).Doing Your Research Project: A guide for first-time researchers in education and
social science. England: Open University Press

Blaxter, L.,Hughes, C. and Tight, M. (1996 b). How to Research. Buckingham: Open University
Press