Annexure: How to Write a Literature Review

A literature review is the effective evaluation of previous and current research relating to
your research project.

A “GOOD” Literature Review (DO’s) A “BAD” Literature Review (DON’T’s)

is a synthesis of available research an annotated bibliography

is a critical evaluation confined to description

has appropriate breadth and depth narrow and shallow

has clarity and conciseness confusing and longwinded

uses rigorous and consistent methods constructed in an arbitrary way

(Sources: Lie, 2012)

Why conduct a Literature Review?

According to Hart (1998), the following forms the purposes of a literature review:
Distinguishing what has been done from what needs to be done;
Discovering important variables relevant to the topic;
Synthesizing and gaining a new perspective;
Identifying relationships between ideas and practice;
Establishing the context of the topic or problem;
Rationalising the significance of the problem;
Enhancing and acquiring the subject vocabulary;
Understanding the structure of the subject;
Relating ideas and theory to applications;
Identifying methodologies and techniques that have been used;
Placing the research in a historical context to show familiarity with state-of the-art
developments.
How to get started with the Literature Review
One should begin a search for the appropriate material. These include academic
journals, books, news articles, online statistics, theses, research papers etc. All of the
material located must of course relate to the topic at hand. Importantly, credible
websites should be used when one decides to locate information from the Internet. It is
suggested that academic websites, which are provided by the University should be
accessed and used extensively.

Once you have located the sources that will form the literature review, you must begin
reading them carefully, and in some cases repeatedly. The reading of the literature
forms a major part of the process as one should be generating the literature into
relevant themes. This will then make the actual write up much easier. Below are a few
distinct steps of the literature review process as outlined by Lie (2012):
Searching for literature
Sorting and prioritizing the retrieved literature
Analytical reading of papers
Evaluative reading of papers
Comparison across studies
Organizing the content
Writing the review

Lie (2012) explains that the aim is to come up with key points by comparing and
contrasting across studies, instead of reading literature without points.

According to Lie (2012), key points for a review may concern areas of similarities
and/or differences in:
Research aim(s) or hypotheses
Research design and sampling
 Instruments and procedures used
How data were analyzed
Results or findings
Interpretations

The literature review must include an introduction, body and conclusion. Even
though the literature review is quite lengthy and in depth, finer details such as a basic
guide to what the chapter contains MUST be included in the introduction. For example,
one may write as an introduction:

“The following chapter aims to outline literature based on four sub-

categories or themes that are relevant to the overall study. These sub-
divisions are: the global health worker shortage; understanding public
and private sectors; public and private sectors in South Africa; and the
importance of medical laboratory medicine as well as the shortage of
medical laboratory professionals”

The body of the review is reliant on how you have organized your key points (Lie,
2012). For example, you may (should) have developed your own sub-headings
according to themes of the study. If one conducting a study about the migration of
doctors, perhaps the headings would be:
General trends of migration of doctors
Causes of migration
Effects of migration on the health care system of South Africa
Etc
(N.B. You are not restricted to a certain number of sub-headings)

The conclusion of the review “needs to sum up the main findings of your research
into the literature. The findings can be related to the aims of the study you are
proposing to do. The reader is thus provided with a coherent background to the
current study” (Lie, 2012)
Here are a few points that one should avoid, as outlined by Lie
(2012):
Vagueness due to too much or inappropriate generalizations
Limited range
Insufficient information
Irrelevant material
Omission of contrasting view
Omission of recent work

Here are a few tips:

It is not just a mere description or summary of findings of others’ research, but the
writer’s engagement should be visible.
Identify gaps in literature
However, in making claims or assumptions surrounding the work of other
researchers, or projecting one’s argument or views, ensure that you have ample
evidence to support your judgment. Do not indulge is baseless arguments.

State how exactly your study will contribute to existing knowledge or research