Mastering Literature Reviews: Step-by-Step Guide for Researchers
An overview of the published research on a subject of study is called a literature review.
This may serve as the main topic of a paper or a sub-section of a longer research project.
Reviews of the literature demonstrate your understanding and analysis of the body of information available. It also shows your ability to support your thesis or research questions.
In contrast to an annotated bibliography, which is just a list of sources with brief descriptions, a literature review summarizes the sources into a central thesis or statement of purpose, which may be stated explicitly or indirectly. Let us first find out the purpose of a literature review:
What is the purpose of writing a literature review?
- You can demonstrate your familiarity with the issue and its logical context through the literature review.
- Create a research technique and theoretical framework.
- Place your work in the context of other scholars and thinkers.
- Describe how your study fills a need or advances a discussion.
- Formulate a background for further research work.
Components of a Literature Review
Let us now highlight how to write a literature review with all the right components:
- The aim of the literature review.
- A brief synopsis of the different aspects related to the topic being discussed.
- Identify the key area and areas supporting it.
- Separating the sources you have chosen into those that support, from those that disagree with and present entirely distinct viewpoints.
- Examining unique qualities of each source of literature as well as how similar it is to the others.
Different Types of Literature Reviews
Now that we are familiar with the components of literature reviews, let us deep dive into its different types-
The format of a literature review might vary. They might be included in a research paper’s Introduction section, for instance. These might be a single thesis chapter for a doctorate. Reviews of the literature can also “stand alone” as independent articles. There are several styles in which to write literature evaluations. These might vary in how the literature review is structured and how previous research is examined.
Critical evaluation VS summary of past research.
Some writers only explain and summarize previous research, while others compare, contrast, and sometimes even evaluate it (discussing its advantages and disadvantages, for instance).
Comparing chronological and categorical research.
In certain instances, the literature evaluation starts with the earliest studies and moves forward to the most recent studies in the end. In other instances, studies are reviewed without consideration for chronological order according to categories.
All literature reviews, regardless of whether they are produced as stand-alone pieces or part of a larger study, share the characteristic that they give an overview of earlier studies on a particular issue rather than presenting any new research.
How to Write a Literature Review?
Coming to the most important part of the article, is how to write a literature review for research. Here are all the steps to follow:
- Decide the subject you will be reviewing.
It is necessary to identify and define the issue, as precisely as possible. The issue is typically a research question (or problem) of some type, To find references and produce a logical overview of the research on the topic, you must have a clear understanding of what you will be evaluating. Writing out a description of the research question, field, or topic you will be studying at this point might be useful. You can also include any keywords you plan to use to find relevant research.
- Make notes and provide references.
You should start writing as you read. Make notes so you may use them in your literature review later. The notes must be paraphrased and not copy-pasted to prevent plagiarism. It is critical to keep track of your sources and include in-text citations. Making an annotated bibliography, in which you gather all of the citation information. Write a summary and analysis paragraph for every source. This saves time later on and aids with your memory of what you read.
- Determine the discussions, topics, and gaps.
Make sure you comprehend the links and linkages between the sources you have studied before starting to organize the thesis and structure of your literature review. In light of everything you have read and noted, you can search for. This stage will assist you in organizing the framework of your literature review and demonstrating the ways in which your study will advance current understanding.
- Write your literature review.
Your literature review should consist of an introduction, a major body, and a conclusion, just like any other academic work. The length of review, number of reviews, and style of writing depends on the purpose of the review of literature. It could be for writing a review paper for publishing, for a research project, or drafting a Ph.D. proposal. Your literature review’s goal will determine what you include in each:
Introduction
The introduction can begin with what is the topic about, or what is the issue, or what is the problem addressed. The significance of and need for writing the review of literature. The objective and goal of the literature review should be made abundantly evident in the opening.
Body
You may wish to break up the body of your literature review into sub-sections, depending on the length. For each subject or methodological approach, you can utilize a sub-heading. This makes it easier for the reader. Provide a synopsis of each source’s key ideas and incorporate them into a logical whole.
Conclusion
You should highlight the importance of the main conclusions you have drawn from the literature in the conclusion.
(To find relevant research Refer Chapter 4 which gives a compiled list of Databases. Check out my book, ‘A Guide to a Topic Selection Journey for First-time Researchers: ZEROING IN ON A RESEARCH TOPIC‘)
Remember to carefully reread your literature review before submitting after you have completed writing and editing it. Follow these steps and with practice you will master how to write a literature review for research.
