Purpose and Function
A literature review serves as the “spine” of a study, providing academic support for the topics discussed. Its primary goals are to:
- Demonstrate Subject Knowledge: Establish the writer’s depth of knowledge to build reader confidence in the findings.
- Contextualize Research: Explain how the current study connects to existing research, fills gaps, or contributes to debates.
- Communicate Perspectives: Explain authors’ positions and why specific research was chosen to aid the investigation.
Process: Finding and Organizing Sources
- Search Strategy: Use keywords in databases like Google Scholar or JSTOR and read abstracts to determine relevance.
- Analysis: Identify themes, patterns, and gaps. Note where authors agree or disagree and examine their research methods.
- Outlining: Organize the review based on the subject area. Common structures include:
- Chronological: Tracing the evolution of research over time.
- Thematic: Grouping sources by shared themes.
- Methodological: Grouping sources by the research methods used.
Writing Guidelines
- Structure: Organize around key concepts rather than just listing sources. Use topic sentences to clarify the argument’s movement.
- Tone and Voice: Use an objective tone, typically writing in the third person (e.g., “this paper argues”), though the first person may be used when referencing one’s own prior research.
- Synthesis: Do not simply list sources; synthesize and evaluate them. Discuss methods and results rather than just pointing out that literature exists.
- Conclusion: A brief summary (approx. 10% of the section) should recap key findings, identify inconsistencies, and propose future research approaches.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
- Using non-academic, unreliable, or unverifiable sources.
- Creating a review that is too narrowly focused.
- Turning the review into an annotated bibliography instead of a comparative analysis