- The ‘literature’ of a literature review refers to any collection of materials on a topic. A review does not necessarily mean that your reader wants you to give your personal opinion on whether or not you liked these sources.
What is a literature review?
- A literature review discusses
- published information in a particular subject area, and
- sometimes information in a particular subject area within a certain time period.
- A literature review has
- an organizational pattern and combines both summary and synthesis
- A summary is a recap of the important information of the source, but
- a synthesis is a re-organization, or a reshuffling, of that information.
- It might
- GIVE a new interpretation of old material or combine new with old interpretations
- TRACE the intellectual progression of the field, including major debates.
- EVALUATE the sources and advise the reader on the most pertinent [pertenant](適切、妥当な）or relevant.
- an organizational pattern and combines both summary and synthesis
- a literature review / an academic research paper
- An academic research paper is to develop a new argument
- A literature review is to summarize and synthesize the arguments and ideas of others without adding new contributions.
- Why do we write literature reviews?
- Literature reviews provide you with a handy guide to a particular topic.
- If you have limited time to conduct research, literature reviews can give you an overview or act as a stepping stone.
- For professionals, they are useful reports that keep them up to date with what is current in the field.
- For scholars, the depth and breadth of the literature review emphasized the credibility of the writer in his or her field.
- Comprehensive knowledge of the literature of the field is essential to most research papers.
What should I do before writing the literature review?
- Clarify
- Find models
- Narrow your topic
- Consider whether your sources are current
Strategies for writing the literature review
- Find a focus
- Construct a working thesis statement
- Consider organization
- First, cover the basic categories
- Organizing the body
- By chronological
- By publication
- By trend
- By thematic
- Thematic (2)
- By methodological
- On methodology
- Current situation
- History
- Methods and/or Strategies
- Questions for further research
Begin composing
- Use evidence
- Be selective
- Use quotes sparingly
- Summarize and synthesize
- Keep your own voice
- Use caution when paraphrasing
- Revise, revise, revise