How to Write an Outstanding Literature Review

Introduction

An outstanding  literature review is significantly more than merely another section of a research paper. It constitutes the very basis of your investigation. It is a formal piece of writing in which you analyze the existing theoretical framework, principles, and assumptions and use them to inform your approach to answering the research question.

Curating and composing a solid literature review section not only increases the credibility of your research paper, but also makes your research more concentrated and concise. However, composing literature reviews is a challenging endeavor. It requires extensive reading, as well as consideration of market trends, technological advancements, and political shifts, which can occur in the twinkling of an eye.

Therefore, you must understand how an outstanding literature review should appear. This is the focus of this manual. We will discuss what a literature review is, how long it should be, the various types of literature reviews, and how to write one, among many other topics.

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What is a literature review?

 

A literature review is a compilation of a survey, research, critical evaluation, and evaluation of the existing literature in a chosen domain.

In her book Conducting Literature Reviews, eminent researcher and academic Arlene Fink provides the following definition:

“A literature review examines books, scholastic articles, and any other sources pertinent to a specific issue, area of research, or theory, and provides a description, summary, and evaluation of these works in relation to the research problem being investigated.

Literature reviews are intended to provide an overview of the sources you consulted while conducting research on a specific topic and to demonstrate to your readers how your research works into a larger field of study.

Simply stated, a literature review is a critical discussion of relevant prior research surrounding your research question and the establishment of your study’s place within the existing body of knowledge. Literature evaluations may be presented as a section of an article, the entire research paper, or a chapter of the dissertation.

 

What is the purpose of an Outstanding literature review?

 

A literature review is intended to assist readers in comprehending the significance of your research question and its place in the existing body of knowledge. As a researcher, you should use it to establish the context, construct your argument, and justify the study’s necessity.

What is the significance of a literature review?

 

• An outstanding literature review is an essential component of research papers because it aids in:
• Develop a thorough comprehension of your research question and the adjacent area.
• Demonstrate that you have a comprehensive comprehension of your research area and are current with the most recent changes and developments.
• Establish how your research relates to or contributes to the existing corpus of knowledge, as well as how it could inform future research.
• Discuss the validity and appropriateness of your theoretical framework and research methodology.
• Identify and emphasize gaps and deficiencies in the extant body of knowledge as well as the need for change.
• Explain to the reader how your study is unique or how it contributes to the field of study.

How lengthy should a literature review be?

 

An outstanding literature review should comprise 15 to 40 percent of the total length of your manuscript. So, the minimum word count for a 10,000-word research paper could be 1500.

It is highly dependent on the type of manuscript you are writing: an entire chapter for doctoral theses, a portion of the introductory section of a research article, or a full-fledged review article that examines previously published research on a particular topic.

Another determinant is the form of research being conducted. The literature review component of secondary research projects is typically longer than that of primary research projects.

 

What various types of literature reviews are there?

 

Not all literature evaluations are identical. There are numerous possible approaches you can adopt. It depends on the nature of research being conducted.

The following are the various categories of literature reviews:

 

1. Argumentative review

 

It is referred to as an argumentative review when you present literature that meticulously supports or refutes a particular argument or premise in order to establish a point of view.

 

2. Integrative review

 

It is a type of literature review that seeks to develop a comprehensive comprehension of a topic by combining theoretical frameworks and empirical evidence.

 

3. Methodological review

 

This method investigates the “how” and “what” of the research query; you cannot examine the outcome in isolation; you must also examine the methodology employed.

 

4. Systematic review

 

This form consists of an overview of existing evidence germane to a clearly formulated research question, using pre-specified and standardized methods to identify and appraise relevant research, as well as to collect, report, and analyze data from studies included in the review.

 

5. Meta-analysis review

 

Utilizing statistical methods, meta-analysis summarizes the findings of independent studies. By integrating data from all relevant studies, meta-analysis can provide more accurate estimates of effects than those derived from individual studies included in a review.

 

6. Historical review

 

Historical literature reviews examine research throughout a period, typically beginning with the first appearance of an issue, concept, theory, or phenomenon in the literature and tracing its development within the scholarship of a discipline. The objective is to situate research within its historical context to demonstrate familiarity with contemporary developments and to identify probable future research directions.

 

7. Theoretical Review

 

This form examines the accumulated body of theory surrounding a particular issue, concept, theory, or phenomenon. The theoretical literature review aids in identifying existing theories, their interrelationships, the extent to which existing approaches have been investigated, and the development of testable hypotheses.

 

8. Scoping Review

 

The Scope Review is typically included at the start of an article, dissertation, or research proposal. It is conducted prior to the research in order to identify gaps in the existing corpus of knowledge and to justify the project’s approval.

 

9. State-of-the-Art Review

 

Periodically, the State-of-the-Art review is conducted and focuses on the most recent research. It describes what is currently known, comprehended, or agreed upon about the research topic and identifies where disagreements remain.

 

Can the first person be used in a literature review?

 

When composing literature reviews, first-person pronouns should be avoided. This means that instead of “I argue that” or “we argue that,” “this research paper contends that” is the correct expression.

Do you need an abstract for a literature review?

 

Optimally, absolutely. Always include a concise summary that is self-contained and distinct from the remainder of your review. When producing an abstract for a literature review, you can draft it using the same fundamental concept. It should also contain:

 

• The research topic and your reasons for choosing it
• A single-sentence thesis assertion
• A description of the types of literature discussed in the evaluation.
• A review of what you have learned
• Conclusions you drew from the reviewed literature
• Potential ramifications and future research potential

 

Is a literature review written in the past tense?

 

Absolutely, ideally the literature review should be written in past tense. One should not be written in the present or future tense. You may use the past perfect or present perfect tenses when describing events that occurred prior to the literature you are analyzing or that are currently occurring.

How many sources are necessary for a literature review?

 

There are numerous ways to determine the number of sources to include in a literature review section. The initial step is to assess your current level of expertise as a researcher. For instance, a doctoral dissertation may require 60+ sources. At the undergraduate level, however, you may only need to consult 5 to 15 sources.

The second approach is determined by the type of literature review you are conducting, whether it is a chapter of your paper or a separate paper. When there is only one chapter, the number of sources should equal the number of pages in the article’s body. In the second scenario, there must be at least three times as many sources as pages.

Tips for writing a literature review

 

To comprehend how to write a literature review, you must be able to articulate its significance and function in establishing your work as substantive research material.

To compose a literature review, you must take the following steps:

 

1. Outline the structure and function of a literature review.

 

As a first stage in learning how to write a literature review, you must determine the research question or topic and the desired structure of your outstanding literature review. Ensure that you comprehend the research topic thoroughly, or seek clarifications.

You should also be aware that the narrower your research topic, the quicker you will be able to limit the number of sources to be analyzed.

 

2. Conduct relevant research

 

As the second stage in learning how to write a literature review, you must delve deeper into search engines to determine what has already been published in your chosen domain. Ensure that you extensively examine appropriate reference materials, such as books, reports, journal articles, government documents, and online resources.

You are required to compile a list of keywords and their variants. You may begin your search from the catalog of any library, provided that you are an active member of that institution.

In addition, it is not recommended to read every resource word for word. Alternately, you can begin by perusing the abstract and then determine whether or not the source is relevant to your research.

In addition, you must invest additional time evaluating the quality and relevance of resources. To ensure that there is no duplication of authors, publications, or articles in the literature review, it would be beneficial to compile a list of citations.

 

3. Evaluate and analyze the sources

 

It would be virtually impossible to read every detail in the research article. Therefore, instead of attempting to collect every detail, you must analyze and determine which research sources most closely resemble and appear relevant to your chosen domain.

Always ensure that only credible and authentic sources are cited. To validate your theory, it would be ideal if you always used references from diverse publications.

Always keep track of essential information or data that you can present in your literature review from the outset. It will help you avoid plagiarism and make it simpler to compile an annotated bibliography or reference list.

 

4. Discover relationships

 

At this point, you must begin to determine the argument and organization of your literature review. In order to achieve this, you must discover and identify the relationships and connections between various resources as you compose your abstract.

Among the factors you must consider when composing a literature review are the following:

Theories and techniques that have acquired notoriety and adherents over time are deemed to have risen to prominence.

Constant scrutiny: concepts or hypotheses that were examined repeatedly.

Conflicts and contradictions: both supporting and contradictory theories for the research topic.

What exactly does it fail to address, and how can they be filled by additional research?

Significant research projects that have been recognized as milestones or something that can alter current trends constitute influential resources.

It will be simpler to draw a conclusion and identify your contribution to the existing body of knowledge once you’ve connected the dots between various past research works.

 

5. Structure planning for a literature review

 

There are numerous approaches to planning and implementing the structure of a literature review. The structure of a literature review differs according to the scope of the research.

A decent literature review can be organized chronologically, thematically, methodologically, or theoretically.

 

a) Chronological

 

The chronological approach to constructing the framework of a literature review has been described as one of the simplest. However, you should not simply enumerate or summarize the reference materials. Instead, attempt to include a concise discussion and analysis of the key arguments, research, and trends that have influenced the current status of your subject domain. In addition, you must interpret these events in your curated rendition.

 

b) Thematic

 

The structure of a literature review consists of sections and sub-sections. Each section is devoted to presenting a distinct facet of your selected topic. In contrast to the chronological approach, the concentration here is on a topic or issue rather than the progression of events.

 

c) Methodological

 

You can present your structure in a form by comparing significant findings, collections, and outcomes from various research methods.

 

d) Theoretical

 

Frequently, literature evaluations are used to analyze and discuss fundamental concepts and theories. Adopting this strategy, you can effectively demonstrate the significance and critique of a particular theoretical method. You can also define an entirely new research framework in the same manner.

 

6. Compose an excellent literature review

 

Like any other research paper, the format for a literature review must include an introduction, body, and conclusion. The contents of these three sections are determined by the aims and objectives of the research query.

 

a) Introductory paragraph for a strong literature review

 

Given that it is the introductory paragraph, you must include and define its purpose and essential components.

The research query should be restated if you are writing the literature review for your thesis or dissertation. Similarly, you can go as far as presenting a summary of the entire context and emphasizing its gaps.

In addition, if you are writing a literature review as a distinct assignment, you are required to provide background information. Moreover, you must specify its scope and objectives. In any event, however, do not omit mentioning the results you intend to draw from the literature.

 

b) The literature review’s body

 

The format and structure of the central body component play a crucial role in producing a quality literature review. Thus, you must partition the body for each methodological approach or theme aspect using sections and subsections.

While composing the literature review, you may employ any or all of the following strategies:

• A general overview or summary must be provided, concentrating on the most important aspects of each source and ensuring cohesion between all references.
• It is ideal to provide interpretations for each source you have chosen to include. You should avoid paraphrasing the work of others entirely.
• Justify and validate your findings according to your investigation.
• Specify the virtues and weaknesses of the selected sources.
• Transitions and topic sentences are beneficial when composing well-organized body paragraphs.

 

c) Conclusion of the literature review

 

In the conclusion of your literature review, you must emphasize your main findings, their outcomes, and the significance of all aspects.

If you are composing a dissertation or thesis, describing the research gaps and your contributions can be beneficial. In addition, you must outline the procedure and research methodology used to develop the framework for your research topic.

In addition, if the literature review is a stand-alone assignment, the conclusion should focus on the implications and recommendations for future references.

Lastly, you must ensure that your research paper contains no critical omissions and is free of grammatical and punctuation errors. It must be proofread and edited to perfection for this purpose.

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