LITERATURE REVIEW Moazzam Ali Assistant Professor Department of

LITERATURE REVIEW Moazzam Ali Assistant Professor Department of English University of Gujrat

LITERATURE REVIEW DEFINED � Literature review is: � a body of text that aims to review the critical points of current knowledge on a particular topic � an account of what has been published on a topic by accredited scholars and researchers So, a literature review lets you gain and demonstrate skills in two areas: � critical appraisal: the ability to apply principles of analysis to identify unbiased and valid studies. � information seeking: the ability to scan the literature efficiently, using manual or computerized methods, to identify a set of useful articles and books

PURPOSE OF LITERATURE REVIEW � The purpose of a literature review is to: � explain what the research says (theory) � establish a theoretical framework for the subject area � define key terms, definitions and terminology � identify studies, models, case studies etc supporting the topic � discuss how the research is carried out (methodology) � identify what is missing, i. e. the gap that your research intends to fill (significance)

A GOOD LITERATURE REVIEW… � A good literature review is characterized by: � a logical flow of ideas � current and relevant references with consistent, appropriate referencing style � proper use of terminology; and � an unbiased and comprehensive view of the previous research on the topic

A GOOD LITERATURE REVIEW A good literature review should: �be organized around and related directly to thesis or research question you are developing �synthesize results into a summary of what is and is not known �identify areas of controversy in the literature �formulate questions that need further research �have a high degree of reliability for the used resources

WRITING A LITERATURE REVIEW � Ask yourself questions like these: �What is the specific thesis, problem, or research question that my literature review helps to define? �What type of literature review am I conducting? Am I looking at issues of theory? methodology? policy? quantitative research (e. g. on the effectiveness of a new procedure)? qualitative research (e. g. , studies )? �What is the scope of my literature review? What types of publications am I using (e. g. , journals, books, government documents, popular media)? What discipline am I working in (e. g. , nursing psychology, sociology, medicine)?

WRITING A LITERATURE REVIEW � How good was my information seeking? Has my search been wide enough to ensure I've found all the relevant material? Has it been narrowed enough to exclude irrelevant material? Is the number of sources I've used appropriate for the length of my paper/thesis? � Have I critically analysed the literature I have used? Do I follow through a set of concepts and questions? Instead of just listing and summarizing items, do I assess them, discussing strengths and weaknesses? � Have I cited and discussed studies contrary to my perspective? � Will the reader find my literature review relevant, appropriate, and useful?

MAJOR MISTAKES � A literature review is a piece of discursive prose - not a list describing or summarizing one piece of literature after another. It's usually a bad sign to see every paragraph beginning with the name of a researcher. HOW CAN ONE AVOID THIS MISTAKE? ○ Organize the literature review into sections that present themes or identify trends, including relevant theory. ○ Summarize each item briefly and follow through themes and concepts and do some critical assessment of material.

TIPS FOR A GOOD LITERATURE REVIEW � Examining existing literature review models will assist any student/researcher wishing to know how to write literature reviews that are accomplished and effective � Narrow your topic - there are hundreds or even thousands of articles and books on most areas of study. The narrower your topic, the easier it will be to limit the number of sources you need to read in order to get a good survey of the material � Keep your own voice - while the literature review presents others' ideas, your voice (the writer's) should remain front and center

Things to Do Literature Review with Suggested Corrections � APA Manual (In-text citation and References) � Introduction with Endnote � Exercise �