LITERATURE REVIEW WRITING

What is a literature review?

The aim of a literature review is to show your reader (your tutor) that you have read, and have a good grasp of the main published work concerning a particular topic or question in your field. This work may be in any format, including online sources. It may be a separate assignment, or one of the introductory sections of a report, dissertation or thesis. In the latter cases in particular, the review will be guided by your research objective or by the issue or thesis you are arguing and will provide the framework for your further work. What is the Purpose of a Literature Review? * To demonstrate your scholarly ability to identify existing relevant information and to outline existing knowledge. * To identify the 'gap' that is present between existing studies or previous studies, in the research that your study is attempting to address, positioning your work in the context of previous research and creating a 'research space' for your work.[1] * To evaluate and synthesise the information in line with the concepts that you have set yourself for the research. * To produce a rationale or justification for your study. * To avoid unnecessary duplication * To evaluate promising research methods.[2] Initially, when you start literature review, you may have to read quite broadly on the topic to enrich your understanding of the field. This is useful for refining your topic and establishing the perspective that your research will take. For example, reading broadly may help you work out where there are gaps in the research, which may provide you with a platform for your research. It may also enable you to establish how your research extends or enhances the studies already done [1]. It is very important to note that your review should not be simply a description of what others have published or done in the area of your research scope in the form of a set of summaries, but should be represented in the form of a critical discussion, showing insight and an awareness of differing arguments, theories and approaches. It should be a synthesis and analysis of the relevant published work, linked at all times to your own purpose and rationale [2]. Points to be consider during literature review: What are the key theories, concepts and ideas? What are the basic and fundamental grounds for the discipline? What are the main questions and problems that have been addressed to date? How is knowledge on the topic structured and organised? How have approaches to these questions increased our understanding and knowledge? What are the origins and definitions of the topic? What are the major issues and debates about the topic? What are the key sources? [1]

STRUCTURE OF LITERATURE REVIEW

* Identify your research question. This is essential in helping to direct you in appropriate direction to search for previous works and researches and frame your reading. * Identify and locate appropriate information. Source of information can be scholarly journals, government documents, published works, peer reviewed articles from reliable sources. Depending on the research question or aim relevant information that supports ones research work should be searched. * Read and critically evaluate the information that you locate. Examine its strengths and weaknesses in relation to your research. Take notes of not only the information that you read, but also your thoughts about this information. This will help you draw your ideas together when you start writing your literature review section. * File and store your readings and notes. Use an effective method that lets you retrieve information quickly and easily. Remember that there is no one 'right' way of organising your materials. However, it is important to know the literature that you have found and where you have stored it, so that you can access it quickly and easily. * Plan, organise and write critically about the literature that you have located. After identifying and collecting relevant information and previous works in discipline of your research, you need to organise and plan on how to review those works in connection with how critical that information is linked to your study. [1] Before writing literature review one should understand that the kind of vocabulary they use in reflecting their ideas and views on the previous works is very critical. Linking words are important. If you are grouping together writers with similar opinions, you would use words or phrases such as: similarly, in addition, also, again More importantly, if there is disagreement, you need to indicate clearly that you are aware of this by the use of linkers such as: however, on the other hand, conversely, nevertheless At the end of the review you should include a summary of what the literature implies, which again links to your hypothesis or main question. [2] Continued HOW TO WRITE A REVIEW ARTICLE

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