1、LITERATURE REVIEWDr.Lili Ann2What is LR?N A literature review discusses published information in a particular subject area,and sometimes information in a particular subject area within a certain time period.N A literature review can be just a simple summary of the sources,but it usually has an organ
2、izational pattern and combines both summary and synthesis.Dr.Lili Ann3What is LR?N 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.N It might give a new interpretation of old material or combine new with old in
3、terpretations.N Or it might trace the intellectual progression of the field,including major debates.N And depending on the situation,the literature review may evaluate the sources and advise the reader on the most pertinent or relevant.Dr.Lili Ann4What is LR?N The format of a review of literature ma
4、y vary from discipline to discipline and from assignment to assignment.N A review may be a self-contained unit-an end in itself-or a preface to and rationale for engaging in primary research.A review is a required part of grant and research proposals and often a chapter in theses and dissertations.N
5、 Generally,the purpose of a review is to analyze critically a segment of a published body of knowledge through summary,classification,and comparison of prior research studies,reviews of literature,and theoretical articles.Dr.Lili Ann5What is LR?N A literature review is the effective evaluation of se
6、lected documents on a research topic.N A review may form an essential part of the research process or may constitute a research project in itself.N In the context of a research paper or thesis the literature review is a critical synthesis of previous research.N The evaluation of the literature leads
7、 logically to the research question.Dr.Lili Ann6What is LR?Dr.Lili Ann7Why write LR?N 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.N Literature reviews also
8、provide a solid background for a research papers investigation.Comprehensive knowledge of the literature of the field is essential to most research papers.Dr.Lili Ann8Why write LR?N For professionals,they are useful reports that keep them up to date with what is current in the field.N For scholars,t
9、he depth and breadth of the literature review emphasizes the credibility of the writer in his or her field Dr.Lili Ann9Why write LR?N The purpose of a literature review is for you to take a critical look at the literature(facts and views)that already exists in the area you are researching.N A litera
10、ture review is not a shopping list of everything that exists,but a critical analysis that shows an evaluation of the existing literature and a relationship between the different works.N It demonstrates the relevance of the research.Dr.Lili Ann10Why write LR?N Literature can include books,journal art
11、icles,internet(electronic journals),newspapers,magazines,theses and dissertations,conference proceedings,reports,and documentaries.N Literature reviews are written occasionally in the humanities,but mostly in the sciences and social sciences;in experiment and lab reports,they constitute a section of
12、 the paper.N Sometimes a literature review is written as a paper in itself.Dr.Lili Ann11Why write LR?N In the context of a research paper on a thesis,the literature review provides a background to the study being proposed.N The background may consider one or more of the following aspects depending o
13、n the research question being posed:N Theoretical background past,present or future N Clinical practice previous or contemporary N Methodology and/or research methods N Previous findings N Rationale and/or relevance of the current study Dr.Lili Ann12Why write LR?N In a broader context Hart(1998)list
14、s the following purposes of a review:N Distinguishing what has been done from what needs to be done;N Discovering important variables relevant to the topic;N Synthesising and gaining a new perspective;N Identifying relationships between ideas and practice;N Establishing the context of the topic or p
15、roblem;Dr.Lili Ann13Why write LR?N Rationalising the significance of the problem;N Enhancing and acquiring the subject vocabulary;N Understanding the structure of the subject;N Relating ideas and theory to applications;N Identifying methodologies and techniques that have been used;N Placing the rese
16、arch in a historical context to show familiarity with state-of-the-art developments.Dr.Lili Ann14Why write LR?N Its purpose is to:N Place each work in the context of its contribution to the understanding of the subject under review N Describe the relationship of each work to the others under conside
17、ration N Identify new ways to interpret,and shed light on any gaps in,previous research N Resolve conflicts amongst seemingly contradictory previous studies N Identify areas of prior scholarship to prevent duplication of effort N Point the way forward for further research N Place ones original work(
18、in the case of theses or dissertations)in the context of existing literature Dr.Lili Ann15What should I do before writing the literature review?N ClarifyN If your assignment is not very specific,seek clarification from your supervisor/lecturer:N Roughly how many sources should you include?N What typ
19、es of sources(books,journal articles,websites)?N Should you summarize,synthesize,or critique your sources by discussing a common theme or issue?N Should you evaluate your sources?N Should you provide subheadings and other background information,such as definitions and/or a history?Dr.Lili Ann16What
20、should I do before writing the literature review?N Find modelsN Look for other literature reviews in your area of interest or in the discipline and read them to get a sense of the types of themes you might want to look for in your own research or ways to organize your final review.You can simply put
21、 the word review in your search engine along with your other topic terms to find articles of this type on the Internet or in an electronic database.The bibliography or reference section of sources youve already read are also excellent entry points into your own research.Dr.Lili Ann17What should I do
22、 before writing the literature review?N Narrow your topicN 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.Your instructor wil
23、l probably not expect you to read everything thats out there on the topic,but youll make your job easier if you first limit your scope.Dr.Lili Ann18What should I do before writing the literature review?N Consider whether your sources are currentN Some disciplines require that you use information tha
24、t is as current as possible.In the sciences,for instance,treatments for medical problems are constantly changing according to the latest studies.Information even two years old could be obsolete.Dr.Lili Ann19What should I do before writing the literature review?N However,if you are writing a review i
25、n the humanities,history,or social sciences,a survey of the history of the literature may be what is needed,because what is important is how perspectives have changed through the years or within a certain time period.N Try sorting through some other current bibliographies or literature reviews in th
26、e field to get a sense of what your discipline expects.N You can also use this method to consider what is hot and what is not.Dr.Lili Ann20What should I do before writing the literature review?N Find a focusN A literature review,like a term paper,is usually organized around ideas,not the sources the
27、mselves as an annotated bibliography would be organized.This means that you will not just simply list your sources and go into detail about each one of them,one at a time.N No.Dr.Lili Ann21What should I do before writing the literature review?N As you read widely but selectively in your topic area,c
28、onsider instead what themes or issues connect your sources together.N Do they present one or different solutions?N Is there an aspect of the field that is missing?N How well do they present the material and do they portray it according to an appropriate theory?N Do they reveal a trend in the field?N
29、 A raging debate?N Pick one of these themes to focus the organization of your review.Dr.Lili Ann22What should I do before writing the literature review?N Construct a working thesis statementN Then use the focus youve found to construct a thesis statement.Yes!Literature reviews have thesis statements
30、 as well!However,your thesis statement will not necessarily argue for a position or an opinion;rather it will argue for a particular perspective on the material.Dr.Lili Ann23What should I do before writing the literature review?N Some sample thesis statements for literature reviews are as follows:N
31、The current trend in treatment for congestive heart failure combines surgery and medicine.N More and more cultural studies scholars are accepting popular media as a subject worthy of academic consideration.Dr.Lili Ann24What should I do before writing the literature review?N Consider organizationN Yo
32、uve got a focus,and youve narrowed it down to a thesis statement.N Now what is the most effective way of presenting the information?N What are the most important topics,subtopics,etc.,that your review needs to include?N And in what order should you present them?Dr.Lili Ann25What should I do before w
33、riting the literature review?N Develop an organization for your review at both a global and local level:N First,cover the basic categoriesN Just like most academic papers,literature reviews also must contain at least three basic elements:an introduction or background information section;the body of
34、the review containing the discussion of sources;and,finally,a conclusion and/or recommendations section to end the paper.Dr.Lili Ann26What should I do before writing the literature review?N Introduction:Gives a quick idea of the topic of the literature review,such as the central theme or organizatio
35、nal pattern.N Body:Contains your discussion of sources and is organized either chronologically,thematically,or methodologically(see below for more information on each).N Conclusions/Recommendations:Discuss what you have drawn from reviewing literature so far.Where might the discussion proceed?Dr.Lil
36、i Ann27What should I do before writing the literature review?NThe introduction should provide the reader with the scale and structure of your review.It serves as a kind of map.NThe body of the review depends on how you have organised your key points.Literature reviews at postgraduate level should be
37、 evaluative and not merely descriptive.For example possible reasons for similarities or differences between studies are considered rather than a mere identification of them.NThe conclusion of the review needs to sum up the main findings of your research into the literature.The findings can be relate
38、d to the aims of the study you are proposing to do.The reader is thus provided with a coherent background to the current study.Dr.Lili Ann28What should I do before writing the literature review?NOrganizing the bodyNOnce you have the basic categories in place,then you must consider how you will prese
39、nt the sources themselves within the body of your paper.Create an organizational method to focus this section even further.NTo help you come up with an overall organizational framework for your review,consider the six typical ways of organizing the sources into a review:NChronological NBy publicatio
40、nNBy trendNThematicNMethodologicalNQuestions for Further ResearchDr.Lili Ann29What should I do before writing the literature review?N Similar to primary research,development of the literature review requires four stages:N Problem formulationwhich topic or field is being examined and what are its com
41、ponent issues?N Literature searchfinding materials relevant to the subject being explored N Data evaluationdetermining which literature makes a significant contribution to the understanding of the topic N Analysis and interpretationdiscussing the findings and conclusions of pertinent literatureDr.Li
42、li Ann30What should you write?N the accepted facts in the area N the popular opinion N the main variables N the relationship between concepts and variables N shortcomings in the existing findings N limitations in the methods used in the existing findings N the relevance of your research N suggestion
43、s for further research in the area.Dr.Lili Ann31What should you write?NLiterature reviews should comprise the following elements:NAn overview of the subject,issue or theory under consideration,along with the objectives of the literature review NDivision of works under review into categories(e.g.thos
44、e in support of a particular position,those against,and those offering alternative theses entirely)NExplanation of how each work is similar to and how it varies from the others NConclusions as to which pieces are best considered in their argument,are most convincing of their opinions,and make the gr
45、eatest contribution to the understanding and development of their area of research Dr.Lili Ann32What should you write?NIn assessing each piece,consideration should be given to:NProvenanceWhat are the authors credentials?Are the authors arguments supported by evidence(e.g.primary historical material,
46、case studies,narratives,statistics,recent scientific findings)?NObjectivityIs the authors perspective even-handed or prejudicial?Is contrary data considered or is certain pertinent information ignored to prove the authors point?NPersuasivenessWhich of the authors theses are most/least convincing?NVa
47、lueAre the authors arguments and conclusions convincing?Does the work ultimately contribute in any significant way to an understanding of the subject?Dr.Lili Ann33What should you write?NLayoutNMake your literature review have an academic and professional appearance.Here are some points to make the l
48、ook of your report appealing to the readerNWhite space:leave space between sections,especially from the abstract.This gives an uncluttered effect.NHeadings/sub-headings:these help to separate ideas.NText boxes:you can use these for quotations or paraphrasing to separate them from the rest of your te
49、xt.It is also pleasing to the eye.Dr.Lili Ann34What should you write?N Graphics:centre your graphics,such as diagrams or tables,to have space around them.Try not to bury graphics in your text.N Pagination:you can number pages or sections or both,but the important thing to do is to be consistent.The
50、cover page normally is not numbered.The content page and abstract page usually have a separate numbering system to the body of your literature review.Dr.Lili Ann35What should you write?N Language focusN Create a balance between direct quotation(citation)and paraphrasing.Avoid too much direct quoting
