The literature review
What is a literature review?
A literature review is usually just the first portion of a paper that plans to report a study. It surveys scholarly articles, books and other sources (e.g. dissertations, conference proceedings) relevant to a particular issue, area of research, or theory, providing a description, summary, and critical evaluation of each work. The purpose is to offer an overview of significant literature published on a topic.A literature review:
The goal of a literature review is essentially to explain what has been done within a certain subject area, including the types of studies published, the key players in this field, and a sense of what still needs to be done. It may constitute an essential chapter of a thesis or dissertation, or may be a self-contained review of writings on a subject.
- Is a critical, in-depth evaluation of research already undertaken on a specific topic
- Allows you to demonstrate your ability to identify relevant information and to outline existing knowledge
- Identifies the gap in the research that your work will address and produce a rationale for your own research
- Provides the intellectual context for your own work, enabling you to position your project relative to other work
Finding good quality information to support your arguments could lift your marks. Formulating a clear and comprehensive search strategy will help you find good quality information more quickly and easily.
RL - Search methodology, referencing, literature review
R. Farrow, Author ;
F. Iniesto, Author ;
M. Weller, Author ;
R. Pitt, Author
| Milton Keynes : Open University
