How to Write a Good Literature Review

A literature review is the summary and critical evaluation of previous published or unpublished researches made by various scholars and researchers. The source of literature review may be newspapers, articles, journals, magazines, books, thesis, reports, websites, wikis etc. It may also include discussions, methodological issues and suggestions for future research.

The literature review  must be written clearly and accurately. Simple and easily understandable wording should be used in a review and unnecessary statements, jargons should be avoided. It must be written in such a way that it keeps reader’s attention and don’t make him bore. Don’t make it too complex. Simplify discussion.

Write a Good Literature Review

A good literature review gives only the relevant details, findings and feelings of the researcher comprehensively otherwise the reader lose the interest & attention. Here comprehensiveness does not mean that you should mention every research report, article or paper that has ever been published on your subject. Concentrate on the most widely cited authors and the most significant findings. No Wastage of efforts.

A review of literature tells the researchers’ knowledge about the topic, there focus upon the specific problem whether they are logically developed and plan about the research area & major issues. When a researcher studies various research articles and thesis, he should write them in literature review as it is either he is agreed with it or not.

The literature review provides the bases for the development of theoretical fame work by identifying variables that are very important, as determined by the previous research findings. Though it is based on assumptions but the researchers must use them near to the fact. Remember it is not a fiction or the researcher embossed his writing skills on the readers mind. He must be very clear to the objectives of the research and follow them accordingly. Variables, that are the foundation of the research and are taken to highlight the problem, should be simple and easily understandable for the readers as it increases the readers’ confidence in the ability, competency and professionalism of the researchers.

All the details in a review should be synchronized in such a manner that it will not leave any flaw in the readers’ mind. As a review tells us what has already find out about a specific problem so it will help the future researcher to plan out their framework in different dimensions using different type of variables in the different situations to reach the result.

A literature review ensures that you are at least familiar with the body of research in your field before starting your own investigations. Writing a literature review also provides practice in critical thinking. Once you have applied critical thinking skills to the findings of past researchers, you are in a better position to apply these same skills to your own work.

A comprehensive literature review enables the researcher to select most appropriate method of research. It tells us that which procedure and methods was used in previous studies and if there is any problem with these procedure and methods, what kind of strategy should be taken to avoid them. Repetition is never being appreciated in any literature as it bothers the reader. You have to avoid this if you want to engage the reader till the end.

A review tells the whole story of the research so it should comprehensively precise including all necessary details about the topic, situation, variables that are taken and kind of questionnaire that are asked. After reading your literature review, the reader should come away with a deeper understanding of your topic. A good literature review sets out the gaps in current understanding. It seeks to explain these reasons why gaps persist. Some problems have not been thoroughly investigated for technical or practical reasons. In other cases, gaps are the result of methodological or theoretical “blind-spots”. Identifying these can lay the foundation for new insights.

External Links:

  • Writing a Literature Review (University of Canberra)

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