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Literature ReviewGeneral Information
Definition
Literature reviews can have two roles: In their first role, they function
as a stand-alone paper. At other times they will actually be part
of a larger research thesis. In this handout, literature reviews
will be referred to in the stand-alone sense. As a stand-alone paper,
literature reviews are multi-layered and are more formal and detailed
than book reviews. As the author of a literature review, you must
become familiar with a large amount of research on a specific topic.
You will then develop your own thesis about the topic related to
this research. After this, you will classify and critically analyze
research on the topic by making a comparison between several different
studies and by emphasizing how these studies and their comparison
relate to your own thesis.
In effect, a literature review is a paper that compiles, outlines
and evaluates previously established research and relates it to your
own thesis. It provides a context for readers as if they were researching
the topic on their own. Just from reading your paper, readers should
be able to gain insight into the amount and quality of research on
the topic. Your thesis and the literature reviewed serve several important
functions within the paper:
- Your thesis creates a foundation for the literature review
because it helps narrow the topic by providing a sense of direction;
however, you will have to conduct some initial research and reading
before deciding on an appropriate thesis. Your personal thesis
may be a statement addressing some of the following situations: “why
your research needs to be carried out, how you came to choose certain
methodologies or theories to work with, how your work adds to the
research already carried out” (Brightwell, G. and Shaw,
J., 1997-98), or it may present some other logical perspective.
- Reviewed literature is organized in a logical manner that best
suits the topic of the review and the hypothesis of the literature
(see Organization and Format). The selected method of organization
and style of format should draw attention to similarities and differences
among the reviewed literature; these similarities and differences
are based on specific criteria you revealed in the literature review’s
introduction. According to Brightwell and Shaw (1997-98), your goal
in the body of the review “. . . should be to evaluate and show
relationships between the work already done (Is Researcher Y’s
theory more convincing than Researcher X’s? Did Researcher X
build on the work of Researcher Y?) and between this work and your
own [thesis].” Additional information on these topics can be
found in the Organization and Format sections of this packet. Therefore,
carefully planned organization is an essential part of any literature
review.
Purpose
Although literature reviews may vary according to discipline, their
overall goal is similar. A literature review serves as a compilation
of the most significant sources on a subject and relates the findings
of each of these sources in a rational manner while supporting the
literature review author’s own thesis. A literature review
establishes which sources are most relevant to its author’s
point and which sources are most credible to the discipline at hand.
In a literature review, the results of previous research are summarized,
organized and evaluated.
Discipline-Specificity
A literature review’s organization, format, level of detail
and citation style may vary according to discipline because different
disciplines have different audiences. Examples here pertain to the
natural sciences, social sciences and humanities.
- Natural and social sciences The author of a literature review
in the natural or social sciences must pay close attention to
measurements, study populations and technical aspects of experimental
findings.
Typically, a portion of the natural or social sciences literature
review is set aside for reviewing sources on the primary topic.
Then, a comparative analysis or discussion section is used to analyze
the
similarities and differences among the sources, tying them in
with the literature review author’s original thesis.
- Humanities
The author of a literature review in the humanities usually does
not set aside a special section for reviewing the sources;
instead, citations may be found randomly throughout the paper. The
literature being reviewed is arranged according to paragraphs based
on the author’s points, which in turn, support the author’s
thesis. The paper itself may not be called a literature review at
all. It is more likely to be called a critical analysis.
Remember that the best bet for determining what type of literature
review is appropriate for your course is checking with the instructor
prior to beginning research.
REVIEW
- What is the purpose of a literature review? What is the connection
between the author’s thesis and the literature being
reviewed?
- What
discipline will your literature review be classified in?
Continue to Literature Review: Process
Copyright 2003 by the Academic Center and the
University of Houston-Victoria.
Created 2003 by Candice Chovanec Melzow. |
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