1、LITERATURE REVIEW,Dr. Lili Ann,SMM4999 - Literature Review,2,What is LR?,A literature review discusses published information in a particular subject area, and sometimes information in a particular subject area within a certain time period. A literature review can be just a simple summary of the sour
2、ces, but it usually has an organizational pattern and combines both summary and synthesis.,Dr. Lili Ann,SMM4999 - Literature Review,3,What is LR?,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. It might giv
3、e a new interpretation of old material or combine new with old interpretations. Or it might trace the intellectual progression of the field, including major debates. And depending on the situation, the literature review may evaluate the sources and advise the reader on the most pertinent or relevant
4、.,Dr. Lili Ann,SMM4999 - Literature Review,4,What is LR?,The format of a review of literature may vary from discipline to discipline and from assignment to assignment. 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
5、is a required part of grant and research proposals and often a chapter in theses and dissertations. 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,
6、 and theoretical articles.,Dr. Lili Ann,SMM4999 - Literature Review,5,What is LR?,A literature review is the effective evaluation of selected documents on a research topic. A review may form an essential part of the research process or may constitute a research project in itself. In the context of a
7、 research paper or thesis the literature review is a critical synthesis of previous research. The evaluation of the literature leads logically to the research question.,Dr. Lili Ann,SMM4999 - Literature Review,6,What is LR?,Dr. Lili Ann,SMM4999 - Literature Review,7,Why write LR?,Literature reviews
8、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. Literature reviews also provide a solid background for a research papers investigation. Comprehensive knowledge of the literatur
9、e of the field is essential to most research papers.,Dr. Lili Ann,SMM4999 - Literature Review,8,Why write LR?,For professionals, they are useful reports that keep them up to date with what is current in the field. For scholars, the depth and breadth of the literature review emphasizes the credibilit
10、y of the writer in his or her field,Dr. Lili Ann,SMM4999 - Literature Review,9,Why write LR?,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. A literature review is not a shopping list of ev
11、erything that exists, but a critical analysis that shows an evaluation of the existing literature and a relationship between the different works. It demonstrates the relevance of the research.,Dr. Lili Ann,SMM4999 - Literature Review,10,Why write LR?,Literature can include books, journal articles, i
12、nternet (electronic journals), newspapers, magazines, theses and dissertations, conference proceedings, reports, and documentaries. 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
13、of the paper. Sometimes a literature review is written as a paper in itself.,Dr. Lili Ann,SMM4999 - Literature Review,11,Why write LR?,In the context of a research paper on a thesis, the literature review provides a background to the study being proposed. The background may consider one or more of t
14、he following aspects depending on the research question being posed: Theoretical background past, present or future Clinical practice previous or contemporary Methodology and/or research methods Previous findings Rationale and/or relevance of the current study,Dr. Lili Ann,SMM4999 - Literature Revie
15、w,12,Why write LR?,In a broader context Hart (1998) lists the following purposes of a review: Distinguishing what has been done from what needs to be done; Discovering important variables relevant to the topic; Synthesising and gaining a new perspective; Identifying relationships between ideas and p
16、ractice; Establishing the context of the topic or problem;,Dr. Lili Ann,SMM4999 - Literature Review,13,Why write LR?,Rationalising the significance of the problem; Enhancing and acquiring the subject vocabulary; Understanding the structure of the subject; Relating ideas and theory to applications; I
17、dentifying methodologies and techniques that have been used; Placing the research in a historical context to show familiarity with state-of-the-art developments.,Dr. Lili Ann,SMM4999 - Literature Review,14,Why write LR?,Its purpose is to: Place each work in the context of its contribution to the und
18、erstanding of the subject under review Describe the relationship of each work to the others under consideration Identify new ways to interpret, and shed light on any gaps in, previous research Resolve conflicts amongst seemingly contradictory previous studies Identify areas of prior scholarship to p
19、revent duplication of effort Point the way forward for further research Place ones original work (in the case of theses or dissertations) in the context of existing literature,Dr. Lili Ann,SMM4999 - Literature Review,15,What should I do before writing the literature review?,Clarify If your assignmen
20、t is not very specific, seek clarification from your supervisor/lecturer: Roughly how many sources should you include? What types of sources (books, journal articles, websites)? Should you summarize, synthesize, or critique your sources by discussing a common theme or issue? Should you evaluate your
21、 sources? Should you provide subheadings and other background information, such as definitions and/or a history?,Dr. Lili Ann,SMM4999 - Literature Review,16,What should I do before writing the literature review?,Find models Look for other literature reviews in your area of interest or in the discipl
22、ine 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 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 electroni
23、c database. The bibliography or reference section of sources youve already read are also excellent entry points into your own research.,Dr. Lili Ann,SMM4999 - Literature Review,17,What should I do before writing the literature review?,Narrow your topic There are hundreds or even thousands of article
24、s 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 will probably not expect you to read everything thats out there on the topic, but youll make your job easi
25、er if you first limit your scope.,Dr. Lili Ann,SMM4999 - Literature Review,18,What should I do before writing the literature review?,Consider whether your sources are current Some disciplines require that you use information that is as current as possible. In the sciences, for instance, treatments f
26、or medical problems are constantly changing according to the latest studies. Information even two years old could be obsolete.,Dr. Lili Ann,SMM4999 - Literature Review,19,What should I do before writing the literature review?,However, if you are writing a review in the humanities, history, or social
27、 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. Try sorting through some other current bibliographies or literature reviews in the field to get a sense of what yo
28、ur discipline expects. You can also use this method to consider what is “hot“ and what is not.,Dr. Lili Ann,SMM4999 - Literature Review,20,What should I do before writing the literature review?,Find a focus A literature review, like a term paper, is usually organized around ideas, not the sources th
29、emselves 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. No.,Dr. Lili Ann,SMM4999 - Literature Review,21,What should I do before writing the literature review?,As you read widely but
30、 selectively in your topic area, consider instead what themes or issues connect your sources together. Do they present one or different solutions? Is there an aspect of the field that is missing? How well do they present the material and do they portray it according to an appropriate theory? Do they
31、 reveal a trend in the field? A raging debate? Pick one of these themes to focus the organization of your review.,Dr. Lili Ann,SMM4999 - Literature Review,22,What should I do before writing the literature review?,Construct a working thesis statement Then use the focus youve found to construct a thes
32、is statement. Yes! Literature reviews have thesis statements 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 Ann,SMM4999 - Literature Review,23,What should I do before writing
33、 the literature review?,Some sample thesis statements for literature reviews are as follows: The current trend in treatment for congestive heart failure combines surgery and medicine. More and more cultural studies scholars are accepting popular media as a subject worthy of academic consideration.,D
34、r. Lili Ann,SMM4999 - Literature Review,24,What should I do before writing the literature review?,Consider organization Youve got a focus, and youve narrowed it down to a thesis statement. Now what is the most effective way of presenting the information? What are the most important topics, subtopics
35、, etc., that your review needs to include? And in what order should you present them?,Dr. Lili Ann,SMM4999 - Literature Review,25,What should I do before writing the literature review?,Develop an organization for your review at both a global and local level: First, cover the basic categories Just li
36、ke most academic papers, literature reviews also must contain at least three basic elements: an introduction or background information section; the body of the review containing the discussion of sources; and, finally, a conclusion and/or recommendations section to end the paper.,Dr. Lili Ann,SMM499
37、9 - Literature Review,26,What should I do before writing the literature review?,Introduction: Gives a quick idea of the topic of the literature review, such as the central theme or organizational pattern. Body: Contains your discussion of sources and is organized either chronologically, thematically
38、, or methodologically (see below for more information on each). Conclusions/Recommendations: Discuss what you have drawn from reviewing literature so far. Where might the discussion proceed?,Dr. Lili Ann,SMM4999 - Literature Review,27,What should I do before writing the literature review?,The introd
39、uction should provide the reader with the scale and structure of your review. It serves as a kind of map. The body of the review depends on how you have organised your key points. Literature reviews at postgraduate level should be evaluative and not merely descriptive. For example possible reasons f
40、or similarities or differences between studies are considered rather than a mere identification of them. The conclusion of the review needs to sum up the main findings of your research into the literature. The findings can be related to the aims of the study you are proposing to do. The reader is th
41、us provided with a coherent background to the current study.,Dr. Lili Ann,SMM4999 - Literature Review,28,What should I do before writing the literature review?,Organizing the body Once you have the basic categories in place, then you must consider how you will present the sources themselves within t
42、he body of your paper. Create an organizational method to focus this section even further. To help you come up with an overall organizational framework for your review, consider the six typical ways of organizing the sources into a review: Chronological By publication By trend Thematic Methodologica
43、l Questions for Further Research,Dr. Lili Ann,SMM4999 - Literature Review,29,What should I do before writing the literature review?,Similar to primary research, development of the literature review requires four stages: Problem formulationwhich topic or field is being examined and what are its compo
44、nent issues? Literature searchfinding materials relevant to the subject being explored Data evaluationdetermining which literature makes a significant contribution to the understanding of the topic Analysis and interpretationdiscussing the findings and conclusions of pertinent literature,Dr. Lili An
45、n,SMM4999 - Literature Review,30,What should you write?,the accepted facts in the area the popular opinion the main variables the relationship between concepts and variables shortcomings in the existing findings limitations in the methods used in the existing findings the relevance of your research
46、suggestions for further research in the area.,Dr. Lili Ann,SMM4999 - Literature Review,31,What should you write?,Literature reviews should comprise the following elements: An overview of the subject, issue or theory under consideration, along with the objectives of the literature review Division of
47、works under review into categories (e.g. those in support of a particular position, those against, and those offering alternative theses entirely) Explanation of how each work is similar to and how it varies from the others Conclusions as to which pieces are best considered in their argument, are mo
48、st convincing of their opinions, and make the greatest contribution to the understanding and development of their area of research,Dr. Lili Ann,SMM4999 - Literature Review,32,What should you write?,In assessing each piece, consideration should be given to: ProvenanceWhat are the authors credentials?
49、 Are the authors arguments supported by evidence (e.g. primary historical material, case studies, narratives, statistics, recent scientific findings)? ObjectivityIs the authors perspective even-handed or prejudicial? Is contrary data considered or is certain pertinent information ignored to prove the authors point? PersuasivenessWhich of the authors theses are most/least convincing? ValueAre the authors arguments and conclusions convincing? Does the work ultimately contribute in any significant way to an understanding of the subject?,Dr. Lili Ann,SMM4999 - Literature Review,
