Creating a Literature Review
What is a literature review?
A critical, comparative review of relevant literature – critique, compare and contrast writings
Research-based (empirical)Conceptual (theory)Use direct referencesProperly referenced, avoiding plagiarismBe critical!End with a summary of main points and link to next section
Stages of a lit review
http://info.emeraldinsight.com/authors/guides/literature.htm?part=2
Define Search Evaluate Analyse
Define
Define your terms – what are you looking for
And what are you NOT looking for?
Think sideways... Eg. You may be looking for parental engagement but part of the world calls it parental involvement
Search
Search databases (See the Useful Links page)
Use the resources on the Library Webpages - LINK
Be methodical!
Keep good, clear records
of what you have looked for(and search terms)
of what you found
of what you have read
The table on the next slide shows one way of keeping track
This shows the data base searched
These are the terms used in the search
Keeping good records of your searches
• Allows you to maximise your time (you won’t repeat searches)
• Allows you to show you have looked at the literature carefully• See pages 17 – 18 of THIS REPORT for an example of how
searches can be reported
Evaluate (Criticality)
Be critical about what is includedIs it a reputable publication?
Is the study robust, and does the study support the conclusions?
Be critical about how it is includedIs it worth the emphasis you are giving to it?
Include, as appropriate, information about the study – when, where, who, how many...?
Analyse
So, what does all this mean?
A literature review isn’t a list – it needs to be more than that; it’s not a book report – it must relate to your central research question
SHOW how it relates, don’t assume the reader will figure it out
Themes? Conclusions?
Literature reviews...
The point is a *review* of the main publications about a subject
It does not need to – and can not – contain a reference to *every* publication on the subject
It is a *review*, not a list
Read other lit reviews
Find one on your subject, and read that...
Include it in your review –it will, by definition, be older than yours!
Meaning – peer reviewed journals
Google scholar
Academic data bases
These supplement books - but they do need to be there
Academic sources
Very important in terms of the subject of your research
Current or recent
If there really aren’t any, say so – it’s a gap in the knowledge base
(But be sure there really isn’t anything out there!)
Academic sources
