Literature Review

LISC 6900
 What is a literature review?

• In the terms of a literature review,

"the literature" means the works
you consult in order to understand
and investigate your research
problem.
 What is a literature review? Cont.
• The literature review is a critical look at the
existing research that is significant to your
project.  
• It is a systematic…method for identifying,
evaluating and interpreting the …work produced
by researchers, scholars and practitioners.
• You should evaluate what has already been
done, show the relationships between different
work, and show how it relates to your project
What is not a literature review ?

• It is not supposed to be just a summary of

other people's work. A literature review is
more than a summary--”it is a critique of
the status of knowledge of a carefully
defined topic.”
 Purpose of Literature Reviews
• Define and limit the problem.
• Place the study in a historical and
relationship perspective.
• Avoid unintentional and unnecessary
replication.
• Select promising methods and measures.
• Relate the findings to previous knowledge
and suggest further research
 Why is a literature review
important?
• Demonstrates we are knowledgeable with
relevant research
• Makes sure we are not repeating work that
other people have reported in the open
literature
• Tells us what is still unknown, or what we
could do differently in our research
• Allows us a way to make sure we are not
missing any significant issues
 Why is a literature review
important? Cont.
• Orients reader to the importance
and scope of the problem
• Periodically updated to check for
new research activity
 What sort of questions should
the review answer?
• What do we already know in the area
concerned?
• What are the existing theories?
• Are there any inconsistencies or other
shortcomings?
• What views need to be (further) tested?
• What evidence is lacking, inconclusive,
contradictory or too limited?
• Why study (further) the research problem?
 What literature should you
review? 1.

Journal articles: these are good, especially for

up-to-date information. They are frequently
used in literature reviews because they offer a
relatively concise, up-to-date format for
research.
• Depending on the publication, these materials
may be refereed or non-refereed materials.
 What are refereed journals?
• Refereed materials are publications
reviewed by "expert readers" or referees
before publication.
• Refereed materials are also referred to as
Peer Reviewed.
• Refereed materials assure readers that
the information conveyed is reliable and
timely.
 What about non-refereed
journals?
• Non-refereed materials such as Trade
Journals or Magazines use less rigorous
standards of screening prior to publication.
• Non-refereed materials may not by
checked as intensely as refereed
materials, but many can still be considered
scholarly.
 What literature should you
review? 2.
Books:  remember that books tend to be less
up-to-date, as it takes longer for a book to
be published than for a journal article.

• They are still likely to be useful for including

in your literature review as they offer a
good starting point from which to find more
detailed and up-to-date sources of
information. 
 What literature should you
review? 3.
Conference proceedings: these can be
useful in providing the latest research, or
research that has not been published.

• They are also helpful in providing

information about people in different
research areas, and so can be helpful in
tracking down other work by the same
researchers.
 What literature should you
review? 4.
Government/corporate reports: many
government departments and corporations
commission or carry out research. Their
published findings can provide a useful
source of information, depending on your
field of study.
 What literature should you
review? 5.
Newspapers: since newspapers are generally
intended for a general (not specialised)
audience, the information they provide will be
of very limited use for your literature review.
• Newspapers are more helpful as providers of
information about recent trends, discoveries
or changes, e.g. announcing changes in
government policy.
• Newspapers do not give unbiased opinions.
 What literature should you
review? 6.
Theses and dissertations: these can be
useful sources of information. However
there are disadvantages:
• they can be difficult to obtain since they are
not published, but are generally only
available from the library or interlibrary loan
• the student who carried out the research
may not be an experienced researcher and
therefore you might have to treat their
findings with more caution than published
research. 
 What literature should you
review? 7.
Internet: the fastest-growing source of
information is on the Internet.
• bear in mind that anyone can post information
on the Internet so the quality may not be
reliable
• the information you find may be intended for a
general audience and so not be suitable for
inclusion in your literature review (information
for a general audience is usually less detailed)
 
 Reading - getting the gist
• Check the introduction, conclusion,
abstract or executive summary for the
main points
• Check contents pages of books and
reports – pick out relevant
chapters/sections
• Use the index of books or reports
• First or last sentences of paragraphs often
summarise
 Evaluating what you read
Think about…

• Relevance to your topic

• Intended audience
• Currency of the information
• Coverage of the topic that the information
provides
• Accuracy of the information
• Authority of the author or information source
• Level of objectivity of the author
 Record your sources
• Download references from online indexes
• Note keys points: problems, procedures,
findings, and implications. Note any promising
techniques or major problems and limits to the
studies.
• Keep systematic notes of the full records – type
the reference in correct APA style in a database
or on separate cards, pages, etc.
• This will form the basis of your bibliography for
your dissertation
Organizing Your Literature Review
• The literature review has:
• an introduction to the topic, the organization of
the review, an explanation of how studies were
obtained, and the purpose of the review
• a critical review that is organized logically
around key topics in the research problem.
Studies are compared and contrasted as well as
evaluated.
• a summary stating the status of knowledge on
the topic, gaps in current knowledge, and an
explanation ho w the review relates to your
study, its significance, and the research
questions or hypotheses.
 A good literature review…
• Goes beyond simply listing relevant literature
• Is a critical essay
• Refers to the bibliography at the end of your
dissertation
• Assesses the range of literature available
• Is a critical summary of the literature
• Examines the background against which your
own research is set
• Forms a significant section of your dissertation
 A good literature review…
• Offers opinions and personal response to
the different writings
• Relates different writings to each other,
compares and contrasts
• Does not take the literature at face value
• Shows an awareness of the theories and
values that underpin the research
• Uses particular language: authors assert,
argue, state, conclude, contend