UNIT THREE

LITERATURE REVIEW
[ Searching and reviewing Scientific literature]

1 PLANNING THE LITERATURE SEARCH.

Writing a Literature Review

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“A researcher cannot perform significant research without first
understanding the literature in the field’”
(Boote and Beile, 2005)

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 Aims of this Chapter

Approaches for writing a good literature review

Critical thinking, reading and writing
Planning and structuring options
**Given the importance of literature reviews in both dissertations
and journal articles

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In reviewing literature

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 Judging Relevance and Credibility of Scientific Literature.

1. Is the source useful for supporting or describing your objective

2. Is the date of publication timely and relevant to your topic
3. What are the credentials of the Author
4. Who is the publisher was the document reviewed before the publication
5. Is the language unbiased and objective?
6. If it is a report or review about scientific research. A Is a appropriate literature cited.B.
are the methods scientifically sound. C. are the data objectively interpreted.
7. If it is an electronic source. A Who is the. responsible for the publication.B.Does it have
link with other credible source.C.Which domine is used for access.
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 What is a “Literature Review”?

• “…a literature review surveys scientific articles, books, journals,

dissertations and other sources relevant to a particular issue, area
of research, or theory, providing a description, summary, and
critical evaluation of each work.”
• It is NOT an annotated bibliography = is a list of sources, their
content, and how you will use them in a paper.

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It is an opportunity to engage in a written dialogue with researchers in your
area …, understood and responded to the relevant body of knowledge
underpinning your research. ….identify theories and previous research which
influenced your choice of research topic and the methodology…. to support
your identification of a problem to research or illustrate that there is a gap in
previous research that needs to be filled. therefore, it serves as the driving
force and the jumping off point for your own research investigation.”

(Ridley, 2008, p.2)

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 Purpose of a Literature Review
What has been done in your field and what has not/needs to be done
in your field
Helps to refine the research problem and narrow your focus
A critical analysis of existing research in your field
Highlights both the strengths and weaknesses of existing research
Analyze the similarities, patterns, trends and also differences across
the existing research
The gap in the literature is a justification for your research 9
 Types of Literature Review
• Narrative - describe and discuss the state of the science of a specific topic or theme from a
theoretical or conceptual point of view.
• Do not list the types of databases and methodological approaches used
• NR consists of a critical analysis of the literature
• Systematic - is a well planned review to answer specific research questions
• Uses a systematic and explicit methodology
• To identify, select and critically evaluate results of the studies
• Meta-analyses combine statistical results to determine the overall magnitude of findings,
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 Working with
Working with
Literature
Literature

Find it!
Find it! Manage it!
Manage it! Use it!
Use it! Review it!
Review it!

Knowingthe
Knowing the Reading
Reading Choosingyour
Choosing your Understandingthe
Understanding the
literaturetypes
literature types efficiently
efficiently researchtopic
research topic litreview’s
lit review’spurpose
purpose

Usingavailable
Using available Keepingtrack
Keeping track Developingyour
Developing your Ensuringadequate
Ensuring adequate
resources
resources ofreferences
of references question
question coverage
coverage

Honingyour
Honing your Writingrelevant
Writing relevant Arguingyour
Arguing your Writing
Writing
searchskills
search skills annotations
annotations rationale
rationale purposefully
purposefully

Informingyour
Informing your Workingon
Working on
workwith
work withtheory
theory styleand
style andtone
tone

Designing
Designing 12
method
method
Where do you need to gather information ?

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 Where to start?!
YOU DON’T NEED TO
READ EVERYTHING – you
can’t!
•You don’t need to read every
text

•You don’t need to read every

word

Start with the MOST RECENT and WORK

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BACKWARDS to the oldest
 How to Start your Literature Review?
• Who are the main theorists and researchers in this area? (Sources!)
• What are the key sources (books, articles) on my topic?
• What research and theory is there on my topic?
• How has the topic/problem been investigated over time?
Ideas/debates?
• Is there a problem with the methodology? Critiquing the
methodology.
• What are you going to do differently? Novel idea!
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 Approaching the literature review
• ‘Place’ your research in the existing academic literature.
• Simply describing the literature should be avoided.
• A critical and analytical judgement which demonstrates how/where
your work is best placed as well as work that needs developing is
essential.
• Your work should contribute to existing literature in the field.
• Ensure consideration is given to the methodological and/or theoretical
arguments that inform the literature.
• Be aware of how research paradigms influence the research. 16
 Organizing your idea
• Start with an overview
• Decide on organising principles (themes, trends, methodology,
chronology, controversies – usually a combination of some of
these)
• Use headings for the different sections of the review
• Provide summative signposts of where your argument is leading
• Summarise your review/highlight ‘gap’ in research
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 An evolving literature review

• Not something you do now and forget about

• Your field is constantly evolving and changing

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 How to organise your ideas
• Chronological: present the development of a key trend and/or
progressions and changes in practices. (published date)
• Thematic/conceptual: Time is not a factor here. The emphasis is on
the relationship of issues to the main “problem”
• Methodological: This review focuses on the methodological or
paradigmatic approaches to your material.
• Problem-Cause-Solution Order—Organize the review so that it
moves from the problem to the solution
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 Synthesize findings in a Lit.
o How has the topic or problem been defined?
o Are there any trends and patterns across the literature?
Eg. Environmentalism vs Sustainability

o What methodological assumptions and approaches have been used?

o Avoid list-like structure by illustrating trends and patterns
o What are the agreements and disagreements between theorists on my
topic?
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Identify Sources of Controversy
Scholar X Scholar Y

•disagrees with
• agrees with (school
of thought?)
• builds on the conclusions of
• confirms the findings of
• has reservations about
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 Thinking critically ...Ask
o What are the strengths and weaknesses of these debates?

oWhat evidence is lacking, inconclusive or limited?

oWhat will you add to the topic? What will you do differently?

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 What does critical thinking mean?
• Understanding research on its own terms – testing its viability

• Understanding research in relation to other arguments

• Critiquing research in relation to what you want to do

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Why is it so important to write critically?! Bloom’s Taxomony:
Cognitive Domain (1956) as revised by Anderson & Krathwohl
(2001)

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 Tips for clear writing

• Clear introduction: overview of topic, aim of review and structure

• Clear paragraph structure
• Make sure the subject of your sentence is clear
• Don’t assume knowledge
• Make sure key terminology and difficult ideas are always explained thoroughly
(ask your yourself: does it make sense?)
• Be objective and balanced
• Use signposts to orientate the reader 25
 Common Errors Made in Lit. Reviews
• Review isn’t logically organized
• Review reads like a series of disjointed summaries
• Review isn’t focused on most important facets of the study
• Review doesn’t relate literature to the study
• Too few references or outdated references cited
• Review isn’t written in author’s own words {“PP”}
• Review doesn’t argue a point
• Recent references are omitted 26
 Avoid Plagiarism
Plagiarism includes:
o Using another writer’s words without proper citation
o Using another writer’s ideas without proper citation
o Citing a source but reproducing the exact word without quotation marks
o Borrowing the structure of another author’s phrases/sentences without
giving the source
o Borrowing all or part of another student’s paper
o Using paper-writing service or having a friend write the paper

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 NOTE!
• All sources cited in the literature review should be listed in the references.
• Bibliography X References
• To sum, a literature review should include introduction, summary and critique
of journal articles, justifications for your research project and the hypothesis
for your research project
• Do NOT just take notes—WRITE AS YOU READ.
• CITE AS YOU GO!
• Write with purpose. 28
 Steps for Writing an Article Review

Step 1: Write the Title

•First of all, you need to write a title that reflects the main focus of your work. Respectively, the title
can be either interrogative, descriptive, or declarative.
Step 2: Cite the Article
•Next, create a proper citation for the reviewed article and input it following the title. At this step, the most
important thing to keep in mind is the style of citation specified by your instructor in the requirements for the
paper.
For example, an article citation in the MLA style should look as follows:
•Author’s last and first name. “The title of the article.” Journal’s title and issue(publication date, pages
Example: Abraham John. “The World of Dreams.” Virginia Quarterly 60.2(1991): 125-67
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Step 3: Article Identification
•After your citation, you need to include the identification of your reviewed article:
•Title of the article
•Author
•Title of the journal
•Year of publication
•All of this information should be included in the first paragraph of your paper.
Example:
The report, “Poverty increases school drop-outs,” was written by Brian Faith – a Health officer – in 2000.

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Step 4: Introduction
• Your organization in an assignment like this is of the utmost importance.
• Before embarking on your writing process, you should outline your assignment or use an
article review template to organize your thoughts coherently.
• If you are wondering how to start an article review, begin with an introduction that
mentions the article and your thesis for the review.
• Follow up with a summary of the main points of the article.
• Highlight the positive aspects and facts presented in the publication.
• Critique the publication through identifying gaps, contradictions, disparities in the text, and
unanswered questions.
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Step 5: Summarize the Article

• Make a summary of the article by revisiting what the author has written
about.
• Note any relevant facts and findings from the article.
• Include the author's conclusions in this section.

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Step 6: Critique It
• Present the strengths and weaknesses you have found in the publication.
• Highlight the knowledge that the author has contributed to the field.
• Also, write about any gaps and/or contradictions you have found in the article.
• Take a standpoint of either supporting or not supporting the author's assertions, but back
up your arguments with facts and relevant theories that are pertinent to that area of
knowledge.
• Rubrics and templates can also be used to evaluate and grade the person who wrote the
article.

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 Step 7: Craft a Conclusion
• In this section, revisit the critical points of your piece, your findings in the article, and your critique.
• Also, write about the accuracy, validity, and relevance of the results of the article review.
• Present a way forward for future research in the field of study.
• Before submitting your article, keep these pointers in mind:
• As you read the article, highlight the key points. This will help you pinpoint the article's main argument and the evidence that
they used to support that argument.
• While you write your review, use evidence from your sources to make a point.
• This is best done using direct quotations.
• Select quotes and supporting evidence adequately and use direct quotations sparingly.
• Take time to analyze the article adequately.

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• Every time you reference a publication or use a direct quotation, use a
parenthetical citation to avoid accidentally plagiarizing your article.
• Re-read your piece a day after you finish writing it.
• This will help you to spot grammar mistakes and to notice any flaws in
your organization.
• Use a spell-checker and get a second opinion on your paper.

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 Assignment I
Journal/Article Review
•Make grps of 5 and review the journal/article following the procedures
•Date of submission (2 weeks from date of assignment)
•Presentation may be required

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