2023年6月24日发(作者：)

What is a literature review

How to Write A Literature review |What is a literature

review?

A literature review may be presented as a paper on its own,

or it can be contained as an integral part of an article,

research proposal, research report or dissertation.

It describes, compares, contrasts and evaluates the major

theories, arguments, themes, methodologies, approaches

and controversies in the scholarly literature on a subject. It

also connects, compares and contrasts these arguments,

themes and methodologies etc., with the concerns of a

proposed piece of research (that is, the aims of the essay,

research project or thesis, the research questions, and the

central hypothesis). The literature review is:

not an annotated bibliography

not a summary of each of your sources listed one by one

not just a descriptive summary of the historical background

to your topic

In a literature review, your central focus is examining and

evaluating what has been said before on a topic, and

establishing the relevance of this information to your own research. You may also identify what has not

been said in the literature on a subject (this is called ‘a gap

in the literature’, and filling such gaps with new knowledge

is a particular interest of postgraduate scholarship). You may

also need to discuss the methodologies that have been

used in the literature and how these relate to your chosen

method.

The literature broadly refers to information relevant to your

topic of interest. Such works may deal specifically or more

generally with your topic of interest. While such information

may be obtained from a variety of sources, including books,

journal articles, reports, etc., the focus is on scholarly

published source material it can be categorised

as a:

Primary source: Original research from journals, articles or

conferences, original materials such as historical documents,

or creative works such as art or literature.

Secondary source: Evaluations, reviews or syntheses of

original work

Tertiary source: Broadly scoped material put together

usually from secondary sources to provide an overview, e.g.

a textbook. To limit the scope of your work, you will need to decide

what literature to select for your review. In general, the

source material is appropriate if it has:

relevance – it should contribute to the development of

your topic, clarify your position, provide an alternative point

of view you wish to argue against or provide useful primary

source material.

authority – it should be published in a reputable journal,

have been critically evaluated, been used extensively as a

source material, been peer reviewed or be a recognised

authority in the area.

currency – it should be recent research or still be influential

in the area.

Since a literature review is information dense, it is crucial

that the work is intelligently structured to enable a reader to

grasp the key arguments with ease.

1. Cite: keep the primary focus on the literature.

2. Compare the various arguments, theories, methodologies, approaches and findings expressed in the literature: what do

the authors agree on? Who employs similar approaches?

3. Contrast the various arguments, themes, methodologies,

approaches and controversies expressed in the literature:

what are the major areas of disagreement, controversy,

debate?

4. Critique the literature: which arguments are more

persuasive, and why? Which approaches, findings,

methodologies seem most reliable, valid, or appropriate,

and why? Pay attention to the verbs you use to describe

what it is an author says/does: e.g. asserts, demonstrates,

etc.

5. Connect the literature to your own area of research and

investigation: how does your own work draw on/depart

from/synthesise what has been said in the literature?