Lecture 2

Literature Review

Plan
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Defining Literature Review (LR)

Purpose of a LR
Principles of a LR
LR questions
Organizing the LR
Citation styles
Language features of a LR

Defining LR

A review of the research

that has been done on the
given topic.
review - a report in which somebody gives
their opinion of a book, play, film/movie,
etc.;

Purpose of a LR
to show the reader, in a systematic way,
what is already known about the research
topic as a whole;
to demonstrate that you are familiar with
the existing research in your field that is
relevant to your own topic;
to demonstrate that you understand
exactly how your work relates to the
existing research in your field.

Principles of LR

show respect for the

literature
be focused and critical
avoid mere description

LR questions

What do we already know about the topic?

What do you have to say critically about what
is already known?
Has anyone else done anything similar or
related to what you propose?
Where does your work fit in with what has
been done before?
Why is your research worth doing, in the light
of what has already been done?

Organizing the LR
listing key concepts related to your topic,
and writing a separate section or
subsection about each.
Some common organizing patterns:
General specific
Chronological (narrating the historical
development of research or debate)
Comparing/contrasting theories,
procedures etc.

Citation
Citation - reference to the work of others.
1. to quote (i.e. use exactly the same words
as the source);
2. to paraphrase (i.e. use your own words
to express the idea in a different way).

Citation styles

Integral citations (author prominent

citations) tend to focus the readers
attention more on the researcher and
rather less on the research;
Non-integral citations (research
prominent (or information prominent
citations) focus attention more on the
research and less on the individual
researchers involved.

Language features of a LR
Tense choice in citation verbs

Past Simple tense: for reference to a single study (often in author

prominent citations);

Present Perfect tense: for reference to an Area of Research

(generally research prominent citations);

Present Simple tense: for reference to generally accepted

knowledge in the field

http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/referring-to-sources/