Writing

Literature
Review
 Simple definition
A Process
• A literature review surveys, summarizes, and links
information about a given topic!
• A literature review provides context and background
for your work.
• It’s an essay, a synthesis of information relevant to
your work.
• Usually leads a full-length original study as a way
of introducing the general topic
TOPIC SELECTION
Work with your lecturer/peers to select your topic.

Examine a wide array of resources for ideas on topic selection:

Textbooks
Titles and abstracts of other articles
Broad theories (as areas for exploration)
Delimitations (to find a niche)
Remember to brainstorm with other individuals.
Research Strategies
Do not develop an outline at this stage. Research first. Outline later.

Be professional in your selection of sources.

Peer-reviewed articles are a BIG deal.

Databases are the important resource for a literature review assignment.

Abstract databases are helpful; if used, be sure to order articles. You

must read and cite the entire article.

Cast your net wide.

Remember to use your database’s thesaurus to explore more options for

research.

Use every search tool available to you. Google Scholar can be useful . You
can also use the UMLIB sources .
 Evaluating &
Interpreting Research

Ensure your information is both accurate and unbiased.

Some Internet sources can be very up-to-date and therefore can be
used if statistics are required.
Be guarded against any research that claims to “prove” an idea. Clear
results are rare.
Consider each study’s methods, measurements, and significance to
evaluate whether you should use it.
Finally, take caution when you encounter research studies--especially
qualitative research studies--that attempt to show connection.
 Organizing & Outlining
Organization is key to the construction of an effective literature review.

Let your outline flow from your research.

Good organization begins with careful research.

Take thorough research notes. Begin grouping your sources by topic,

delimitation, and chronology.

Pay extremely good attention to key definitions as you do your research.

Establish which studies are going to be most important for your review;
take more thorough notes on these studies.

However, avoid too many quotations in your notes. Learn how to

paraphrase well.
Organizing & Outlining
Create a topic outline before you begin drafting
In your literature review’s Introduction:
Identify the topic
Establish the topic’s importance
Define any crucial terms
Engage in any theoretical discussions that are necessary for the logic of
your literature review
Arrange the raw research. This part of outlining will be considerably
easier if you’ve done a good job organizing the data ahead of time (i.e.,
worked from piles!).
Remember as you outline: Logical cohesion and flow are vital!
Drafting Strategies
Follow your topic outline as you write.
Develop and maintain a logical progression (think: giant funnel).
This paper is not a (glorified) list.
Demonstrate consistencies in and relationships between the
literature you’ve studied.
Likewise, emphasize the stronger studies (e.g., have better
measurements or more consistent methods) over ones that are
weaker.
Make the implications of your information and any suggestions
for further research as specific as possible.
 A sample paragraph with
transitions

Researchers have conducted studies about siblings of special needs and autistic children because this group is vulnerable to adjustment difficulties (Cuskelly,
1999). In fact, specialists have compared the sibling-autism relationship to the MR relationship. They have also studied the importance of the family, and
particularly the mother, in this relationship. In addition, Kaminsky and Dewey (2001) found that the autism-sibling relationship is characterized by less intimacy
and pro-social behavior. This study likewise reports that these relationships were marked by fewer instances of quarreling. While this phenomenon may occur
because of the unique situation of the autism-sibling relationship, less fighting is also a positive illustration of a relationship marked by more admiration.
Furthermore, Rivers and Stoneman (2003) define this relationship as asymmetrical. These results are also similar to the MR-sibling relationship, as reported by
Knott, et al. (1995). Rivers and Stoneman (2003) reveal, too, that parents worry about the autism-sibling relationship in their families. The importance of the
family’s influence on the autism-sibling relationship is very useful for this research study and thus, will be discussed in the conclusion of the literature review.
Introduction
& Conclusion

Introduction: Explain literature review structure.

Thesis: Establish the logical progression.

Conclusion: Specifically identify the study that

will follow (i.e., your original study!) as a result of
this literature review.
 Drafting: Pitfalls to Avoid
Unprofessional language: Avoid the appearance of cheekiness or
emotional appeal.

Don’t plagiarize! Be extremely careful with your paraphrasing.

Too many quotations: Only quote those elements which need the utmost
precision.

Lack of Fluency and Cohesiveness: Your literature review should not read
like a list of facts.

Use transitions to develop fluency. APA headings do not substitute for

transitions.

Show connections between the literature

Develop your thesis in the paper itself.

Types of writing
literature review

• First type :CHRONOLOGICAL: This is a common approach,

especially for topics that have been talked about for a long time
and have changed over their history. Organize it in stages of how
the topic has changed: the first definitions of it, then major time
periods of change as researchers talked about it, then how it is
thought about today.
Type 2: COMPARISON TO PRESENT HYPOTHESIS: If
your literature review is part of an empirical article or meta-
analysis, where you intend to present a hypothesis and come to a
conclusion, you can organize the literature review to show the
articles that share or support your hypothesis, and those that
disagree with it. This gives a chance to show the strengths of the
supporting research, discuss any validity/methodology issues
with past research that disagrees with your findings, and explain
how the past research leads up to and supports yours.
Type 3 : BROAD-TO-SPECIFIC: Another approach is to start
with a section on the general type of issue you're reviewing, then
narrow down to increasingly specific issues in the literature until
you reach the articles that are most specifically similar to your
research question, thesis statement, hypothesis, or proposal. This
can be a good way to introduce a lot of background and related
facets of your topic when there is not much directly on your topic
but you are tying together many related, broader articles.
Type 4 : MAJOR MODELS or MAJOR THEORIES: When there are multiple models or
prominent theories, it is a good idea to outline the theories or models that are applied the most
in your articles. That way you can group the articles you read by the theoretical framework
that each prefers, to get a good overview of the prominent approaches to your concept.

Type 5: CONTRASTING SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT: If you find a dominant argument

comes up in your research, with researchers taking two sides and talking about how the other
is wrong, you may want to group your literature review by those schools of thought and
contrast the differences in their approaches and ideas.
Type 6: PROBLEM->SOLUTION: This approach groups quotations from articles
first that introduce and describe the problem or problems being addressed in your
research. Then group articles by types of solutions that are proposed in the articles.

Type 7: PROCESS FLOW: If your literature review centers around part of a

process, you may want to describe the stages in that process and group your
citations by different stages or steps in that process. Remember, a single article may
have several quotes from different sections, each going with a different part of the
process! That way you can use many articles' descriptions of your process, or
compare and contrast different approaches to it.
LITERATURE
REVIEW
PLANNING
THE WRITING PLAN
Introduction :

Usually only one or two paragraphs, unless (depending on

the size and nature of the literature review) the introduction
also includes substantial background/context material.

• Offers a concise synthesis, or overview, of the literature,

summing up what you have found and commenting on the
conclusions reached (argument/discussion). In the
introduction quoted in Example 4, overview comments have
been put in bold.
 EXAMPLE OF
INTRODUCTORY
PARAGRAPHS
 Another example
Topic: The influence of environment on
childhood literacy

A.  Introduction of the key ways environment

influences childhood literacy
 BODY:
• Sections and sub-sections are arranged logically.
• Each new section has a brief critical overview of the
literature.
• Sources are cited to support a point, not merely
listed or described without comment. Much of a
literature review is factual, but it should be framed
by discussion.
• Avoid repetition and verbosity by grouping sources
that have similar findings.
 Example :

Topic: The influence of environment on

childhood literacy
•Findings on home and classroom as most
critical environmental influences (Seli, 2009;
Rueda, 2012; Sundt and Pascarella, 2010; and
Dembo, 1998).
.
 CONCLUSION OR
SUMMARY:
• Concluding paragraph reiterates overall
assessment of the literature.
• In a thesis, should discuss the gap or
shortcomings in research that the thesis is
intended to satisfy.
 Example :
Topic: The influence of environment
on childhood literacy
• Main conclusions are that teachers can influence
classroom environment and relates to my study in the
areas of technology as part of classroom environment
Starting a paragraph with an
argument sentence
This technique
• Makes it clear to the reader what conclusion you
have reached about the material in the paragraph

• Reinforces the fact that you are presenting a review

of the literature, not merely a factual report.

The argument sentence is then supported by the

discussion of sources that follows.
EXAMPLE: ARGUMENT
SENTENCES
Consider the series of sentences in
an example from an article about
suicide:
• Each sentence quoted introduces a paragraph of
literature review.

• Each sentence sums up the literature about a

specific issue affecting suicide, indicating where
the evidence is strong (bolded words in sentences
1-3) or uncertain (bolded words in sentences 4-5).

• Reading these opening sentences consecutively,

there is a clear logical order to the review material,
beginning with the most major and definite
findings, then considering other possibilities.
 EXAMPLES OF
ARGUMENT COMMENTS
 PROVIDING
ADEQUATE DETAIL
• There needs to be enough detail about the literature you are
describing to support the conclusions you draw, and avoid
misleading the reader.
• Some typical issues are:
• • Generalizing on the basis of only one study, especially if it is
very limited.
• • Comparing studies without noting significant differences
 Avoiding a repetitive
style
• Avoid beginning every sentence with a citation e.g. Jones’ (2002) study
found…. Green et al.’s (2004) research revealed…. Smith and Brown’s
(2009) findings showed….

• This style:

• • is tedious to read

• • encourages the descriptive listing of sources rather than review

• • suggests the literature has not been adequately analysed

• • lengthens the review, as sources are less likely to be appropriately

grouped Sentences that begin with a comment (see sections 1 and 2
above) are much more interesting to read, and guide the reader through a
well-digested overview of the literature
 LIMIT YOUR USE OF THE
PASSIVE VOICE
• The active voice refers to sentences constructed in the
following order: subject – verb – object . For e.g. :The cat
sat on the mat.
• The passive voice uses the order: object – verb – subject e.g.
The mat was sat on by the cat.
• This very simple example shows clearly how the passive
sounds more awkward and uses more words.
• Example : The participants were surveyed by Jones
(2002),and it was found that…(passive)
• Jones (2002) surveyed the participants and found…
(active)
Sample of branching
the sub topics
SAMPLE