6. Define important terms in your study.

Aside from the informal and formal

Ways, definitions can be made operationally or conceptually. An operational

Definition is a type of definition specifically made for your study, while a

Conceptual definition is the definition of a term which is generally used in a

Specific discipline. This definition is oftentimes used by scholars. Citations are

Often required when using conceptual definitions.

7. If you cannot explain some concepts in detail due to space constraints, you

May direct the readers to a particular scholarly work that discusses the said

Topic more extensively.

8. Use cohesive devices throughout the literature review to link one idea to

Another.

9. Use headings and subheadings.

10. Be sure to apply the principle of cohesiveness when writing your literature

Review.

11. Use direct quotation sparingly.

12. Write a brief synthesis at the end of the literature review to show how these scholarly works shape
your paper, and to further reinforce the research gap that

These studies have yet to fill.

13. Survey all possible sources before claiming that no studies have been
Conducted on a particular topic or saying that your topic is underexplored.

14. Cite your sources.

-Important Skills in Drafting the Literature Review

Synthesizing: This skill involves the review of several references that talk

About the same subject and consolidating them into one cohesive text. Synthesizing

Can be done at the micro and macro levels.

•Microlevel synthesis involves the

Consolidation of ideas to explain a concept.

To effectively perform microlevel

Synthesis, you may follow these strategies:

1. Look into and take note of related ideas in the materials you are examining.

2. Cluster the ideas shared among the materials, determine those that are distinct,

And put them in a separate list.

3. Decide on how you will arrange the ideas. Discuss first the common ideas to

Give a general overview of the topic. Then, present the distinct ideas and relate

Them to your study.

 4. Use multiple citations if one idea can be found in several sources.

5. Insert the corresponding citations while writing the synthesis.

•Macrolevel synthesis, on the other hand, is performed when several studies are

Consolidated to establish a research gap and not just to explain a concept. It also

Involves drawing conclusions based on the similarities and differences of the

Reviewed references and studies. This type of synthesis does not only involve the description of certain
aspects in these materials such as the methods and

Conclusions generated.

Here

Are some strategies that you can use in synthesizing your references:

1. Note any similarities and differences across your references that are relevant

To your paper.

2. Take note of issues that were not addressed by your references.

3. Arrange the related studies and references logically; this can be done either

Thematically or chronologically.
 4. Draw conclusions about the materials to highlight their importance.

•Note-taking is another skill that you can particularly use in drafting the

Literature review as well as in the other stages of the research undertaking. It

Involves writing information from a source text and integrating this information into

Your current study. Two of the most common forms of notetaking in writing academic

Works are summarizing and paraphrasing.

-Summarizing is a form of note-taking that involves condensing a lengthy

Piece of source material. It can be done in two ways: an outline or a non-outline

Form.

-Paraphrasing is a form of note-taking that involves rewording ideas from the

Original text in a more detailed way. Since paraphrasing focuses on the details and

Not only on the main idea, the length of a paraphrased text is almost the same as

That of the original text. Paraphrasing is typically done to simplify a complex text.