Writing a Literature Review

Why write a literature review?

As a researcher, you have the responsibility of finding out what research has been done in your
subject area. At the beginning, you may know very little about your topic. Don’t worry, this is
normal. Undertaking a literature review gives you the credibility and authority in your chosen
subject to complete your project. You will be able to identify what has been written about your
chosen area and locate it in the wider picture. Not only will you be able to identify key features
of the area, but you will also find out about the appropriate research methods and how to use
them. It is through the evaluation of other people’s work that you will be able to frame your
study and identify any gaps that might exist.

What is a literature review?

 History – Your literature review will provide a history of the subject area you are
investigating. This will provide a context for your study, as well as give you the
appropriate language and vocabulary to use.
 Research Methods – Not only will you be looking at the history of the subject area, but
the different methodologies used to investigate the subject area will also be of interest.
They will help you in choosing the most appropriate method for your study as well as in
investigating those which were not successful.
 Current situation – You’ll need to have an understanding of the most up to date
arguments in your chosen subject area. This will mean knowing the relevant theories
and concepts and will give you the opportunity to identify your own research questions.
 Results – Part of your review will contain results from other writers and researchers
which you will use for comparison with your own results in the discussion section of
your project.
 Analysis – It is expected that you will write a critical literature review. In other words,
you will give an objective account of the literature that has been undertaken,
highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the various studies, and determining space
for your own research project.
 Structure – The mapping out of your literature review will be key to the development of
your project. You might find that an approach which reviews the various studies in order
of their appearance in time (chronological) might be appropriate. Another approach
would be to organise the literature methodologically, where each section focuses on a
different method. Or you could structure the review under different themes. The key
element will be to make reference to your own research and the review should lead
logically to your own research questions.
Steps in writing a literature review

1. Identify key terms to search for.

2. Conduct initial literature search – consult an academic liaison librarian to help with your
search (https://libguides.brunel.ac.uk/slls). Meeting with your course tutor will give you
an opportunity to discuss ideas and your topic, and this will give you key terms to search
for in the databases.
3. Examine hits of initial search
 Make notes – which articles are relevant? Are there useful references in the
reference lists of these articles?
 Revise search terms – no hits were achieved, or only irrelevant information found. It
might be worth speaking to the academic liaison librarian.
 Start search again
4. Read and make notes from key sources (see advice sheet on Critical Reading)
5. Examine notes and write into a table.
6. Develop structure or plan of the literature review – if you are a visual person, you might
want to use a mind map, if not, then a detailed linear outline will be very helpful. This
should help you to determine themes or issues whose literature needs to be investigated.
7. Write the review – edit and proofread (see advice sheet on Proofreading and Editing).
8. Check through again – does the structure work?

Summary

Here is a list of questions a literature review should answer:

 What are the key theories, concepts and ideas?

 What are the key studies that have been done in the area?
 Where does your study fit in with these studies and the theories?
 Has the literature you have looked at been analysed and critiqued?
 Does your literature review have a structure (i.e. not just a list of references or
studies)?