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Crafting a comprehensive literature review for your Master of Science (MSc) dissertation can be an

arduous task, demanding extensive research, critical analysis, and adept synthesis of existing
scholarly works. It requires meticulous attention to detail and a deep understanding of the subject
matter to produce a high-quality literature review that not only demonstrates your grasp of the field
but also contributes valuable insights to your research.

The process of writing a literature review entails:

1. Thorough Research: Conducting in-depth research to identify relevant academic sources,


including scholarly articles, books, journals, and other publications related to your topic of
study.
2. Critical Evaluation: Assessing the credibility, validity, and relevance of the identified
sources to determine their suitability for inclusion in your literature review. This involves
analyzing the methodology, findings, and arguments presented in each source.
3. Synthesis and Organization: Synthesizing the information gathered from various sources to
develop a coherent narrative that presents the existing knowledge and debates surrounding
your research topic. Organizing the literature logically to highlight key themes, theories, and
gaps in the literature.
4. Writing and Formatting: Articulating your ideas clearly and concisely, adhering to academic
writing conventions and formatting guidelines specified by your institution. Proper citation
and referencing are essential to acknowledge the contributions of other scholars and avoid
plagiarism.
5. Revision and Editing: Reviewing and refining your literature review to ensure clarity,
coherence, and accuracy of information. Editing for grammar, punctuation, and style to
enhance readability and academic integrity.

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Extremities: Ignoring center ground positions by focusing only on the extreme ends of a spectrum of
alternatives. Tautology. Much of the information used in an annotated bibliography can be used also
in a literature review, so you’ll be not only partially drafting your lit review as you research, but also
developing your sense of the larger conversation going on among scholars, professionals, and any
other stakeholders in your topic. Selected instances: Picking out unusual or unrepresentative
examples (see the module on case selection). The AI-powered APA Citation Checker points out
every error, tells you exactly what’s wrong, and explains how to fix it. Step 9: Clearly State The
Objectives Of Your Literature Review In this step, it’s important to explicitly state the objectives of
your literature review. Some journals are now favouring the publication of rather short reviews
focusing on the last few years, with a limit on the number of words and citations. Step 5: Make an
Outline Although students tend to neglect this stage, outlining is one of the most important steps in
writing every academic paper. In reviews written by multiple authors, this may be achieved by
assigning the review of the results of a coauthor to different coauthors. Let’s do a quick recap of the
key takeaways: It is essential to understand the WHY of the literature review before you read or
write anything. For MLA style text, apply the following guidelines: Double your spacing across the
entire paper. How To Write A Literature Review Introduction In 10 Steps When it comes to writing
an introduction to a literature review, there are a few key steps to keep in mind. START HERE Steps
to Completing a Literature Review. Literature reviews provide you with a handy guide to a
particular topic. Author Anne Lamott (1995) terms these “shitty first drafts” and we all write them.
They can be one chapter of a doctoral dissertation. This type of review is common in technological
and scientific fields but can be applied to any discipline. The problem statement Many scholarly
works begin with a problem statement. Hopefully, this sample outline will help you to structure your
own paper. Quotations for definitions are okay, but reserve quotes for when someone says something
so well you couldn’t possible phrase it differently. For example, under “Methods” (level 1) you may
have subsections for “Sampling Method” and “Data Analysis” (level 2). Learn more about how
Pressbooks supports open publishing practices. 14 Writing a Literature Review: Introduction Often
the place where thesis students embark on their writing journey, the literature review is also the
section where students can struggle the most. Applied Social Research Methods (3rd ed.). Thousand
Oaks, California: SAGE Publications. Keep your own voice While the literature review presents
others’ ideas, your voice (the writer’s) should remain front and center. Primary argument: Succinctly
communicate what you aim to prove, explain, or explore through the review of existing literature.
Third, add transitions between the paragraphs, as well as an introductory and concluding paragraph.
1 A literature review that is part of a larger research paper typically does not have to be exhaustive.
The academic proofreading tool has been trained on 1000s of academic texts and by native English
editors. This is awesome! I wish I come across GradCoach earlier enough. PDF INTRODUCTION
TO LITERATURE REVIEWS Your introduction should clearly explain the overall research topic
and the depth of the information to be presented; it often also explains the types of sources that will
be used. In this way, the LR brings forth the research gaps, which leads to further research process at
the researcher’s end. Simply click on a heading and WorldCat Discovery will do a search and retrieve
all other materials on that topic.
Some journals are now favouring the publication of rather short reviews focusing on the last few
years, with a limit on the number of words and citations. Literature reviews also provide a solid
background for a research paper’s investigation. Illegitimate definition: Closing down alternatives by
giving a restrictive definition. Crafting an effective introduction is crucial to engage your readers and
set the stage for your review. What other sections you include in the body is up to you. Step 3: Read
Critically Before reading the article, ask yourself the following: What is my research question.
Contextualization: Enables researchers to understand how their work fits into the broader academic
conversation and contributes to the existing body of knowledge. Create a matrix of the studies for
easy analysis, and synthesis, across all of the studies. In search of information on Find out how to
Write a Literature Review. It may not be a term you are familiar with, but you are likely familiar
with the concept. This article has been adapted into lecture slides that you can use to teach your
students about writing a literature review. It may be helpful to have another person read through
your draft(s) and provide feedback. 6. Incorporate the literature review into your research paper
draft. Right? Wrong! The “literature” of a literature review refers to any collection of materials on a
topic, not necessarily the great literary texts of the world. “Literature” could be anything from a set
of government pamphlets on British colonial methods in Africa to scholarly articles on the treatment
of a torn ACL. If you are writing a review on, for example, how epidemiological approaches are
used in modelling the spread of ideas, you may be inclined to include material from both parent
fields, epidemiology and the study of cultural diffusion. Even if there isn’t a dedicated introduction
section. If you cite the selected sources at the initial stage, you will find it easier to create your
annotated bibliography later on. Example 1: An effective introduction for an academic literature
review paper To begin, let’s delve into the introduction of an academic literature review paper. Try to
analyze the patterns, turning points, and key debates that have shaped the direction of the field.
Literature Review Tips for the Introduction and Discussion Sections A literature review is a
summary of studies related to a particular area of research. Understanding, distilling and organising
the literature. History: The chronological progression of the field, the literature, or an idea that is
necessary to understand the literature review, if the body of the literature review is not already a
chronology. Some useful databases to search for journals and articles include: Your university’s
library catalogue Google Scholar Project Muse (humanities and social sciences) Medline (life
sciences and biomedicine) EconLit (economics) Inspec (physics, engineering and computer science)
You can also use boolean operators to help narrow down your search. Browse the results; choose 2 or
3 that are relevant. Include a header at the top of every page (in capital letters). I usually recommend
Mendeley for this purpose (see the Mendeley 101 video below), but you can use whichever software
you’re comfortable with. It also ensures neither the research analysis was done before nor it is a
replication study. Highlight your main arguments from the body of the literature review and preview
your conclusion. The lit review is an important genre in many disciplines, not just literature (i.e., the
study of works of literature such as novels and plays). At this stage it can be helpful to write down a
description of the research question, area, or topic that you will be reviewing, as well as to identify
any keywords that you will be using to search for relevant research. 2. Conduct a literature search.
Step 10: Provide A Brief Preview Of The Main Sections As you conclude your introduction, offer a
brief preview of the main sections or themes that you will cover in your literature review.
For instance, the review might examine whaling from pre-1600-1699, 1700-1799, and 1800-1899.
As asserted by Julian Agyeman (2005), structural inequalities that sustain the domination of political
and economic elites often simultaneously result in environmental degradation, injustice and
discrimination against subaltern communities. Introduction: This explains the broad context of your
research area and the main topics you are investigating. When you find a useful book or article, you
can check the bibliography to find other relevant sources. The most interesting literature reviews are
often written as arguments (again, as mentioned at the beginning of the page, this is discipline-
specific and doesn’t work for all situations). In the case of Introduction, the researcher must offer
detailed information about the context and the intellectual narration about the topic. For example, if
you are reviewing literature about inequalities in migrant health outcomes, key themes might include
healthcare policy, language barriers, cultural attitudes, legal status, and economic access. Now, as you
know about the general rules and have a basic literature review outline template, let's define the steps
to take to handle this task right with our service: Step 1: Identifying the Topic This is probably the
only matter you may approach differently depending on whether your literature review comes within
a research paper or a separate assignment altogether. My code has substantially improved how I
organize papers and has informed me of key publications and discoveries in my research field:
something that would have taken more time and experience in the field otherwise. You are free to re-
use or distribute this work, provided credit is given to ILRI. So, what exactly is the purpose of the
literature review. You start with some articles about the physiology of sperm whales in biology
journals written in the 1980’s. Why conduct a literature review, stages of a literature review, lit
reviews: an overview (video), check out these books. Literature reviews also define the primary
concepts. In the beginning, GOD created the heavens and earth. Determine the most important and
relevant information from each source, theories, findings, etc. There are three ways in which you can
use literature reviews in the discussion section: To Provide Context for Your Study Using studies
from the literature review helps to set the foundation for how you will reveal your findings and
develop your ideas. Example: For the source- United Nations International Children's Emergency
Fund. Also, use guides to the literature to identify relevant sources to be searched. Thank you for
this whole literature writing review.You have simplified the process. Analysis: Involves critically
evaluating and summarizing key findings, methodologies, and debates found in academic literature.
More and more cultural studies scholars are accepting popular media as a subject worthy of
academic consideration. That overview is typically known as a literature review. Drug discovery
employing pharmacogentic principles provides. Writing the Literature Review by Sara Efrat Efron;
Ruth Ravid. As you read the article make note of the following: Who is the intended audience for
this article. Researchers can explore methods and concepts to help design research projects,
understand a particular method or identify a new method, and write up research. Signposting refers
to the words used to identify the organization and structure of your literature review to your reader.
What aspects have generated significant debate on the topic. Assessing the contribution of papers
that have just appeared is particularly challenging, because there is little perspective with which to
gauge their significance and impact on further research and society.
Conducting Your Literature Review by Susanne Hempel. In this post, I’ll show you exactly how to
write a literature review in three straightforward steps, so you can conquer this vital chapter (the
smart way). The only proofreading tool specialized in correcting academic writing - try for free.
Palgrave Macmillan (Palgrave study skills), Basingstoke, Hampshire Book Google Scholar
Download references Author information Authors and affiliations. Findings related to hypothesis
and theory: discussion Main conclusions on patterns and suggestion of plausible theory to account
for the relationships in the pattern. What is the current status of research in this area. However, such
temperature-sensitive mutants do have their limitations. It can be helpful to make an annotated
bibliography, where you compile full citation information and write a paragraph of summary and
analysis for each source. When searching the literature for pertinent papers and reviews, the usual
rules apply: be thorough, use different keywords and database sources (e.g., DBLP, Google Scholar,
ISI Proceedings, JSTOR Search, Medline, Scopus, Web of Science), and look at who has cited past
relevant papers and book chapters. You can use it to discuss various theories, models, and definitions
of key concepts. Use the same font for headings and body text (e.g., Times New Roman 12pt.).
Don’t label headings with numbers or letters. What is the author's purpose in writing this article.
Something to be conducted at the end of your research. Effective academic writing requires proper
paragraph structuring to guide your reader through your argumentation. However, there are three
common mistakes that researchers make when including literature reviews in the discussion section.
We’ve written a step-by-step guide that you can follow below. Illegitimate definition: Closing down
alternatives by giving a restrictive definition. Another thing you can do is to group what you have
read into different topics or themes. For professionals, they are useful reports that keep them up to
date with what is current in the field. SAGE Study Skills. Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE
Publications. Often, the literature review is where you can establish your research as filling a
particular gap or as relevant in a particular way. This is where you’ll present, analyse, evaluate and
synthesise the existing research. Rule 9: Include Your Own Relevant Research, but Be Objective In
many cases, reviewers of the literature will have published studies relevant to the review they are
writing. Reading Academic Literature Academic journals publish the results of research studies
performed by experts in an academic discipline. This serves as a roadmap for readers, giving them an
overview of the content they can expect in the subsequent sections. Lit reviews can take many
different organizational patterns depending on what you are trying to accomplish with the review.
Do not approach this like a reflective journal entry. London: Pearson. You may reproduce it for non-
commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Make a Gift The Sheridan Libraries Write a Literature Review
Sheridan Libraries Find This link opens in a new window Evaluate This link opens in a new window
What Will You Do Differently. This link opens in a new window Contact a Librarian Ask a Librarian
Definition: A literature review is a systematic examination and synthesis of existing scholarly
research on a specific topic or subject. Seek clarification from your instructor for several other
components as well to establish a desired literature review format: How many sources should you
review, and what kind of sources should they be (published materials, journal articles, or websites).
On the one hand, if you take several years to choose, several other people may have had the same
idea in the meantime. Also, check our Performance Review Sample and conduct custom assessments
easily. It’s perfectly natural to adjust as you engage in the writing process. Articles come from more
than 1,900 academic journals, trade magazines, and professional publications. Using referencing
software from the very beginning of your endeavour will save you time. There are so many issues in
contemporary science that you could spend a lifetime of attending conferences and reading the
literature just pondering what to review. Literature reviews are both an informative and persuasive
genre of academic writing. This is the reason, many literature reviews are mistily focused. Avoiding
Bad Stats and the Benefits of Playing Trivia with Friends: PancakesC. The Psychology of Courtship
Review, Example and Challenge 15. It might give a new interpretation of old material or combine
new with old interpretations. This should be followed by the overview or the simple outline, which
includes the scope of work (in this case, it is the scope of review). Give your interpretation of how
and why certain developments occurred (as mentioned previously, this may not be appropriate in
your discipline — check with a teacher or mentor if you’re unsure). While focus is an important
feature of a successful review, this requirement has to be balanced with the need to make the review
relevant to a broad audience. May I request that you email me the free template? Thank you. Provide
the foundation for your conceptual framework (if you have one) Inform your own methodology and
research design. For a person doing a literature review this would include tasks such as recognition,
retrieval and recollection of the relevant literature. We are 100% assured that our above sample
literature reviews have provided the essential help needed. PDF How to Write a Literature Review
How to Write a Literature Review Literature reviews are a vital part of a research project or paper,
and they are particularly important during graduate school. As a publication, a lit review usually is
meant to help make other scholars’ lives easier by collecting and summarizing, synthesizing, and
analyzing existing research on a topic. Is there any detailed template, additional to this. Royal
Literary Fund: Writing a Literature Review A guide to writing literature reviews from the Royal
Literary Fund What it means to be a critical student A brief and very useful video tutorial from the
University of Leicester. The main aim of the same is to know, assess and precis the dings of all
relevant individual studies over a health-related issue. False context: Giving examples out of context
or using nothing but hypothetical scenarios. So, what exactly is the purpose of the literature review.
Try to analyse patterns, turning points and key debates that have shaped the direction of the field.
You might argue for the relevance of a specific theoretical approach, or combine various theoretical
concepts to create a framework for your research. A methodological scope will influence either the
types of documents in the review or the way in which these documents are discussed. Producing a
literature review may also be part of graduate and post-graduate student work, including in the
preparation of a thesis, dissertation, or a journal article. Also, it helps in tracking and figuring out the
flaws associated or linked with the previous research.

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