LITERATURE

REVIEW

By S Mwanza
MCOM, BBA, PGDE, AIBZ, SAAA
Literature review
A search and evaluation of the available
literature in a given subject area. It involves
- Surveying (searching & obtaining) the
literature in your chosen topic
- Synthesizing the information gathered into
a summary
- Critically analyzing information gathered
to identify areas of controversy and identify
research gaps
Reasons for conducting literature
review
Bourner (1996) identifies the following
reasons:
To identify gaps in current knowledge
To carry on from where others have
already reached-build on existing
knowledge
To identify researchers in your field:-
researcher network
To increase your breath of knowledge in
your subject area
Reasons cont.
To enable you to position your project
relative to other work
To identify opposing views
To put your work in perspective
To demonstrate that you can access
previous work in an area
To identify information & ideas that may
be relevant to your project
To identify research methods that may be
relevant to your study
Reasons cont…
Develop a deeper understanding of the
problem, its context and major
components
provides some background knowledge to
your research question/s and objectives-
gives a more scholarly research
Identify and gain insight into the
theoretical perspective of the problem and
trends that have emerged
Reasons cont.
Helps identify the issues surrounding the research
question (what is already known about the problem)
Helps to identify issues and variables related to the
research topic
Helps to identify appropriate research
methodologies and techniques
Helps to establish a theoretical framework upon
which to base the research
Keeping abreast of on-going work in the area of
interest
Indicates that the researcher is knowledgeable about
the topic
Steps in conducting literature review
Synthesize and evaluate information
-reading strategy: take note of themes, or
categories
-analyze & compare sources by considering
the main arguments, agreements, which
author has convincing arguments, why?,
where do authors agree
Identify the main ideas of literature
-identify main ideas & trends pertaining to
your study
Steps cont.
Identify the main argument of the
literature review
-the main idea you would want your readers
to understand
Organize the main points of the literature
review
-organize the relevant aspects in a coherent
order, supporting ideas, examples & sources
that you will use for each theme
Steps cont.
Write the literature review using the
following structure:
1. Introduction
Introduce your topic focusing on the main
idea or argument about the literature review
you are reviewing, introduce variables in
your study & highlight their significance
2. Body-group literature according to
common themes
Steps cont.
-proceed from the general, wider view of
the research under review to the specific
problem
3. Conclusion
-summarize your findings from literature
review
-what does the literature provide
-where is literature lacking (gap)
-outline issues pertinent to your study
Tips in writing
Do not just summarize what others have
published
Provide a critical discussion showing insight
and awareness of differing arguments,
theories & approaches & link them to your
study
Use linking words e.g. Authors with similar
opinions : similarly, in addition, also, again,
in the same vein, etc.
-If the authors disagree: however, on the other
hand, conversely, nevertheless, etc.
5 C’S OF LITERATURE
REVIEW
 The 5Cs of writing a literature review:
 a) Cite: keep the primary focus on the literature.
 b) Compare the various arguments, theories, methodologies, approaches
 and findings expressed in the literature: what do authors agree on? Who
 employees similar approaches?
 c) Contrast the various arguments, theories, methodologies, approaches,
 controversies expressed in the literature: what are the major areas of
 disagreement, controversy, debate?
 d) Critique the literature: which arguments are more persuasive and why?
 Which approaches, findings, methodologies seem most reliable, valid
 or appropriate and why? Pay attention to the verbs you use to describe
 what it is an author says/does, for example, asserts, demonstrates and
 so on.
 e) Connect the literature to your own area of research and investigation:
 how does your own work draw on/depart from/ synthesise what has
 been said in the literature?
 Literature review.
Use present tense when referring to the
author’s opinion e.g. argues, claims, states,
asserts, highlights, reinforces, propounds ...
-Although Pasuwa (2013) argues that attacking
is the best way to defend, Gorowa (2013)
claims that---,
And use past tense when referring to specific
research or experiments
- A study by Moyo (2010) found that -- or
Moyo’s (2010) study found that---
Do not use ‘I’ BUT the ‘researcher’
Use active rather than a passive voice e.g.
‘The results support the theory’ rather than
‘The theory is supported by the results’
Do not plagiarize- presenting someone’s
work as if it is yours. Every time you use
someone’s idea, recognise the author/s by
citing in the text and references
Literature Review
Paraphrase authors’ view in your own
words, direct quotes should be used
sparingly, done by quoting exact words
and indicate author, year of publication
and page number .
Demonstrate wider reading, peer reviewed
journals are encouraged than textbooks
Do not politicize the discussion and avoid
emotions/bitterness/over-excitement
Literature review.
Use recent or current sources as much as
possible, not more than 10 years old.
How to find published work
Find out what has been published in
your field
Read articles and books
◦ define variables in your study
◦ Download the useful stuff and open
a file (research file)
◦ Make use of university library
guide/catalogue,
E-resources
Sources of literature
Primary Sources
 Primary literature sources are the first occurrence
of a piece of work.
 They include published sources such as reports and
some central and local government publications
such as the White Papers and planning documents.
 They also include unpublished manuscript sources
such as letters, memos and committees meetings
that may be analysed as data in their own right.
 Since primary literature sources can be difficult to
trace, they are sometimes referred as “grey
literature”
Literature
 Secondary Sources
 Sources such as books and journals are the
subsequent publication of primary literature.
 These publications are aimed at a wider audience.
 They are easier to locate than primary literature as
they are better covered by tertiary literature.
 Journals are a vital literature source for any
research
 Journal articles can be from refereed academic
journals (evaluated by academic peers prior to
publication) or professional journals (Produced for
their members by organizations e.g. ACCA, AMA)
 Literature Review contd.
Tertiary Sources
- These are search tools that help to locate
Primary and secondary sources.
Encyclopedias
Abstracts
 CD-ROMs
Internet
Catalogues
 Dictionaries
Bibliographies
Acknowledging Sources
References and Bibliography
References
◦ Specific ideas from specified individuals
◦ Make sure Ideas are traceable to source
◦ Author’s name and date of publication
Bibliography
◦ Helpful materials used during compilation
◦ Not making specific reference
References to be used in dissertation
Referencing Format
There are several ways of citing
references.
Most common
◦ APA style
◦ The Harvard system
◦ The New Harvard system
RECAP OF LITERATURE REVIEW
Therefore, literature review must do the
following:
a) Be organised around and related directly to the
thesis or research
question you are developing.
b) Synthesise results into a summary of what is
and is known.
c) Identify areas of controversy in the literature
and
d) Formulate questions that need further research.
-THE END-

By S Mwanza