1. Writing a Literature ReviewEssential Portion of ANYResearch Project

2. What is a literature review? NOT an annotated bibliography or a Work CitedPage NOT a summary of each of your sources listedone by one NOT just a descriptive summary of the historicalbackground of your topic 3. A literature review In a literature review, your central focus isexamining and evaluating what has been saidbefore on a topic, and establishing the relevanceof this information to your own research. You may also identify what has not said in theliterature and introduce it 4. What is the literature? Information relevant to your topic of interest. Some works may deal specifically or moregenerally with your topic of interest Information, or the literature, may be obtainedfrom a variety of sources including books, journalarticles, reports, etc. Usually the focus is on scholarly published materials 5. Types of the literature Primary Source Original research from journals, articles or original materials such as historical documents, or creative works such as art or literature. Secondary Source Evaluations, reviews or syntheses of original work Tertiary Source Broadly scoped material put together usually from secondary sources to provide an overview, e.g. a textbook. 6. Selecting appropriate source material Relevance It should contribute to the development of your topic, clarify your position, provide an alternative point of view you wish to argue against or provide useful primary source material Authority It should be published in a reputable journal (or other such medium), have been critically evaluated, been used extensively as a source material, been peer reviewed or be a recognized authority in the area. Currency It should be recent research or still be influential in the area 7. 5 Cs of writing a literature review Cite Compare Contrast Critique Connect 8. 5 Cs of writing a literature review Cite Compare Contrast Critique ConnectThere is no S (NOT A SUMMARY) 9. 5 Cs of writing a literature review Cite: Keep the primary focus on the literature Keep an on-going Work Cited Page Compare: The various arguments, theories, methodologies,approaches and findings expressed in the literature: What do the authors agree on? Who employs similar approaches? 10. 5 Cs of writing a literature review Contrast them ALL Contrast the various arguments, themes,methodologies, approaches and controversiesexpressed in the literature What are the major areas of disagreement,controversy, debate? Critique the literature: Which arguments are more persuasive, and why? Which approaches, findings, methodologies seemmost reliable, valid, or appropriate, and why? Pay attention to the verbs you use to describe whatit is an author says/ does: e.g. asserts, 11. 5 Cs of writing a literature review Connect the literature to your own area of research and investigation: How does your own work draw on/depart from/synthesize what has been said in the literature?. 12. 5 Cs of writing a literature review Connect the literature to your own area of research and investigation: How does your own work draw on/depart from/synthesize what has been said in the literature?. If a piece of literature DOES NOT CONNECT, DO NOT USE 13. Writing the literature review1. Identify research questions/areas/issues themes of investigation what are you searching the literature to discover?2. Preview sample literature reviews in the same field.3. Obtain relevant sources.4. Keep bibliographical records of all sources referred to.5. Critically read each source (read for the arguments presented rather than for facts). Make notes on the key questions/ areas/issues/themes identified earlier. 14. 1. Evaluate the logic/cogency of each source, and its relevance to your own work.2. Organize material under subheadings according to various categories, chronology or similarities/differences in arguments or theories/findings.3. Write a mini-introduction, a series of paragraphs and a mini-conclusion for each of these categories.4. Write the introduction and conclusion to the literature review last.5. Draft and redraft. 15. Literature Review Structure Like a standard academic essay Made up of three key components: an introduction a body a conclusion. 16. Literature Review Structure Introduction: Introduce the topic/problem andthe context within which it is found. Body: Examine past research in the area highlightingmethodological and/ or theoretical developments, areas ofagreement, contentious areas, important studies and so forth.Keep the focus on your area of interest and identify gaps in theresearch that your research/investigation will attempt to fill. Stateclearly how your work builds on or responds to earlier work. Conclusion: Summarize what has emerged from the reviewof literature and reiterate conclusions. 17. Literature Review Structure Introduction: Introduce the topic/problem and the contextwithin which it is found. Body: Examine past research in the areahighlighting methodological and/ or theoreticaldevelopments, areas of agreement, contentiousareas, important studies and so forth. Keep thefocus on your area of interest and identify gaps inthe research that your research/investigation willattempt to fill. State clearly how your work buildson or responds to earlier work. Conclusion: Summarize what has emerged from the reviewof literature and reiterate conclusions. 18. Literature Review Structure Introduction:Introduce the topic/problem and the contextwithin which it is found. Body: Examine past research in the area highlightingmethodological and/ or theoretical developments, areas ofagreement, contentious areas, important studies and so forth.Keep the focus on your area of interest and identify gaps in theresearch that your research/investigation will attempt to fill. Stateclearly how your work builds on or responds to earlier work. Conclusion: Summarize what has emerged fromthe review of literature and reiterate conclusions. 19. Source #1 Source #2Main Idea A:Main Idea B 20. CHECKLIST Did you outline the scope and purpose of the review? Have you identified appropriate source materialmainly from primary and secondary sources? Did you keep bibliographical records of all theresearched material? Is each source critically reviewed? Have you organized all the material you obtained fromthe sources? Have you developed your approach? Have you written a draft and edited it carefully? Is your literature review submitted on time and in thecorrect format? 21. SAMPLE Literature Review World War Two and its Effect on Women. This excerptsynthesizes information without summarizing.While thearticles used in this research agree that women mademany advances during the Word War II period, it is crucialto realize that not all these changes were welcomed. Inmost cases women faced discrimination from just abouteveryone around them. Women in the workplace wereoften placed in positions of inferiority or treated as beingless physically able to do the same work the men did.Many women were often not trained because they wereviewed as temporary employees who were only there forthe duration of the war (Bruley, 2003, pp.221-222). Womenwere very rarely given equal pay as men, even thoughsome of them did the same work. Women in the militaryfaced not only mental abuse but also physical harm fromtheir male counterparts. According to Cornelsen (2005),there were many instances where female aviators wereinjured or killed due to being made to fly ill-maintainedaircrafts or aircrafts that had been sabotaged. (p.114) 22. References Andersson, B., &Beveridge, A. (2007). A guide toassessments and skills in SCCA (2nd ed.).[Booklet]. Perth, WA: Edith Cowan University.Hart, C.(1988). Doing a literature review: Releasing the socialscience research imagination. Thousand Oaks:Sage.Lamb, S. E. (1998). How to write it: A complete guide to everythingyoull ever write. CA: Ten Speed Press.Rosen, L.J., & Behrens, L. (2000). The Allyn and Bacon handbook (4th ed.). Boston:Allyn& Bacon.