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Published on: Jun 30, 2021
Last updated on: Oct 28, 2024
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A well-structured literature review is a vital component of research paper writing, showcasing your understanding of existing research and setting the stage for your study.
In this guide, we'll break down the process into manageable steps, offering practical tips to simplify this often challenging task. Whether you're familiar with research or a novice, follow along to enhance your literature review writing skills.
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According to Cooper (1998) and Ridley (2008), a literature review is an extensive analysis of scholarly works within a specific subject area. It involves synthesizing, evaluating, and summarizing existing knowledge to identify key concepts and gaps in research.
This critical examination of literature serves as the foundation for understanding the evolution of ideas and theories within a field.
Typically found in academic research papers, the literature review establishes the context and theoretical framework for a study. It helps researchers situate their work within existing scholarship.
The literature review is placed in the early sections of a research paper, often after the introduction and before the methodology section. In research papers, literature reviews can also be integrated into sections like the Introduction of a research paper.
The purpose of a literature review in a research paper is multifaceted. Let's explore its role in a research paper:
The parts of a literature review typically include:
In the upcoming section, we will discuss the steps to conduct a literature review in detail.
The first step in conducting a literature review for your research paper involves searching for literature relevant to your research question or problem.
Let’s understand how to start a literature review writing process with an example:
Research Question: How does the application of quantum entanglement contribute to the development of quantum computing technology? |
For the research problem above identify the list the keywords:
Keywords:
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Now that you have identified key terms, you can now easily employ various platforms to conduct primary research on your research question. Use these keywords to search for existing literature related to your paper's problem statement and find sources.
Here are some databases to search for journals and articles:
Carefully assess the reliability, relevance, and credibility of the identified sources. Choose scholarly articles, books, and reputable websites.
Make sure to choose the sources that are most relevant to your research question. Here are some questions you can ask yourself when choosing sources:
Tip: As you read, start jotting down notes for your literature review. Try creating an annotated bibliography, including full citation details along with a brief summary and analysis for each source. This method helps you remember what you've read and saves time later on.
Look at the articles you read to see what they talk about a lot, where they disagree, and what they don't cover. Make sure you understand how these articles connect. Based on what you find, look for:
This step helps you organize your literature review and shows how your research adds to what's already known.
Example:
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Arrange your literature review in a logical order. Depending on the length of your review, choose an organizing method that fits your research paper. One approach is to use a methodological structure, where you discuss events in chronological order.
Let’s take a look at the methods to organize a literature review in a research paper:
This method arranges the literature in the order of when events, studies, or theories were developed or published.
Start with the earliest relevant research and progress in chronological order. This approach helps readers understand the historical development of the topic, tracking its evolution over time.
Thematic organization groups literature based on common themes, ideas, or concepts.
Identify key themes or recurring concepts across various sources and organize your review around these commonalities. This approach allows for a comprehensive exploration of different perspectives on specific themes.
This method organizes the literature based on the research methods employed in different studies.
Group together studies that use similar research methods, providing readers with a clear understanding of the various approaches taken in the literature. This is particularly useful for those interested in the methodologies applied in research.
Theoretical organization structures the literature based on relevant theories or conceptual frameworks.
Group sources that share similar theoretical foundations, demonstrate how different studies align with or challenge existing theories. This approach helps readers grasp the theoretical landscape surrounding the research topic.
This method orders the literature based on the publication dates of the sources.
Present the information in a chronological sequence, beginning with the earliest publications and progressing to the most recent. This approach showcases the progression of research over time.
Organizing content based on emerging trends or patterns in the literature.
Identify and group studies contributing to or reflecting current trends in the research field. This method offers a contemporary perspective on the topic, showcasing the latest developments in the literature.
After defining the structure of your literature review it's time to start writing. Like essay writing, a literature review also contains an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.
In the introduction, set a clear focus and purpose for your literature review. If it's part of a dissertation or thesis, reaffirm your central problem or research question.
Briefly summarize the scholarly context, emphasizing the timeliness of the topic or highlighting gaps in the literature.
Tip: If applicable, stress the relevance of recent studies or underscore overlooked aspects in previous research.
When organizing your literature review, adjust the structure based on its length. Use subsections with subheadings to focus on central themes, time periods, or methods.
Keep these points in mind as you write.
Tip: Consider adopting a narrative flow that guides the reader through your chosen themes or methodologies. Utilize transition words such as "furthermore," "conversely," or "in comparison" for fluidity in your narrative.
Recap the important findings from the articles and highlight why they matter. Explain how your research fills gaps and adds new information. Talk about how you used existing theories and methods to create a structure for your own study.
Tip: Clearly explain how your work adds to or questions what we already know in this area.
Here's a table outlining the common types of literature reviews:
Type of Literature Review | Description |
Narrative Literature Review | Comprehensive overview without a specific methodology |
Systematic Literature Review | Structured and rigorous analysis of relevant studies |
Meta-Analysis | Quantitative review combining findings from multiple studies |
Scoping Review | Preliminary assessment to identify key concepts and gaps |
Critical Literature Review | Emphasizes critical analysis and evaluation of existing research |
A helpful approach to kickstart the writing of literature reviews is to review examples that align with your research paper intent and style.
Here we have some literature review for a research paper example:
Here are some PDF examples that you can download easily:
Here are some tips for writing both full length and integrated literature reviews:
Full-length literature reviews:
Literature reviews as part of a larger paper:
By following the comprehensive steps and examples provided in this guide, you're well on your way to creating a well-structured and insightful literature review.
Remember, the literature review is not merely a formality; it's your opportunity to showcase your understanding of existing research and lay the foundation for your study. You can try writing your literature review by using AI essay writing tools!
If you encounter challenges during this process, fear not! CollegeEssay.org provides reliable online essay services to students for all their academic needs.
Simply place your order to avail yourself of our research paper writing services at the most affordable price.
The three parts of the literature review are;
The main five rules for writing a literature review are;
The length of a literature review may vary depending on what it is for. The review might be a full chapter for a thesis or dissertation. But for an assignment, it might only be a few pages long.
The key components of a literature review are;
There are usually about 8-10 significant pieces of work for an 8,000-word dissertation. For a 12-15,000 word dissertation, you might want to use 20 pieces of work.
The three purposes of the literature review are to;
WRITTEN BY
Nova A. (Literature, Marketing)
As a Digital Content Strategist, Nova Allison has eight years of experience in writing both technical and scientific content. With a focus on developing online content plans that engage audiences, Nova strives to write pieces that are not only informative but captivating as well.
As a Digital Content Strategist, Nova Allison has eight years of experience in writing both technical and scientific content. With a focus on developing online content plans that engage audiences, Nova strives to write pieces that are not only informative but captivating as well.
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