How to write a literature review?Β
What are the components of a literature review?
Most lit reviews use a basic introduction-body-conclusion structure; if your lit review is part of a larger paper, the introduction, and conclusion pieces may be just a few sentences while you focus most of your attention on the body. If your review is a standalone piece that is not part of a larger piece, the introduction, and the conclusion take up more space and allow you to discuss your research goals, methods of inquiry, and conclusion separately from the text itself. Experts on Study Crumb will complete an amazing literature review for you from scratch, donβt hesitate to ask for help!
Introduction:
- An introduction paragraph that describes your topic of work and thesis is.
- A preview of key subjects or texts that will be featured in the review
- An account of how you came across sources and the methods you used to analyze the sources for inclusion and discussion within the article (more frequently seen in standalone, published reviews of literature rather than in sections of lit reviews in the form of research papers or articles)
Body:
- Synthesize and summarize: Provide an overall overview of key elements of each source, and blend them to form a coherent, complete
- Do your research and interpret the results. Interpret and analyze: Donβt simply quote other researchers, but add your interpretations whenever you can, and discuss the significance of your findings concerning the entire literature
- Critically evaluate: Mention the strengths and the weaknesses of your sources.
- Create well-structured paragraphs. Utilize the words of transition and topic sentences to create connections, contrasts, and contrasts.
Conclusion:
- Recap the main results youβve drawn from the literature and highlight the importance of each
- Link it back to the research question that you started with
How to organize a literature review?
Lit reviews can be organized in several different patterns of organization based on the goals you want to achieve with your review. Here are a few examples:
Chronological
The easiest method is to follow the evolution of the subject through time, which can help make the audience more familiar with the subject (for example, if youβre making a statement that isnβt generally well-known within your subject). If you decide to use this method, ensure that you are not the simple task of listing and summarizing sources in chronological order. Make sure you analyze the patterns, pivotal moments, and important discussions shaping your fieldβs direction. Explain why certain developments took place (as stated in the past, this may not be appropriate for your field β talk with your teacher or mentor in case youβre uncertain).
Thematic
If youβve discovered a recurring theme that youβll continue to work on throughout your essay, it is possible to organize your literature review into sections that address various aspects of the subject. For instance, if youβre reviewing the literature on religious women, the most important topics could include the importance of women in the church and the attitude of women in religion.
MethodologicalΒ
If you take your information from different fields or disciplines that employ different research methods, You can evaluate the conclusions and results that result from various approaches. For instance:
- Qualitative versus quantitative research
- Theoretical and empirical research
- Separate the research into historical, sociological, or cultural sources
Theoretical
In many humanities publications, the literature review serves as the base of the theoretical framework. It can be used to analyze different theories, models, and definitions of important concepts. It is possible to argue the value of a certain theory or blend different theories to form an outline for your studies.
Tips for writing a Literature review
Research is important
The quality of a lit review is as excellent as the research it discusses. Be sure that the sources are carefully selected and that your research is complete. Do not be afraid to conduct more research if you encounter an interesting topic while writing.Β
Annotated BibliographyΒ
When researching, you should create an Annotated Bibliography. A lot of the information youβll find to create an annotated bibliography could be utilized in the form of a literature review, which means youβll not be only creating your lit review during you conduct your research, but making an understanding of the larger debate that is taking place among professional writers, academics and other people who are involved within your field.
Youβll most often have to synthesize the research rather than simply a summary. This involves connecting sources to form an overview of the academic debate on a subject in the course of the course. Many student writers have difficulty synthesizing because they are afraid they do not have anything to contribute to the authors theyβre citing.
Write as an argument
The fascinating literature reviews are typically written as arguments. The literature review is where you can prove that your work can fill a specific gap or is relevant in a specific manner. There is a chance to make this happen in the introduction of your article. However, your literature reviews section allows you to set the stage according to how you would prefer your readers to view it. It is possible to select the lineage of thought youβd prefer to belong to and whose definitions are most important to your thought process. When you address these issues, you are arguing to be included within the debate, which makes the review more engaging than just a straightforward report from other publications.
Β You are now ready to write a fascinating literature review!