What is a literature review?<\/p>\n
A literature review discusses published information in a particular subject area, and sometimes information in a particular subject area within a certain time period.<\/p>\n
A literature review can be just a simple summary of the sources, but it usually has an organizational pattern and combines both summary and synthesis. A summary is a recap of the important information of the source, but a synthesis is a re-organization, or a reshuffling, of that information. It might give a new interpretation of old material or combine new with old interpretations. Or it might trace the intellectual progression of the field, including major debates. And depending on the situation, the literature review may evaluate the sources and advise the reader on the most pertinent or relevant.<\/p>\n
But how is a literature review different from an academic research paper?<\/p>\n
The main focus of an academic research paper is to develop a new argument, and a research paper is likely to\u00a0contain a literature review as one of its parts. In a research paper, you use the literature as a foundation and as support for a new insight that you contribute. The focus of a literature review, however, is to summarize and synthesize the arguments and ideas of others without adding new contributions.<\/p>\n
Why do we write literature reviews?<\/p>\n
Literature reviews provide you with a handy guide to a particular topic. If you have limited time to conduct research, literature reviews can give you an overview or act as a stepping stone. For professionals, they are useful reports that keep them up to date with what is current in the field. For scholars, the depth and breadth of the literature review emphasizes the credibility of the writer in his or her field. Literature reviews also provide a solid background for a research paper\u2019s investigation. Comprehensive knowledge of the literature of the field is essential to most research papers.<\/p>\n
Who writes these things, anyway?<\/p>\n
Literature reviews are written occasionally in the humanities, but mostly in the sciences and social sciences; in experiment and lab reports, they constitute a section of the paper. Sometimes a literature review is written as a paper in itself.<\/p>\n
Strategies for writing the literature review<\/p>\n
Find a focus<\/p>\n
A literature review, like a term paper, is usually organized around ideas, not the sources themselves as an annotated bibliography would be organized. This means that you will not just simply list your sources and go into detail about each one of them, one at a time. No. As you read widely but selectively in your topic area, consider instead what themes or issues connect your sources together. Do they present one or different solutions? Is there an aspect of the field that is missing? How well do they present the material and do they portray it according to an appropriate theory? Do they reveal a trend in the field? A raging debate? Pick one of these themes to focus the organization of your review.<\/p>\n
Convey it to your reader<\/p>\n
A literature review may not have a traditional thesis statement (one that makes an argument), but you do need to tell readers what\u00a0to expect. Try writing a simple statement that lets the reader know what is your\u00a0main organizing principle. Here are a couple of examples:<\/p>\n
The current trend in treatment for congestive heart failure combines surgery and medicine.
More and more cultural studies scholars are accepting popular media as a subject worthy of academic consideration.<\/p>\n
Consider organization<\/p>\n
You\u2019ve got a focus, and you\u2019ve stated it clearly and directly. Now what is the most effective way of presenting the information? What are the most important topics, subtopics, etc., that your review needs to include? And in what order should you present them? Develop an organization for your review at both a global and local level:<\/p>\n
First, cover the basic categories<\/p>\n
Just like most academic papers, literature reviews also must contain at least three basic elements: an introduction or background information section; the body of the review containing the discussion of sources; and, finally, a conclusion and\/or recommendations section to end the paper.\u00a0The following provides a brief description of the content of each:<\/p>\n
Introduction:\u00a0Gives a quick idea of the topic of the literature review, such as the central theme or organizational pattern.<\/p>\n
Body:\u00a0Contains your discussion of sources and is organized either chronologically, thematically, or methodologically (see below for more information on each).<\/p>\n
Conclusions\/Recommendations:\u00a0Discuss what you have drawn from reviewing literature so far. Where might the discussion proceed?<\/p>\n
Organizing the body<\/p>\n
Once you have the basic categories in place, then you must consider how you will present the sources themselves within the body of your paper. Create an organizational method to focus this section even further.<\/p>\n
To help you come up with an overall organizational framework for your review, consider the following scenario:<\/p>\n
You\u2019ve decided to focus your literature review on materials dealing with sperm whales. This is because you\u2019ve just finished reading Moby Dick, and you wonder if that whale\u2019s portrayal is really real. You start with some articles about the physiology of sperm whales in biology journals written in the 1980\u2019s. But these articles refer to some British biological studies performed on whales in the early 18th century. So you check those out. Then you look up a book written in 1968 with information on how sperm whales have been portrayed in other forms of art, such as in Alaskan poetry, in French painting, or on whale bone, as the whale hunters in the late 19th century used to do. This makes you wonder about American whaling methods during the time portrayed in Moby Dick, so you find some academic articles published in the last five years on how accurately Herman Melville portrayed the whaling scene in his novel.<\/p>\n
Now consider some typical ways of organizing the sources into a review: FOR CAFS 3110- Organize your literature review by themes. Listed below is a description on how to organize it. <\/p>\n
Thematic:\u00a0Thematic reviews of literature are organized around a topic or issue, rather than the progression of time. However, progression of time may still be an important factor in a thematic review. For instance, the sperm whale review could focus on the development of the harpoon for whale hunting. While the study focuses on one topic, harpoon technology, it will still be organized chronologically. The only difference here between a \u201cchronological\u201d and a \u201cthematic\u201d approach is what is emphasized the most: the development of the harpoon or the harpoon technology.But more authentic thematic reviews tend to break away from chronological order. For instance, a thematic review of material on sperm whales might examine how they are portrayed as \u201cevil\u201d in cultural documents. The subsections might include how they are personified, how their proportions are exaggerated, and their behaviors misunderstood. A review organized in this manner would shift between time periods within each section according to the point made.<\/p>\n
More tips-<\/p>\n
Use direct quotes sparingly<\/p>\n
That is because the survey nature of the literature review does not allow for in-depth discussion or detailed quotes from the text. Some short quotes here and there are okay, though, if you want to emphasize a point, or if what the author said just cannot be rewritten in your own words.<\/p>\n
Use caution when paraphrasing<\/p>\n
When paraphrasing a source that is not your own, be sure to represent the author\u2019s information or opinions accurately and in your own words. THIS MEANS YOU MUST CITE THE AUTHOR even if you put it in your own words.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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