How to Write a Literature Review

A literature review is a thorough survey of scholarship on a subject, often as part of a research paper. It is a key element in most scholarly articles.

It is often organized thematically rather NR 621 Literature review chronologically, and combines summary with synthesis. It may also offer new interpretations and combinations of existing information.

Background

Depending on the purpose of your review, background information may or not be included. For example, if you are writing a literature review as part of your introduction in a research paper, it would be inappropriate to include a full summary of the existing research on your topic; that is what the Introduction is for.

If you are writing a literature review as an introduction to your dissertation or thesis, however, you need to include more extensive background information to establish your research problem and justify the gap in knowledge that your study will fill. This is particularly important in humanities disciplines where the literature review can be used to construct an intellectual lineage that your research is a part of, or it can establish a debate that your work will challenge.

A literature review can also be nr500 10532 week 3 addressing bias lt focused. This means that you will concentrate on the literature which outlines and/or develops particular theoretical frameworks, or which provides a certain type of empirical data (e.g., comparing the representation of whales in art works from different geographic regions).

Methods

There are several ways to conduct a literature review. One way is to create an annotated bibliography where you cite full information and write paragraphs of summary and analysis for each source. This method helps you organize your sources and makes writing the essay easier because you have already analyzed the materials.

Another way is to group your sources by trend. This is useful if your research topic is historical and involves time periods. For example, you might group together all of the studies on whaling from 1800-1899. This approach allows you to see how the research in your field has developed over time.

You might also choose to examine the literature selectively by focusing on works that support or refute an argument, assumption, or philosophical problem. This approach can help you identify gaps in research, highlight areas for future investigation, or reveal contradictions NRS 493 Literature Review seemingly contradictory studies. This strategy can be especially helpful when you are examining critically contested or value-laden issues.

Results

The literature review is an important component of research papers because it explains to readers where your study fits in with previous studies. It demonstrates that you understand and have a strong grasp of what has already been published.

Identify trends and patterns in the existing research. Note common themes, unresolved debates or tension, gaps in the knowledge base and areas for further research.

Use strong "umbrella" sentences at the beginning of paragraphs, "signposts" throughout the review and brief "so what" summary sentences at intermediate points in the review to help readers follow your comparisons and analyses. Avoid using long quotes from your sources (aside from a nurs fpx 4010 assessment 2 interview and interdisciplinary issue quote that is particularly meaningful to you).

Instead, synthesize and rewrite other authors' ideas in your own words. Notice how Falk and Mills rephrase Hamilton's findings rather than quoting him directly. This shows that you understand and appreciate the importance of his work, but you also have your own original ideas to add to the discussion.

Conclusions

Once you have finished writing and revising the body section of your literature review, you need to wrap things up by putting it all together in the conclusion. This is where you will highlight key themes and ideas that you have found in the research and make explicit the gap that your own research aims to fill.

Depending on the context of your review, you may also want to discuss the implications of the research or state your recommendations for future research. This can help your reader understand the importance and relevance of your review.

Whether you have chosen to use the nurs fpx4040 assessment 3 annotated bibliography on technology, thematic or the comparative approach for your literature review, it is important to remember that the key criteria for a successful review are clarity (of purpose, organisation and layout), depth (of coverage) and rigour (of analysis and evaluation). This page offers advice on how to achieve these standards and includes some questions that you can consider as you write your review.