· Writing the literature review (LR) is often viewed as a difficult task that can be a point of writer’s block and procrastination in postgraduate life. Disagreements on the definitions or classifications of LRs (2) may confuse students about their Cited by: 4 While this review focused on academic writing, much of the literature promoted the notion that instructors should design their courses around improving overall “literacy” (reading and writing) as a means of increasing the acquisition of academic writing skills. In this sense, students should be made aware of the clear · A formal literature review is an evidence-based, in-depth analysis of a subject. There are many reasons for writing one and these will influence the length and style of your review, but in essence a literature review is a critical appraisal of the current collective knowledge on a subject
Literature Review Examples - A Guide to Writing
Try out PMC Labs and tell us what you think. Learn More, literature review in academic writing. I Departamento de Ginecologia e Obstetricia, literature review in academic writing, Faculdade de Ciencias Medicas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP, BR.
Unfortunately, little guidance is available on elaborating LRs, and writing an LR chapter is not a linear process. Students in postgraduate programs should be systematically trained in literature review in academic writing skills. Therefore, this paper discusses the purposes of LRs in dissertations and theses. Second, the paper considers five steps for developing a review: defining the main topic, searching the literature, analyzing the results, writing the review and reflecting on the writing.
Ultimately, this study proposes a twelve-item LR checklist. By clearly stating the desired achievements, this checklist allows Masters and Ph. students to continuously assess their own progress in elaborating an LR. Disagreements on the definitions or classifications of LRs 2 may confuse students about their purpose and scope, as well as how to perform an LR. Interestingly, at many universities, the LR is still an important element in any academic work, despite the more recent trend of producing scientific articles rather than classical theses.
Additionally, by writing the LR, postgraduate students will comprehend the structure of the subject and elaborate on their cognitive connections 3 while analyzing and synthesizing data with increasing maturity.
At the same time, the LR transforms the student and hints at the contents of other chapters for the reader. For scholars, the LR is an introductory chapter 6. The LR can be a distinct chapter or included in different sections; it can be part of the introduction chapter, part of each research topic, or part of each published paper 7. However, scholars view the LR as an integral part of the main body of an academic work because it is intrinsically connected to other sections Figure 1 and is frequently present.
Interestingly, many postgraduate students choose to literature review in academic writing their LR to peer-reviewed journals. As LRs are critical evaluations of current knowledge, they are indeed publishable material, even in the form of narrative or systematic reviews.
Finally, we suggest a checklist to evaluate an LR. While a strong body of literature that instructs students on research methodology, data analysis and writing scientific papers exists, little guidance on performing LRs is available. The LR is a unique opportunity to assess and contrast various arguments and theories, not just summarize them. The research results should not be discussed within the LR, but the postgraduate student tends to write a comprehensive LR while reflecting on his or her own findings Many people believe that writing an LR is a lonely and linear process.
Supervisors or the institutions assume that the Ph, literature review in academic writing. Thus, less supervision should be required However, the parameters described above might not currently be the case for many students 1112and the lack of formal and systematic training on writing LRs is an important concern An institutional environment devoted to active learning literature review in academic writing provide students the opportunity to continuously reflect on LRs, which will form a dialogue between the postgraduate student and the current literature in a particular field To identify what research has been performed and what topics require further investigation in a particular field of knowledge.
To place the current research project within the historical, methodological and theoretical context of a particular field.
The LR reveals how well the postgraduate student has proceeded in three domains: an effective literature search, the language domain, and critical writing. All students should be trained in gathering appropriate data for specific purposes, and information literacy skills are a cornerstone.
Librarian support is of vital importance in coaching the appropriate use of Boolean logic AND, OR, literature review in academic writing, NOT and other tools for highly efficient literature searches e. Academic writing must be concise and precise: unnecessary words distract the reader literature review in academic writing the essential content Ultimately, reading literature review in academic writing materials facilitates and encourages the writing process itself.
Critical judgment literature review in academic writing critical reading, thinking and writing. The student should delineate the basic elements of the topic, characterize the most relevant claims, identify relationships, and finally contrast those relationships Each scientific document highlights the perspective of the author, and students will become more confident in judging the supporting evidence and underlying premises of a study and constructing their own counterargument as they read more articles.
A paucity of integration or contradictory perspectives indicates lower levels of cognitive complexity Writing a consistent LR is an intense and complex activity that reveals the training and long-lasting academic skills of a writer.
It is not a lonely or linear process. However, students are unlikely to be prepared to write an LR if they have not mastered the aforementioned domains An institutional environment that supports student learning is crucial. First, many universities propose modules to develop behind the scenes activities that enhance self-reflection about general skills e. These activities may explain what type of discussion an LR must involve, the importance of defining the correct scope, the reasons to include a particular resource, and the main role of critical reading.
Some pedagogic services that promote a continuous literature review in academic writing in study and academic skills are equally important. Examples include workshops about time management, the accomplishment of personal objectives, active learning, and foreign languages for nonnative speakers, literature review in academic writing.
A consensus on the appropriate method for elaborating an LR is not available, but four main steps are generally accepted: defining the main topic, searching the literature, analyzing the results, and writing 6.
We suggest a fifth step: reflecting on the information that has been written in previous publications Figure 2. The planning stage helps organize ideas, delimit the scope of the LR 11and avoid the wasting of time in the process. Planning includes the following steps:, literature review in academic writing. Reflecting on the scope of the LR: postgraduate students will have assumptions about what material must be addressed and what information is not essential to an LR 13 The coverage defines how comprehensive the student is in presenting the literature, and the organization determines the sequence of arguments.
The audience is defined as the group for whom the LR is written. Designating sections and subsections: Headings and subheadings should be specific, explanatory and have a coherent sequence throughout the text 4.
They simulate an inverted pyramid, with an increasing level of reflection and depth of argument. Identifying keywords: The relevant keywords for each LR section should be listed to guide the literature search.
This list should mirror what Hart 3 advocates as subject vocabulary. The keywords will also be useful when the student is writing the LR since they guide the reader through the text. Delineating the time interval and language of documents to be retrieved in the second step. The most recently published documents should be considered, but relevant texts published before a predefined cutoff year can be included if they are classic documents in that field.
Extra care should be employed when translating documents. The ability to gather adequate information from the literature must be addressed in postgraduate programs. Librarian support is important, particularly for accessing difficult texts.
This step comprises the following components:. Information literacy skills have a central role in this stage. While searching electronic databases, controlled vocabulary e. In addition, two other approaches are suggested. First, a review of the reference list of each document might be useful for identifying relevant publications to be included and important opinions to be assessed. This step is also relevant for referencing the original studies and leading authors in that field.
Moreover, students can directly contact the experts on a particular topic to consult with them regarding their experience or use them as a source of additional unpublished documents.
This process will ensure that the most recently published papers will be considered in the LR. Selecting documents for inclusion: Generally, the most recent literature will be included in the form of published peer-reviewed papers.
Assess books and unpublished material, such as conference abstracts, academic texts and government reports, are also important to assess since the gray literature also offers valuable information. However, since these materials are not peer-reviewed, literature review in academic writing recommend that they are carefully added to the LR.
This task is an important exercise in time management. First, students should read the title and abstract to understand whether that document suits their purposes, addresses the research question, and helps develop the topic of interest. Then, they should scan the full text, determine how it is literature review in academic writing, group it with similar documents, and verify whether other arguments might be considered 5.
Critical reading and thinking skills are important in this step. This step consists of the following components:. Reading documents: The student may read various texts in depth according to LR sections and subsections defining the main topicwhich is not a passive activity 1. Some questions should be asked to practice critical analysis skills, as listed below, literature review in academic writing.
Is the research question evident and articulated with previous knowledge? Do the authors consider different perspectives? Was the research project designed and conducted properly? Are the results and discussion plausible, and are they consistent with the research objectives and methodology?
What are the strengths and limitations of this work? How do the authors support their findings? How does this work contribute to the current research topic? Taking notes: Students who systematically take notes on each document are more readily able to establish similarities or differences with other documents and to highlight personal observations. Additionally, when a student is considering submitting an LR to a peer-reviewed journal, notes should be taken on the activities performed in all five steps to ensure that they are able to be replicated.
The recognition of when a student is able and ready to write after a sufficient period of reading and thinking is likely a difficult task.
Some students can produce a review in a single long work session. However, as discussed above, writing is not a linear process, literature review in academic writing students do not need to write LRs according to a specific sequence of sections.
Writing an LR is a time-consuming task, and some scholars believe that a period of at least six months is sufficient 6. Thus, each student is expected to present a different learning and writing trajectory. In this step, writing methods should be considered; then, editing, citing and correct referencing should complete this stage, at least temporarily.
Freewriting techniques may be a good starting point for brainstorming ideas and improving the understanding of the information that has been read 1. Students should consider the following parameters when creating an agenda for writing the LR: two-hour writing blocks at minimumwith prespecified tasks that are possible to complete in one section; short minutes and long breaks days or weeks to allow sufficient time for mental rest and reflection; and short- and long-term goals to motivate the writing itself
How to Write a Literature Review
, time: 12:01Literature Review: Examples, Outline, Format | EssayPro
· What is a literature review? A literature review is a piece of academic writing demonstrating knowledge and understanding of the academic literature on a specific topic placed in context. A literature review also includes a critical evaluation of the material; this is why it is called a literature review rather than a literature report · Writing a literature review involves finding relevant publications (such as books and journal articles), critically analyzing them, and explaining what you found. There are five key steps: Search for relevant literature; Evaluate sources; Identify themes, debates and gaps; Outline the structure; Write your literature review · Usually, a literature review can be described as an objective, concise, and critical summary of published research literature pertinent to the subject being researched in an article. A literature can be an end in itself (an analysis of what is known about a topic) or a prologue to and rationale for engaging in primary research
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