What Part of an Article Is the Literature Review
This article comprehensively describes the what, why, where, and how of literature review. In add-on, it provides tips on when to end writing it with a supplemental video. Read on and stop wasting your fourth dimension looking for tidbits of data virtually this essential part of research writing.
Aye. What I tell you is the truth. I wrote this article but for you lot to spare you from jumping from i folio to some other page in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or any your favorite browser is looking for information virtually the literature review.
The other mean solar day, information technology dawned upon me that I'd ameliorate put all my literature review notes in this article for the maximum benefit to readers. I diligently searched information online, from printed books and e-books, in add-on to my experience writing this portion of research or thesis. Hither'due south the place I write all the information I have gathered.
If I missed annihilation, feel free to comment beneath. I'll contain your suggestion equally long every bit it doesn't duplicate what I take discussed.
I originally wrote this article for my students equally office of my innovative approach to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. I call it the Composite Website Learning System. Information technology just works as students learn both synchronously, semi-synchronously, and asynchronously despite the challenges of online learning.
Synchronous learning means real-time lectures with interaction via Zoom, and asynchronously when students read and reach the modules with guideposts that I have prepared for specific subjects. Semi-synchronous learning means the pupil initially connects, loses connection due to a poor internet connection, so connects once again. I patch up by recording the word and uploading it for my students to download and listen to the complete proceedings.
Given the nature of this topic, this commodity will be invaluable information to students or colleagues looking for information well-nigh literature review as an essential part of a research, for gratuitous. Those unfortunate students in the remotest places on world who have difficulty accessing the net will greatly benefit. More so at this time when virtually everyone taking avant-garde studies takes refuge to online textile due to the pandemic.
Now let's zero in on the literature review: theWhat,Why,Where,How, andWhen to terminate writing it. If you lot are in the process of writing your literature review, you may spring right to the information you want using the tabular array with linked topics below.
What is a literature review?
Literature Review Divers
The literature review is a critical survey of the existing and preferably current (3-five years) scientific literature on a previously identified research topic or variable. In a thesis, it is usually found in Chapter 2. In condensed, article versions of a research paper published in a scientific journal, the review of literature integrates with the introduction or groundwork of the written report.
The literature review explores what researchers all over the earth take done so far to explain a given phenomenon using a method that systematically examines how it occurs. Thus, information technology contains unlike theories and methodologies that help unravel the mystery of unexplained facts or events.
A literature review is a critical description of the literature nearly the research topic that yous equally a researcher chose to work on as function of your thesis proposal or research paper. Emphasis is given to the discussion "disquisitional." This implies that you have read a slap-up bargain of literature such that you can encounter the event at paw and make an informed cess.
Why do you take to write the literature review?
Why do you lot demand to write the literature review? A literature review is written before a study commences for basically two reasons:
- to forbid duplication of studies made on a phenomenon thus saving time, coin, and effort; and
- to demonstrate the "gap" in knowledge on a given topic thus exactly pinpointing where the new study will be focused.
The literature review reveals how extensively, or how narrowly, the miracle has been studied by specialists or experts of the field. It uses secondary data. It serves as a general guide for other researchers as they try to affirm, refute or offer new explanations to a fact or event that they are interested in.
The conduct of enquiry requires a literature review. The review enables you, every bit a researcher, to get a good grasp of the topic at hand.
Where to Source the Contents of the Literature Review
Visit open access journals
You must be careful in selecting the literature from websites that will exist part of your review considering of the preponderance of "scientific" journals that take advantage of unsuspecting researchers looking for a platform to publish their findings in open access journals. To prevent being victimized, evaluate your sources for reliability.
Jeffrey Beal, a librarian at the University of Colorado, took time to list some questionable open up-access journals. If you have been invited to publish in these journals or serve every bit editor or member of the board, think twice.
Scan the site and evaluate the quality of the articles posted. Poor grammar, wrong spelling, poorly formatted manufactures, or garbled data are tell-tale signs of predatory journals.
It is easy to be misled equally everybody can hands access a large body of literature using the net. Y'all must therefore adopt a prudent mental attitude in selecting literature from websites that will help yous develop a good thesis argument.
Equally open-access journals get popular sources of scientific literature, a good researcher must develop a great eye in selecting the wheat from the chaff. Beingness keen is one of the characteristics of a skilful researcher.
Ane of my favorite open-access sites where I can download literature on many topics is www.doaj.org. On this site, there are full papers available for free download. Y'all demand to be patient equally you lot browse the site using your keyword. Elsevier also has a listing of open access journals here.
There are many other open access journals if you have the fourth dimension and the patience to practice the surfing. Open access journals are the default pick specially to those who do non accept the funds for a personal subscription.
Verify if your library has paid subscriptions to popular scientific journals which offer more choices. This will cut downtime for you to be able to understand current enquiry and institute the state of the art.
Ask a professor for copies of their article collection
One MS student approached me once asking if I have literature on community-based resource management. Indeed, her inquiry bore fruit as I subscribe to a biannual environmental science journal. I lent her 6 problems and she was so grateful for the help.
Don't hesitate to approach someone who might be working on something similar to your line of interest. Almost e'er, there's a pile of literature that he or she can share with yous so yous can quickly scan the topics.
Join sites where scientific articles are shared
One of the growing websites that many scientists join is academia.edu. A colleague reminded me that is a good source of scientific articles because some generous scientists upload and share their articles for everyone to peek into and mayhap include in their list of related literature.
I uploaded an article in portable document format (PDF) myself and I noticed high traffic on that single commodity lone. At present, academia.edu boasts 168,557,587 member academics and researchers.
You may also write those scientists who might be interested in your proposed investigation. In that location's a good chance the author will respond to you given the citation potential of their papers. Be grateful by citing the paper when the author is gracious enough to share with you the findings. The methodology part is an excellent guide for your own research.
Visit relevant authorities offices
A trip to government offices that commonly have mini-libraries shop data on office programs, projects, and activities plus other informative materials for public use can help you enhance the quality of the information in your study area'south contour. Statistics on demographics, detailed maps, and recent public service initiatives are commonly found in these offices.
Research is meant to ameliorate the quality of homo life, and the government is tasked to provide welfare to the general public. Thus, you can orient your research to accost issues and issues that were already identified in such government offices.
If your report is virtually the surround, then the sensible choice is the environment bureau of the authorities. You can assistance meliorate on or enhance current environmental policy using identified problems and concerns on the environment as government employees interact straight with local communities. Surely, your research will be appreciated by policymakers.
Replicate yourself
Why practice the literature review past yourself when y'all tin engage the help of others — for a fee, of form. I did this when I was conceptualizing my inquiry topic. That happened during the fourth dimension when the internet boom has just begun and open up access journals are not however bachelor.
I learned that there was an enterprising group of graduate students who offered to exercise the literature review for a fixed rate. They practise all the legwork, i.east., scrounging the libraries and finding relevant materials based on my set of keywords and problem argument.
That service surely saved me a lot of time while I narrow downwardly my research topic using my collection of related literature. The added material strengthened my arguments and/or redefined the management of my investigation.
Organizing the Literature Review
Write the literature review along with the stated objectives of the study
In that location should be a one-to-one correspondence between the objectives of the research newspaper and the literature review. Tackling the subject bearing the objectives of the inquiry, or guided by the statements of the problem, helps you lot form a logical primal argument in your report.
Prioritize the references
Prioritize your collection of literature according to the most rigorously reviewed publications every bit follows:
- Scientific articles with international circulation published by reputable journals,
- Books or capacity in books published past publishers of known repute,
- Articles in refereed national journals,
- Papers in national and international conference proceedings or research reports,
- Ph.D. dissertations and Masters theses, and
- Websites and articles in not-refereed journals.
Given the emphasis on gender equality in recent years, y'all can prioritize scientific papers written past women to strike a balance in perspectives in the puddle of literature traditionally dominated by men. Exist conscious, as well, of making your paper inclusive of unlike geographies as pointed out by Maas et al. (2021).
Organize your review of literature by themes
Look for keywords that tin represent the findings when clumped together. Group similar arguments together and contrast with opposing views. Thereafter, make a synthesis of the discussion and point out the gaps in knowledge or vague areas that are left unresolved.
Things to Bear in Mind Before Writing the Literature Review
Writing a literature review is a tedious job unless you utilise a systematic approach to information technology. But kickoff, you must get back to the very reason why yous are writing the literature review to appreciate its part in completing your research newspaper or thesis.
Since the internet is a bully source of information and is nowadays a common destination for researchers who want to access the latest information every bit rapidly as possible, care must be exerted in selecting research papers that will help you lot build your thesis.
Reinventing the Wheel
Reviewing the literature prevents the duplication of previous work done on the topic identified. Thus, literature review saves coin, time, and attempt. It prevents the "reinvention of the bicycle." This idiomatic expression means that doing something that others have already washed is a waste matter of time.
Reading a great deal does not hateful that you will just read any literature that comes your manner. This means that yous have read literature that are backed up by testify, meaning, scientific papers, or articles that are institute in peer-reviewed journals or reliable sources. Reliable sources ensure that yous take a practiced foundation in making a thoughtful position embodied in your thesis statement.
Articulate Understanding of the Research Topic
A literature review revolves effectually a central theme – the research topic or research trouble. Land your research topic clearly to guide the literature review. A good review of literature starts with a skilful understanding of the research topic.
Writing the enquiry topic in question course facilitates the literature review. The inquiry problem arises from observing a miracle that prompts the need for a research investigation.
For example, the disaster response team observed that despite government warnings to evacuate in anticipation of a strong typhoon, many residents opted to stay in their homes despite the threat to their lives and property.
Several questions arise such as:
1. Does ignorance of the regime's warning of the impending danger indicate that people do not trust atmospheric condition predictions?
2. Practice residents value their belongings more than their lives?
three. Do the residents experience that they will survive the disaster despite its severity? What fabricated them experience that way?
Utilise of Relevant Keywords in the Search for Related Literature
The iii questions clearly country the focus of the review of the literature. I tin deduce relevant keywords for online search of related literature. For example, for the first problem argument, you can use the keyword "believability of weather condition predictions."
Typing "believability of weather predictions" in Google Scholar returns the following related literature:
The above figure shows that other researchers accept conducted studies related to the first problem statement. Ii out of ten articles returned relate to the commencement question. We tin can say and then that the topic is researchable. Figure 1 also shows the post-obit information:
- the title of the study (in big blue fonts);
- the authors with the major writer underlined, the date and the publisher (in green);
- a meta description that summarizes the page's content (three lines of description in black highlighting keywords related to the searched keyword);
- data on article citations (46 and 81 respectively in the two articles); and
- a link to related manufactures.
Clicking on the title link of the first article, the following abstract comes upwardly:
Abstruse
This study assessed responses to variations of several notable news brownie measures. TV news was evaluated equally more apparent than newspapers, although its margin of supremacy was a function of researcher operationalizations of the concept.
The report is about news credibility and the influence of the researcher's method on news brownie. Television news was found more apparent than newspapers. But we are not later credibility comparison of tv set and newspapers. This finding is not the kind of data that nosotros want. So we continue to the next article well-nigh hurricane forecasts and alert systems.
Clicking on the title link of the succeeding article, the abstract appears. Although the article'due south focus is on hurricane warnings, you can discern that the article discusses high-priority social scientific discipline bug. Again, this write-upwardly appears to be all the same out of the topic.
Even so, getting back to the meta description and upon closer scrutiny, there is a piece of of import data that may be of use. It says,"In risk communication, believability depends on trust and confidence in the source, raising …" (Effigy iii). This statement is important information that a researcher tin can follow through. The article, after all, may be relevant to what we want. We need to secure the article.
We are fortunate that upon checking on the article again, in that location is a link at the far right that indicates a pdf file (encircled in red) is available for download. After downloading and reading the article, I found out that in that location are many relevant statements related to the issue of the believability of predictions.
It will at present exist easy to collect other articles similar to the to a higher place article using the same process. Place the relevant article title, read the meta description, and explore the availability of the material. With patience and a lilliputian imagination, yous can collect the literature that you need for your research.
Landmark Papers: Most Cited
Researchers consider some research publications with high regard. These publications are referred to as landmark papers. Landmark, must-read, papers have become pop among researchers equally sensible sources of information. Usually well-known authorisation figures in the field author these publications.
However, the popularity of a paper does non necessarily mean that the arguments, hypotheses, or theories presented by that author elude correction. Contemporary researchers, armed with new insights from pieces of show gathered through meticulous research or experimentation, can debunk the philosophies avant-garde by an potency effigy and render them as myths.
Theories from well-known personalities can always exist challenged as new information comes in. For example, Aristotle, one of the greatest intellectual figures of western history, proclaimed that women have fewer teeth than men. Of grade, he missed counting the teeth to verify his statement. Until… somebody challenged the idea by merely suggesting "Let's count." A uncomplicated experiment ended the idea from a well-known figure.
Critically evaluate the literature
A disquisitional evaluation of the literature can be more systematic by asking yourself the following questions:
- Has research been done before on the topic that you have identified?
- What are the salient findings of the researchers about your chosen topic?
- How are the findings relevant to your study? Do those findings directly connect to what you lot have in mind?
- What makes your written report unique or unlike from what has been done earlier?
- Is there understanding or disagreement in the findings of the researchers?
- Are there vague areas or flaws in the methods or methodology of the reviewed literature?
- How tin I make full in the gap in knowledge?
How do you write a literature review?
Subsequently yous have gathered the necessary literature related to the topic you take chosen to do research on, the next step is to write the literature review. Writing the literature review is quite a challenge, every bit y'all will have to rewrite, in your own words to avoid plagiarism, the scientific articles that you lot take read. The important findings of an article can exist described in a paragraph of a few sentences.
The following steps make the review methodical:
Step 1. Rewrite the article to summarize the salient points
What information volition yous include in the clarification of other researchers' work? Essentially, the paragraph should contain the following:
- The author(s) and date when the article was published;
- What the authors did (the method);
- The variables they examined or manipulated;
- A short description of the major findings; and
- A brief explanation of relationships, trends, or differences between variables.
Here's an example:
Regoniel et al. (2017) examined the adaptation options of stakeholders to typhoons in two coastal communities, one directly exposed to the open sea while the other is buffered from strong winds by islets almost the declension. The coastal residents in the community straight exposed to strong typhoons congenital concrete breakwater structures to mitigate the effects of storm surges and stiff waves. On the other hand, the other community opted to reforest the mangroves along the coastline.
Evidently, the intensity of typhoons caused the difference in response to typhoons, one grouping opted for a quick fix by putting up a breakwater while the other chose mangrove reforestation as a long-term strategy considering there is no immediate need to reduce the touch on of typhoons.
Pace two. Decide on the arrangement of paragraphs
Which commodity description should get beginning?
Some researchers conform past topic or theme, while others prefer to organize the articles using the gear up of questions posed in the introduction, specifically, according to problem statements arrangement. The latter appears to exist more effective every bit the effect or concern orients the reader.
The literature review serves every bit an attempt to answer the questions posed in the early part of the research paper, but of grade, it is unable to practice so because the review should
- indicate out the "gap" in knowledge,
- show the insufficiency of current literature to resolve or assuredly explicate the phenomenon in question, or
- merely describe what attempts have been made so far to explain the phenomenon.
Step 3. Link the paragraphs
The side by side pace is to link the dissimilar paragraphs using introductory statements and ending with final sentences. You may add transition paragraphs in between the descriptions of studies to facilitate the menstruum of ideas.
Step 4. Write your opening and endmost paragraphs
At the beginning of the Literature Review section, add a paragraph that explains the content of the whole write-upward. The introductory paragraph serves as the reader's guide on what ane expects to read in the review. Stop with some other paragraph that briefly summarizes the shreds of evidence that support the thesis of the research paper.
Writing the literature may be difficult at first, but with careful planning, do and diligence, you lot tin can come up with a good one. One time you're washed with your literature review, more than one-half of your thesis writing task is already done.
When do you stop writing the literature review?
When exercise you stop searching the literature? The following tips will help you decide whether to go on searching the literature or not on your inquiry topic.
Stop searching the literature when literature contents are repetitive
As it is mutual nowadays to utilize online databases, you lot may cease searching the literature one time the aforementioned articles announced even when you vary your keywords on a detail topic. You can exist confident that any you take missed may non matter that much.
Examples of online databases to explore include the following: Google Scholar, Scopus, Directory of Open Admission Journals, ProQuest, African Journals Online, arXiv, BioOne, among others. Wikipedia lists an extensive collection of bookish databases for free or via subscription.
My personal feel in using Google Scholar showed relevant articles for my chosen topic in the start 20-30 titles or links. Reading the meta description for each title helps me decide whether to read the abstruse or not. The meta clarification is that snippet of information found only below the title of the commodity.
Ii examples of meta descriptions are given below for the keyword "believability of conditions predictions.". The meta description is computer linguistic communication for the summary of the contents of a page for the benefit of users and search engines. It is that snippet of information institute after the light-green link or the tertiary line of text in the two examples.
You lot tin can exhaust your literature search by looking at the bibliographic entries of manufactures. That is if you can access the whole paper. Open access manufactures may be available. While subscription journals are still considered suitable reference materials, open access articles are gaining basis. The European Commission promotes open up access publishing gains to better and efficient science as well equally innovation.
Point of Saturation of the Literature Review
Familiarity with the enquiry or investigation made past other researchers enables y'all to understand the event at hand better. Upon reading a substantial number of research studies, in that location comes a fourth dimension when you encounter nada new. If you take experienced this, you have reached theindicate of saturation. Thus, y'all can confidently say that you have read enough scientific papers related to the topic.
Consider your submission borderline
To be pragmatic about it, you need to deliver the goods within a specified menses. If y'all are given a month or even a few weeks to search the literature, yous practice not have the luxury of time to write an extensive literature review.
If you lot are doing your literature review within a semester, then, by all ways, keep to that schedule. Your "free time" may be windows of one to ii hours of reading in a day as you lot comply with the other requirements of the grade.
Information technology would help if y'all had adequate time to synthesize the literature. Come up with your conceptual framework within a reasonable period. After reading almost twenty-30 references, you may likely take already conceptualized something significant. Keep to your deadline. Planning a strategy on how to practise things on time can aid you achieve your task.
Finding a meta-analysis, for case, tin save you a lot of time. A meta-assay systematically assesses the results of previous research to derive conclusions about that body of research. In effect, it brings relevant literature together in one report.
Thus, a synthesis facilitates literature search. Just update or raise the composition to come up with your conclusions or synthesis.
The gap in knowledge has been found
Finish searching the literature if you lot have institute a knowledge gap. A research gap pertains to unexplored areas of study. Information technology takes a while to discern such a gap, so y'all need to be patient in reading the literature and note down the significant findings.
Knowing when to stop searching the literature depends in part on your familiarity with the topic at hand. Hence, information technology pays to study something where yous become more familiar, every bit yous go through your academic pursuit. That is the mark of being a specialist in your field.
Information technology all boils downward to the study's objectives and having a clear purpose, the time you have available, and the guidance of your experienced adviser familiar with the subject area.
In my experience, the limiting factor is time, as you can't beget to capture everything written well-nigh the subject field. Find the near recent landmark or seminal works most your specific topic whenever bachelor. That will give yous more confidence that indeed y'all have read the most relevant references.
Professor Liesbet van Zoonen, of Erasmus University, gives some more tips on when to stop writing the literature review in the following video. Grab a loving cup of java, relax and listen attentively to what she is saying.
Concluding Statements
In decision, the literature review sheds lite on what has been washed then far most the research topic. It reveals "gaps" that warrant farther investigation. Good research practice presents this gap in knowledge in the introduction of the study. Statement of objectives or trouble statements to address that gap follow. Hence, a follow-up study produces new information.
At that place you get. I hope yous both learned and enjoyed reading this commodity. Keep safe and be confident in writing your literature review in the safety of your home.
References
Ashton, West. (2015). Writing a Short Literature Review. Retrieved on Jan 6, 2015 from http://www.ithacalibrary.com/sp/assets/users/_lchabot/lit_rev_eg.pdf
Maas, B., Pakeman, R. J., Godet, L., Smith, L., Devictor, V., & Primack, R. (2021). Women and Global Due south strikingly underrepresented among summit-publishing ecologists. Conservation Letters, e12797.
Regoniel, P. A., Macasaet, Thou. T. U., & Mendoza, Due north. I. (2017). Economical assay of adaptation options in Honda Bay, Puerto Princesa Urban center, Philippines.EEPSEA Research Report, (2017-RR3).
©2021 October xxx P. A. Regoniel
Cite this commodity as: Regoniel, Patrick (October 30, 2021). Literature Review: The What, Why, Where, How, and When to Stop Writing It [Weblog Post]. In Enquiry-based Articles. Retrieved from https://simplyeducate.me/2021/10/thirty/literature-review/
Source: https://simplyeducate.me/2021/10/30/literature-review/
0 Response to "What Part of an Article Is the Literature Review"
Postar um comentário