A
literature review is more than a descriptive list of articles and books. A document that lists and summarizes relevant
literature is more akin to an annotated bibliography, but it is not a
literature review. A literature review is a synthesis of material relevant to your topic
and/or research methodology.
Why
bother with a literature review? A literature review helps you to find research
that is relevant to your work. It may
support or challenge an argument you would like to make, provide definitions
and context for your work, and suggest data. Your literature review may also
help you design the methodology for your research. In addition, by learning “what’s out there,”
you can find gaps in existing research and avoid duplication.
The
key to a literature review rests in its organization. The organization of a
literature review may vary to suit your goals and to reach the intended
audience, but in any event it should be conceptual. Before you begin, decide on the guiding concepts for your literature
review. The guiding concepts framing your discussion may relate to your topic
(definitions, problem statement, analysis, etc.) and/or your methodology (data,
assumptions, approach).
In
determining your guiding concept, think about the intended nature and scope of
your study. For example, if you want to take a case study approach to examining
“nonviolent resistance in the Middle East,” your guiding organizational concept
may be the topic of nonviolent resistance generally or more specifically,
alternatives to violence in the Middle East.
You could also use the sources to explore definitions (i.e., how do
various authors define “nonviolence”) or to consider specific questions (i.e.,
under what conditions does strategic nonviolence succeed?). Remember, you
don’t have to do everything with your sources!
To summarize, four key components of a literature review are as follows:
(1) organize information and relate it to the thesis or research question you are
developing
(2) synthesize results into a summary of what is and isn't known
(3) identify controversy when it appears in the literature
(4) develop questions for further research
(http://www.lsa.umich.edu/swc/ grad/resources.html#lit_reviews).
Review
the following questions before you begin your literature review, and then again
when you complete it.
1.
Do I have a specific thesis,
problem, or research question that my literature review helps to define? Can I state it clearly and concisely? It is a good idea to write a short statement
of your topic before searching the
literature. You can always revise it
later.
2. What is the scope of my literature
review? What types of publications am I using? e.g.
journals, books, government? What discipline am I working in? You may wish to narrow your scope.
3.
Have I found enough relevant
information? What limitations exist
in my information gathering? If significant
limitations exist, acknowledge them in the paper.
4. Is there a specific relationship
between the literature I've chosen to review and the problem I've formulated?
If you have to “force” any literature to “fit,” delete it. (I know it is painful to delete something you’ve
read and analyzed!)
5.
Have I critically analyzed
the literature I use? Do I just list and summarize authors and articles, or
do I assess them? Do I discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the cited material?
Do I find and discuss controversies in the literature?
6. Does my review read well? Does each paragraph fit together? It really a coherent synthesis? Do I provide the reader with strong "umbrella" sentences at beginnings of paragraphs, "signposts” throughout, and brief "so what" summary sentences at intermediate points in the review to aid in understanding comparisons and analyses?
7.
In my introduction, do I state
my thesis, problem, or research question clearly? Do I provide a “roadmap” to guide the reader?
8. Does my conclusion summarize major
contributions of significant studies and articles relevant to my thesis/
research problem? Does my introduction and conclusion fit together? Can I note any issues
pertinent to future study? Can I provide
some insight
into the relationship between the central topic of the literature review and a larger area of study such as a discipline, profession and/or ongoing contemporary social problem? (For example, can I draw lessons for public policy from my research problem – whether nonviolent student movements are a factor in regime change?)
9. Will this paper be useful for its intended
audience?
(More questions on the books to be
reviewed can
be found here: http://www.lsa.umich.edu/swc/
grad/resources.html#lit_reviews).