Writing Your Thematic Literature Review

1. Writing Your ThematicLiterature Review

2. Purpose of the Literature • Helps map and define your research topic • Presents a balanced view • Justifies your research question • Allows you to keep up-to-date with what is currently in the field • Provides literature for you to compare your findings with at the end • To emphasize the credibility of the writer in her/his field

3. What is a Thematic Literature Review? • Focuses on a specific topic • Compiles the research that has been published on the topic by scholars and experts • Provides background for the problem or puts the problem into historical perspective • Informs the reader about the current concepts and state of research on the topic and any controversies • Organizes the citations thematically into a narrative

4. A Review of the Literature is Not • A thesis paper • An annotated bibliography listing references and adding brief notes about the value of each source • Suggestions for further reading • A collection of quotes and paraphrasing from other sources

5. Thematic Literature Review • Allows you to discuss your sources in terms of the themes or topics they cover • Forces you to summarize your sources • Thematic grouping enables you to demonstrate the types of topics important to your research

6. Thematic Literature Review • Can be grouped according to terms, theories, arguments, disagreements, or methods in the literature • Make sure you understand your sources • Do not use sources if you do not fully understand them

7. Thematic Literature Review • Map your concepts • With 5 – 10 primary sources you should have from 2 – 6 major themes

8. Concept Map Example Source Theme 1 A 2 B, C 3 A, B 4 A, B, C 5 C 6 C, D

9. Concept Map Example Theme Source Citations A 1, 3, 4 B 2, 3, 4 C 2, 4, 5, 6 D 6

10. Concept Map Example Theme Source Citations Nature of the problem 1, 3, 4 Findings on best practices 2, 3, 4 Use of reinforcement 2, 4, 5, 6 Teacher Modeling 6

11. Themes Emerging from the Review • Nature of the Problem • Review of best practices in addressing the issue • Use of reinforcement as a specific intervention strategy • Teacher modeling as an intervention strategy

12. Once you have your themes • Organize them in a way that makes to your project • Make sure the order makes sense and ‘flows’ • Share with a colleague and get feedback