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Literature review

Literature review. When you may write a literature review. As an assignment For a report or thesis (e.g. for senior project) As a graduate student For a technical paper. Purpose of a literature review.

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Literature review

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  1. Literature review

  2. When you may write a literature review • As an assignment • For a report or thesis (e.g. for senior project) • As a graduate student • For a technical paper

  3. Purpose of a literature review • To show that you have a good understanding of the background of your topic of research or investigation. • Things to do: • Include all the areas of research relevant to your topic • Give a historical account of its development • Show that you know who has done the relevant work via citations • Show the links between the various areas – correlations, contradictions, ambiguities, gaps • Show the weaknesses of other work and techniques • Show how your work will form an original contribution

  4. Common difficulties • The quantity of literature • Lack of literature (sometimes) • Getting started. Where do I look? • Knowing how broad or narrow to make your review • Knowing which paper to discard and which to keep • Having the discipline to re-read papers to gain fresh understanding

  5. What makes a good review? • A good review presents the facts and goes behind the facts • It needs to • Show the issues that have been dealt with in the past • Show the issues that need to be currently addressed • Show the correlations, contradictions, ambiguities, and gaps that exist • Give an analysis and commentary that makes it clear that you understand the issue • Show that you are imposing your view on the issue

  6. The process of researching and writing a review • Hints • Don’t worry about the volume of literature or that your supervisor may have given you a few specialized papers to start you off • Be systematic. Be focused and keep good records • Don’t rely solely on books and review articles. • Be cleverly selective • View the process of searching, extracting and filing material as an iterative process

  7. The process - Types of sources • Tertiary sources • Textbooks, original articles • Secondary sources • Summaries of information, e.g. review articles • Primary sources • Journal articles, theses, reports

  8. The process - Steps • Consult a librarian about searching techniques • Be systematic about keeping records of the citations • First stage of finding information: find a book • Find some really good review articles • Choose the papers that appear to be KEY papers • Select and note the information you need from the KEY papers • Choose the topic headings for your review • Sort your information into the various topic headings • Select the FRINGE papers (less prominent authors) • Re-read your original review papers • Write up the review as a final stage

  9. 2. Be systematic about keeping records of the citations • Use a computer to keep records • Use a dedicated software to help you (e.g. aigaion) • Keep copies of every key document • Note down the full details of the citation • Check out the book information about • Journal citations • Books

  10. 4. Find some really good review articles • You will need from one to four • For a good review article you need to establish • The general overall sense of the topic • The areas that are relevant to your topic • Who are the most active researchers, and who are the authorities • The papers that are regarded as the most important

  11. 5. Choose the papers that appear to be KEY papers • These are: • The most frequently cited papers in the review articles • The most frequently cited authors in the review articles • The titles that are the most relevant to your topic • The most recently dated • Get also older papers to show the development of the topic

  12. 6. Select and note the information you need from the KEY papers • How does the topic fit into a broader view of the research area? • Why is it an important topic? • What is known about the topic? • What is ambiguous, in dispute, unknown? Why? • Also • Why do these gaps need to be filled? • Which gaps do you propose to fill in your research? • Why have you chosen them? • How do you propose to do it?

  13. 7. Choose the topic headings for your review • Topics are not fixed • Topics should be specific e.g. • Historical background • Standard techniques • Current technology

  14. Possible structure of review • Title • Abstract • Introduction • Sections appropriate to the subject • Conclusions • List of references

  15. Common mistakes • Finish the review before you start to understand the issue • Just giving an account of who did what and when • Not telling a coherent story • Not pointing out the gaps in the knowledge and any ambiguities. Not becoming involved • Referencing errors

  16. Writing the introduction • Clearly state the purpose of the study (the motivation) • Allow readers to understand the background of the study without consulting the literature • Indicate the authors that worked or are working in the area and describe their chief contribution • Indicate correlations, contradictions and gaps in the knowledge (to make space for your work) • Outline your contribution

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