Writing a Literature Review

Planning an Applied Research Project Chapter 5 – Writing a Literature Review© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.Learning ObjectivesCompare insights from various scholarly articlesPrepare a clear and well organized literature reviewMake a case for your purpose statement and research questionsTake notes in a manner useful to conducting a literature review© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.Key TermsAudienceCoherenceCriteria for evaluationFocusLogical flowPerspectivePoint of viewToneVoice© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.Purposes of a Completed Literature ReviewProvide information to scholarsInclude a comprehensive set of information about the current status of research in the fieldDemonstrate your credibilityEncourage support for your researchEnable you to move forward with your research© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.AudienceScholarly professionals in the fieldIndustry professionals Journal editorsEditorial boards of journalsOther studentsOther colleaguesPeople interested in your topicFundersReviewers of proposals© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.Voice and ToneObjective Dispassionate voice Third person point of viewAvoid:CondescensionFamiliarityLack of enthusiasmPersonal point of view – “I” “we”© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.The Perspective of a Literature ReviewBroad picture of the state of scholarship in an area (and often related areas)Picture of the quality and range of the scholarshipDiscussion of patterns and gaps in the key findings of various scholarshipAnalysis of the findings in the scholarship without too much detailEvaluation of the scholarship to point out the necessity or value of the proposed project© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.Constructing the Written Literature ReviewCollect your notes into categories – methods, findings, sample sizes, etc.Organize into a coherent essay with sectionsWrite the sectionsWrite a conclusion and then an introductionWrite transitions between sectionsReview to ensure a focus on findingsCheck for accurate sources and sufficient referencesRevise for clear, objective point of view© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.Constructing the Written Literature Review (cont’d)Structure of a Literature ReviewIntroduction – explaining the topic and the significance of the purpose statement and research questions; often including background information Subsections with headings – patterns of findings, gaps in findings, research methods, sampling strategies, applicationsConclusion – summarizing key findings and pointing out the need for the research© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.Constructing the Written Literature Review (cont’d)Elements of a Literature ReviewClear introductionStrong logic Comprehensive summaryCareful reasoningStatements about common patterns of research (documented by sources)Statements about gaps (documented by sources)Comments on research methods (documented by sources)© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.Criteria for a Good Literature ReviewGood Literature Review are:Well writtenCarefully constructedPersuasiveWell organizedInsightful© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.Criteria for a Good Literature Review (cont’d) ClarityCoherenceComprehensivenessCogencyCurrencyCredibilityCreativityContribution© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.Review of the Class SessionAnything unclear?One thing that I learned from this class is © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.