It’s a well-established fact among students that crafting informative essays and research papers constitutes a fundamental aspect of the educational curriculum. This process typically involves formulating a thesis, substantiating it with credible sources, and constructing a cohesive framework of ideas around it. However, what many students may not realize until they reach college is that they will encounter another essential genre of academic writing: the Literature Review.
What Is a Literature Review
Unlike traditional essays or research papers, a Literature Review delves deeper into existing scholarly works related to a specific topic or field of study. It requires students to not only summarize and analyze relevant literature but also to critically evaluate the ideas, methodologies, and findings presented in those works. In essence, a Literature Review serves as a synthesis of existing knowledge, offering insights into the current state of research and identifying gaps or areas for further investigation.
This type of academic writing demands a more comprehensive understanding of the subject matter, as students must navigate through a plethora of sources ranging from academic journals and books to conference proceedings and dissertations. Moreover, they are expected to demonstrate their ability to discern the significance of each source in relation to their own research interests or inquiries.
Purpose of a Literature Review
The primary aim of conducting a literature review is to condense and amalgamate the thoughts and findings put forth by earlier scholars, abstaining from inserting personal viewpoints or extraneous details. Nevertheless, the intent of a literature review extends beyond mere summarization; it seeks to discern a common thread or fundamental principle interwoven throughout the various works examined. Much akin to how a research paper is steered by its thesis, a literature review operates under the guidance of its main organizing principle (MOP). The objective of such scholarly composition is to pinpoint this MOP and illustrate its presence across all pertinent documents.
Why is a literature review important?
A literature review serves several crucial purposes in academic research and scholarly writing:
- Establishing context: It helps to place your research within the broader context of existing knowledge and scholarly debates. By reviewing the literature, you demonstrate your understanding of the field and show how your work contributes to it.
- Identifying gaps: Through a literature review, you can identify areas where previous research falls short or where there are unanswered questions. This can help you define the scope and focus of your own research, as well as justify its importance.
- Avoiding duplication: A thorough literature review helps you avoid duplicating previous research efforts. By knowing what has already been done, you can ensure that your work builds upon existing knowledge rather than simply repeating it.
- Formulating research questions and hypotheses: The insights gained from reviewing the literature can inform the development of research questions and hypotheses. It can also help you refine your research objectives and methodology.
- Critical evaluation: A literature review involves critically analyzing previous studies, evaluating their methodologies, strengths, and weaknesses. This critical evaluation can help you assess the reliability and validity of existing research findings.
- Supporting arguments: The literature review provides evidence to support your arguments and claims. By citing relevant studies and theoretical frameworks, you bolster the credibility of your own work and demonstrate its scholarly rigor.
- Identifying relevant theories and frameworks: Literature review helps in identifying relevant theoretical frameworks and conceptual models that can inform your research design and analysis.
In summary, a literature review is important because it helps researchers situate their work within the existing body of knowledge, identify gaps and opportunities for further research, and ensure the validity and relevance of their findings.
What Should Be the Length of a Literature Review?
When students tackle the task of composing a literature review, one common query arises: “What’s the ideal length for a literature review?” Often, the length of your paper’s body hinges on your instructor’s directives, so it’s crucial to meticulously review the guidelines to discern the expectations.
If specific guidelines aren’t given, it’s advisable to aim for your literature review to encompass approximately 15-30% of your overall paper. To offer a rough estimate, this typically translates to 2-3 pages within a 15-page paper. However, if you’re crafting a literature review as a standalone assignment, its required length should be clearly outlined in the provided instructions.
Literature Review Format
Ensure that your essay conforms to the citation style specified by your instructor. Additionally, consult your instructor to clarify several other aspects to determine the preferred literature review structure:
- Determine the number and types of sources to review (e.g., published materials, journal articles, websites).
- Establish the citation format to use for referencing the sources.
- Define the desired length of the literature review.
- Decide whether the review should primarily comprise a summary, synthesis, or personal critique.
- Determine if subheadings or background information for the sources should be included in the review.
APA Format For A Literature Review
To ensure your paper adheres to APA style, observe these guidelines:
- Maintain 1-inch margins on all sides of the page.
- Unless specified otherwise, employ double-spacing throughout the entirety of your document.
- Opt for a legible font; Times New Roman at 12-point size is the recommended choice for APA papers.
- Incorporate a header at the top of each page, written in uppercase letters. The header should be a concise rendition of your essay title, limited to 50 characters, including spaces and punctuation.
- Place page numbers in the upper right corner of each page.
- When constructing your literature review outline in APA format, ensure the inclusion of a title page. This page should feature the paper’s title, author’s name, and institutional affiliation. Your title should utilize both uppercase and lowercase letters, be centered at the top of the page, and comprise no more than 12 words. Avoid the use of abbreviations and unnecessary terms.
MLA Format For A Literature Review
o adhere to MLA style guidelines for formatting your text, follow these specifications:
- Maintain 1-inch margins on all sides of the page.
- Double-space the entire document.
- Begin each new paragraph with a 4-inch indent.
- Utilize Times New Roman font, size 12.
- Incorporate a header at the top of the first page or on a title page (if chosen). The header should contain:
- Your full name
- Name of the instructor
- Name of the class, course, or section number
- Due date of the assignment
- Insert a running head on the top right corner of every page. It should be positioned one inch from the right margin and half an inch from the top margin. The running head should comprise only your last name and the page number, separated by a space. Do not include the abbreviation “p.” before page numbers
Structure of a Literature Review
Structuring a literature review follows a familiar pattern akin to an intro-body-conclusion framework, typically comprising five paragraphs. Let’s delve into each facet of this foundational structure:
Introduction
The introduction serves as a guide, leading your readers toward the Main Organizing Principle (MOP). Begin by introducing the general concept, such as “Corruption,” before gradually narrowing the focus towards the MOP. This involves outlining the criteria used to select relevant literature sources (e.g., “Macbeth,” “All the King’s Men,” and “Animal Farm”). Conclude the introduction by clearly presenting the MOP, establishing its direct connection to all three literature sources.
Body Paragraphs
Each body paragraph concentrates on a specific literary source introduced in the essay’s inception. Given that each source offers a unique perspective on the MOP, it’s essential to structure the review logically. This can be achieved through chronological, thematic, or methodological frameworks.
Chronological Structure
This approach organizes sources based on their publication dates, offering a historical timeline of the concept’s development over time. It provides insights into the evolution of ideas and can offer illustrative examples from literature.
Thematic Structure
Rather than following a timeline, this method focuses on exploring the thematic links between the MOP and the sources. Writers may order sources based on their thematic relevance or the strength of their connection to the central concept.
Methodological Structure
This structure emphasizes the methods employed by authors to convey the central concept. By analyzing how different texts utilize various techniques, such as narrative style or character portrayal, writers can compare them based on factors like severity, ethical considerations, and overall impact.
Conclusion
In the conclusion, the writer accomplishes three key objectives. First, they summarize the key findings unearthed in the body paragraphs, succinctly addressing the question: “What have you learned?” Following this, they contextualize the significance of these findings in today’s world, exploring how readers can apply the information to contemporary society. Finally, the conclusion provides a breadcrumb trail, guiding readers towards further exploration or action based on the insights gleaned from the literature review.
Outline for a Literature Review
Many students tend to overlook the crucial step of planning their paper’s structure beforehand, a practice that can lead to unnecessary complications. It’s imperative to understand that having a well-defined outline, such as an APA literature review outline, not only ensures adherence to the correct format and structure but also streamlines the writing process, ensuring nothing important is omitted.
Constructing a literature review outline entails considering the specific roles each section plays within the overall framework of introduction, body, and conclusion. Unlike other essay outlines, a literature review outline primarily synthesizes existing studies pertinent to the main topic rather than presenting new information.
Take, for instance, an outline on the Ebola virus:
Introduction:
- Introduce the general topic.
- Provide background information on the Ebola virus, including its genome, pathogenesis, transmission, epidemiology, and treatment.
- Formulate the primary research question focusing on the potential role of arthropods in the virus’s distribution.
Methodology:
- Describe the process used to gather relevant research articles about the Ebola virus and arthropods’ role in its spread.
- Explain how data was extracted using standardized methods.
Expected outcomes:
- Summarize anticipated trends in the literature regarding the virus’s transmission, emphasizing the potential significance of arthropods.
Body:
- Analyze specific literature pieces, covering key aspects such as research questions, methods, outcomes, strengths, weaknesses, gaps, and contradictions.
Conclusion:
- Discuss relationships between discussed literature, highlighting common themes and trends.
- Evaluate the influence of various studies and identify major points of disagreement or gaps in knowledge.
- Outline how your own research could contribute to the topic’s further exploration.
This structured outline serves as a foundation for your paper. However, if you require additional guidance on organizing your review, consider exploring more literature review outline examples in APA or other styles online, or seek assistance from academic resources.
Add Your Heading Text Here
Whether you’re crafting a literature review as part of a broader research endeavor like a thesis or dissertation, or as a standalone project, the fundamental approach to writing remains consistent.
Now that you’re familiar with the general guidelines and have a basic outline template for your literature review, let’s delineate the steps necessary to tackle this task effectively:
Step 1: Defining the Topic
This initial step may vary depending on whether your literature review is integrated into a larger research paper or stands alone. For integrated reviews, you’ll search for literature pertaining to your primary research inquiries. Conversely, if it’s a standalone task, you’ll select a pertinent topic and central question around which to gather literature.
Step 2: Researching
Once you’ve pinpointed your topic, begin gathering relevant literature. Start by compiling a list of keywords related to your central question to streamline the research process. Utilize trusted sources such as university libraries and scientific databases. Evaluate the relevance of each source by perusing abstracts before diving into full texts.
Step 3: Evaluating and Prioritizing Sources
Amidst your research, you’ll encounter numerous relevant sources. Rather than attempting to include them all, reassess your collection and prioritize the most pertinent ones. Consider criteria such as credibility, influence, novelty, innovation, key insights, and relevancy. Take comprehensive notes while reading and ensure proper citation from the outset to facilitate later bibliography creation.
Step 4: Analyzing Relationships, Key Ideas, and Gaps
Before outlining and writing your literature review, identify relationships among existing studies. This process aids in organizing knowledge, constructing a robust outline, and highlighting potential research contributions. Look for main themes, contradictions, influential studies or theories, trends, and gaps in the literature.
Step 5: Crafting an Outline
While often overlooked, outlining is crucial for academic writing. It helps organize your thoughts and ensures nothing essential is overlooked. Leverage your accumulated knowledge to create a detailed outline based on the discussed literature review structure.
Step 6: Writing
With all necessary sources, notes, citations, and a structured outline in place, proceed to the writing phase. Adhere to your outline, keeping in mind the prescribed structure and formatting guidelines provided by your professor.
Step 7: Polishing
Lastly, dedicate ample time to proofreading and editing. These final touches are often neglected but are essential for ensuring a polished final product deserving of top marks. Emphasize the importance of thorough proofreading and editing, allocating sufficient time to these critical steps.
Read More Articles
- All Posts
- Blog
- Posts
In today’s world of business, social media has become really important for marketing. Many companies use social media to connect…
In the forthcoming years and decades, global challenges ranging from diseases, financial crises, technological disruptions, and climate change will occur…
Numerous students inquire about the purpose of an appendix in writing. Essentially, an appendix serves as a collection of referenced…
Click here to read more blogs
