Research and Topic

LITERATURE REVIEWS
Literature reviews ….
 are an integral part of graduate studies to help you become fully conversant with a topic area
 may be a stand alone paper or part of a research paper or proposal
 present a survey of scholarly articles, books and other sources that provides a summary, synthesis and critical evaluation of key ideas and work on a topic area.
 present a big picture or overview of significant work done on a topic
 enable you to gain deep understanding and insight by standing on the shoulders of giants
 help you prepare for further original research by analysis of the current state of research on a topic
 take time, patience, a clear mind and good organizational skills
A good literature review demonstrates
THOROUGHNESS – you have looked at key scholars and studies, current and classic research, you have explored key aspects of the topic. skills: search, note taking, analysis, organization
QUALITY & RELIABILITY – articles are mostly from peer-reviewed journals, accuracy of citations. skills: search, note-taking, cross-checking , organization
SYNTHESIS – you can connect research studies and ideas to each other and use them to elaborate and support your thesis. skills: analysis, synthesis, interpretation, noticing patterns, organization, writing
OBJECTIVITY – you show no bias in selecting, interpreting the research you have reviewed; you consider all aspects of a topic and not just those that support your thesis. skills: analysis, synthesis, interpretation, making comparisons, working with contradictions, organization, writing.

The 2 stages of a literature review
STEP 1: The research process
SELECT - focus the topic area • develop topic statement & thesis
SEARCH - find articles
SCAN - summarise • analyse • synthesize • find patterns

STEP 2: The writing process
WRITE - draft introduction • body • conclusion
CITE - keep track of references
REVISE - coherence, accuracy, clarity, grammar,