Write a Literature Review

1. INTRODUCTION

Not to be confused with a book review, a dissertation literature review surveys learned articles, books and other sources (e.g. dissertations, conference proceedings) applicable to a particular subject, area of research, or theory, only if a description, rundown, and critical assessment of each work. The purpose is to offer an overview of important literature published on a topic.

2. COMPONENTS

Comparable to most important research, development of the dissertation literature review requires four stages:

• PROBLEM FORMULATION—which topic or field is being examined and what are its component issues?
• LITERATURE SEARCH—finding materials relevant to the subject being explored
• DATA EVALUATION—determining which dissertation literature makes a significant contribution to the understanding of the topic
• Analysis and interpretation—discussing the findings and conclusions of pertinent literature

Literature Reviews Should Comprise The Following Elements:

• An impression of the subject, issue or theory under consideration, along with the objectives of the dissertation literature review
• Division of works under review into categories (e.g. those in support of a particular position, those against, and those offering alternative theses entirely)
• Details of how each work is similar to and how it varies from the others
• Conclusions as to which pieces are best careful in their disagreement, are most believable of their opinions, and make the maximum contribution to the considerate and development of their area of research

In Assessing Each Piece, Consideration Should Be Given To:

• Provenance—what are the author's credentials? Are the author's arguments supported by evidence (e.g. primary historical material, case studies, narratives, statistics, and recent scientific findings)?
• Objectivity—is the author's perspective even-handed or prejudicial? Is contrary data considered or is certain pertinent information ignored to prove the author's point?
• Persuasiveness—which of the author's theses are most/least convincing?
• Value—are the author's arguments and conclusions convincing? Does the work ultimately contribute in any significant way to an understanding of the subject?

3. DEFINITION AND USE/PURPOSE

A dissertation literature review may comprise a necessary chapter of a thesis or dissertation, or may be a self-sufficient review of writings on a subject. In also case, its purpose is to:

• Place each work in the context of its contribution to the understanding of the subject under review
• Describe the relationship of each work to the others under consideration
• Identify new ways to interpret, and shed light on any gaps in, previous research
• Resolve conflicts amongst seemingly contradictory previous studies
• Identify areas of prior scholarship to prevent duplication of effort
• Point the way forward for further research
• Place one's original work (in the case of theses or dissertations) in the context of existing literature