OVERVIEW

The very words literature review seem to generate a lot of anxiety among
students who meet the phrase for the first time. What is this new mysterious
form of academic writing? How do I go about creating one of them for myself?
In many ways a literature review is a form of research report where the data
are the readings that you have located and the ma!or part of the report is your
analysis of that data. "nd this is perhaps the heart of the matter # analytical
insight. $ou must not simply describe or summarise the literature you must
review it.
Therefore besides demonstrating your %nowledge about the topic writing a
literature review lets you demonstrate your s%ills in two areas&
information see%ing& the ability to scan the literature efficiently using
manual or computeri'ed methods to identify a set of useful articles and
boo%s( and
critical appraisal& the ability to apply principles of analysis to identify and
evaluate relevant studies )Taylor * +roctor ,--./.
While these notes can provide some guidance in terms of the process structure
and writing style you must bring these %ey ingredients of literature search
s%ills and critical thin%ing.
DEFINING THE TOPIC / LOCATING RELEVANT LITERATURE
It is very important to be clear about the focus of your review so spend some
time thin%ing about this and maybe engaging in some preliminary reading to help
you define the topic. This allows you to be clear about boundaries& the issues you
wish to include and the issues you wish to exclude )and why/.
With a well0defined topic you can engage in the detailed search of the literature
with specific goals in mind. The search must be systematic& thin% about the %ey
authors !ournals and databases and also the appropriate search terms that will
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TE TARI WHINA
TE TARI WHINA
the learning devel!"ent #entre the learning devel!"ent #entre
LITERATURE REVIEW$ LITERATURE REVIEW$
generate optimal results. "lso dont forget that the reference lists of readings
you collect will give you more avenues to pursue for %ey articles. 9inally try as
much as possible to engage with the primary literature # dont rely on other
peoples assessment of a particular study.
:nce you have begun to collect your literature try to structure your reading so
that you first gain an overview and then move progressively deeper exploring
the fine details only where they are relevant to your particular topic.
"lso it is important not to get side trac%ed. ;hoose to read what is necessary
and relevant not what is easy or appealing. 4espite this remember that you may
%now what is really relevant only when you come to write the literature review
and have to shape the ideas and arguments to build your own research <uestion
and hypotheses.
READING EFFECTIVEL%& READING CRITICALL%
=ust as we wish to learn how to write clearly and effectively so we might
consider how to read more effectively too. 2ome students have considerable
difficulty in coping with the mountain of reading demanded at the postgraduate
level especially if they favour more active practical or %inesthetic styles of
learning.
We retain only 5-> of what we read if we sit passively scanning page after page
but we retain .-> of what we experience. Therefore in order to maximise our
productivity when reading we must turn reading into a much more active process
? one which is under our own control.
9or example should we read a paper or a review chapter in a linear fashion li%e
a novel? There is a more efficient approach& 9irst we might read the %ey parts
of a paper7chapter& Title and "bstract. We might scan the headings and
subheadings and move on to read the Introduction and ;onclusion. Then we can
decide if we really need to read the rest of the paper or if we can move on to
something more worthwhile.
Reading #riti#all'
"s well as reading effectively and efficiently we must also read critically.
The move to a more critical understanding of the particular academic discipline
is one of the ma!or developments a student must undergo in wor%ing at the
postgraduate level @ analysing the wor% of peers in the profession critically
weighing the value significance and worth of one piece of wor% against another
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against the students own criteria. 2ome people can feel daunted by the
prospect of this.
"s noted in the overview literature reviews deal fundamentally in critical
thin%ing. Aut !ust what is critical thin%ing? How do you %now when youre doing
it? 9acione )588./ defines core critical thin%ing s%ills as follows&
"nalysis
Bvaluation
Bxplanation
Inference
Interpretation
2elf0regulation
Csing these s%ills what <uestions might one as% when reading a paper in order
to cast a critical eye over the wor%? 2ee "ppendix " for a critical reading
chec%list.
E((e#tive #riti#al reading a) !re!aratin (r *riting
In the context of reviewing the literature reading and writing are not separate
endeavours but interacting processes. Dead with a pen in your hand recording
your responses understanding and insights as you read @ it is hard to
reconstruct your thin%ing wee%s )or sometimes months/ later when you come to
write the literature review.
Ta%e notes on both the content and your critical response to it. However bear
in mind that it is important to %eep separate your own views and the views of
others ? try using the two0column system or using different coloured pens.
$+""ar'
Ta%e control of your reading by ma%ing it a much more active experience&
5. :rganise the se<uence of readings to gain an overview before plunging into
in0depth research on particular points
,. "s% yourself what you expect to learn from each paper7chapter7boo%
E. Ta%e notes on the content
6. ;ritically assess the paper
F. Gote your critical assessment
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WRITING THE LITERATURE REVIEW
" literature review must&
be organised around and related directly to the hypothesis or research
<uestion you are developing
synthesise the literature into a summary of what is and is not %nown
identify areas of disagreement in the literature
formulate <uestions that need further research
If you have made notes on your reading you have prepared a body of wor% which
will ta%e you a long way towards completing your written literature review.
However you need to organise this mass of material.
Organi)atin ( the literat+re revie*
$ou are not writing an uncritical summary or a Hlaundry listI of your reading @
you are loo%ing to create a critical review of the literature. In planning your
writing you must find some way to bring order to the chaos of all your readings&
you are loo%ing for the way in which you can group the readings so that they can
be critically examined in the most effective way. Bach group of readings will
form a section of your review.
4epending upon the nature of your chosen topic you might choose to organise
your review in one of the following ways );one * 9oster 588E/&
Delated independent variables& eg HWhat strategies enhance organisational
effectivenessI # organise by strategy type.
Delated dependent variables& eg HWhat are the factors that influence retail
store sales volumeI # organise by studies focussing on specific factors& price
pac%aging store display systems product si'e etc.
Type of research design used in the studies you have identified.
;hronological organisation # be very wary of using a chronological organisation
if there are a number of themes developing over time the literature can leap
about between themes and may actually be <uite incoherent.
:rganisation by theoretical premises # if your field of interest contains
several competing theories you can discuss each in turn and then bring them
together in a critical analysis.
Jrouping similar findings of previous research.
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"ny other method that ma%es sense of the literature.
$ou can do the planning and organising by mindmapping or constructing lists(
Hpost0itI notes are very handy as you can move them around to see how
different groupings loo%. However you do it this planning stage is very important
for two reasons&
9irstly it provides the logical structure that is fundamental to your analysis
and that to a large extent determines the <uality of your review.
2econdly it helps you brea% down the review into sections # this ma%es the
writing easier because you have several smaller writing tas%s rather than
one huge tas%.
E"!ha)i)
"nother way to loo% at the construction of the literature review is to use the
analogy of filmma%ing& the idea of long shots and close ups.
Kong shot material is bac%ground or HfringeI material ? it needs to be there
and be ac%nowledged but a detailed appraisal is not re<uired.
The close up is reserved for the %ey material which is centrally relevant to your
own research topic and it is these papers which you must analyse critically.
Devel!ing '+r #riti,+e
"n important tas% is clearly establishing the lin%s between the various items of
literature you have gathered together and your central topic. Cnfortunately a
common mista%e in academic writing is the assembly of lots of research without
any obvious explanation of how it all lin%s together to form a unified whole. This
creation of a synthesis of the literature is essential.
Bffectively you have to wor% on the basis that the various bits of your research
will not Hspea% for themselvesI. $ou must show thin%ing that you have applied
step by step )Dosenwasser * 2tephen ,---/. In summary then you must
explain&
what the literature means in your view( and
how the literature connects together and how it connects to your topic.
2o you must test refine and develop ideas( compare and contrast various pieces
of research( identify similarities in and differences between readings( discuss
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examples that illustrate your ideas( and see% the deeper concepts which
underpin the research you are examining.
When you have drafted your review the chec%list in "ppendix A can help you
ensure you have covered all the important aspects of a good review.
ANNOTATED -I-LIOGRAPH%
"n annotated bibliography is a list of boo%s articles etc collected around a
particular topic. Bach entry gives the full reference citation followed
by the annotation. This annotation is both descriptive and critical as
it includes both a brief summary of the %ey content along with an
evaluation of the wor% and an explanation of how it relates to other
items in the bibliography )Bngle Alumenthal * ;osgrave ,--F/. Bach
annotation is usually <uite short consisting of maybe one or two
paragraphs or 5F-0E-- words.
The lin%s established between each entry in the bibliography through the
annotations are an essential ingredient and they ensure that the bibliography
forms a unified document rather than a series of separate entries. This
interlin%ing gives the reader an appreciation of the selected literature in its
entirety.
"n annotated bibliography may also have a short introduction to define the
focus and a conclusion to tie things together and create a sense of HclosureI.
REFERENCE$
;one =.4. * 9oster 2.K. )588E/. 4issertations and theses from start to finish&
+sychology and related fields. Washington 4;& "merican +sychological
"ssociation.
Bngle L. Alumenthal ". * ;osgrave T. ),--F/. How to prepare an annotated
bibliography. Detrieved =uly 58 ,--M from http&77www.library.cornell.edu7
olinuris7ref7research7s%ill,..htm
9acione +. ),--M/. ;ritical thin%ing& What it is and why it counts. Detrieved =uly
58 ,--M from http&77www.insightassessment.com7pdfNfiles7
what*why,--M.pdf
Dosenwasser 4. * 2tephen =. ),---/. Writing analytically. 9ort Worth&
Harcourt ;ollege +ublishers.
Taylor 4. * +roctor L. ),--./. The literature review& " few tips on conducting
it. Detrieved Lay 5 ,--. from http&77www.utoronto.ca7writing7litrev.html
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APPENDI. A/ A CRITICAL READING CHEC0LI$T
;onceptualisation
What are the ma!or issues being investigated?
How clearly are the ma!or concepts defined and7or explained?
4oes the literature review present a balanced summary of previous wor%?
4oes the literature lead to an ade<uately substantiated research <uestion or
hypothesis?
4oes the literature review clarify the significance of the research <uestion or
hypothesis?
Desearch <uestion7hypothesis
Is there a clearly stated research <uestion?
"re there clearly stated hypotheses?
"re the relationships among the main variables explicit and reasonable?
"re the hypotheses stated in a way that ma%es them testable and the results no
matter what interpretable?
Lethod
Is the design appropriate for the research <uestion?
Is the method of sampling appropriate for the research <uestion and design?
4oes the method employed ade<uately control for extraneous variables?
;ould the research design be improved and if so how?
"re the variables clearly and reasonably operationalised?
Is the reliability and validity of data discussed?
"re ethical issues addressed?
"re data collected and managed systematically?
If sampling is used are the samples techni<ues specified and appropriate?
Desults
"re the data appropriate for the study?
Is the description of data thorough?
4iscussion
"re the control variables ade<uately handled?
"re the data analysed appropriately?
"re the statistical techni<ues appropriate?
"re the conclusions of the study consistent with the analyses?
;an the results from the samples reasonably be generalised?
"re alternative conclusions discussed and accounted for?
"re the theoretical and practical implications of the study ade<uately discussed?
"re the limitations of the study noted?
2ummary considerations
What is your overall assessment of the ade<uacy of the study for exploring the
particular research problem?
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What is your overall assessment of the contribution of the study to this area of
research or professional practice?
What meaning and relevance does the study have for my professional practice?
4oes the study help me understand the context of my practice?
4oes the study enhance my %nowledge about my practice?
$+r#e)
Dudestam 1. * Gewton D. ),--5/. 2urviving your dissertation& " comprehensive guide
to content and process ),
nd
ed./. Thousand :a%s& 2age.
Dussel ;.1. * Jregory 4. ),--E/. Bvaluation of <ualitative research studies. Bvidence0
Aased Gursing M EM06-.
APPENDI. -/ A LITERATURE REVIEW CHEC0LI$T
2election of the material
Is the purpose of the review clear?
"re the parameters of the review reasonable? Why are some papers included but
others omitted?
"re recent developments emphasised?
Is the focus on the primary literature with only selective use of secondary sources?
Is the selected literature relevant?
;ritical evaluation
Is the review organised thematically?
Is the review organised logically?
Is there greater emphasis on the more important issues and less emphasis on
peripheral matters?
"re experimental methods and designs criti<ued?
In situations where results conflict or are inconclusive is there a discussion of the
possible reasons why?
Interpretation
4oes the review contribute to the readers understanding of the research problem?
4oes the design of the research method reflect the conclusions drawn for the
literature review?
$+r#e
Kanguage * Kearning 2%ills Cnit Cniversity of Lelbourne. )n.d./. Deviewing the
literature. Detrieved Lay 5 ,--. from http&77www.services.unimelb.edu.au7
llsu7pdf7flyers7postgrad7pg--M.pdf
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