Writing Literacy Review Part 1 Notes

Writing A Literature Review

Page 1

Introduction to Literature Review

• Definition: A literature review is a synthesis of scholarly articles related to your thesis, dissertation, or journal article. It assesses, summarizes, and critiques updated information from various credible sources, including academic books and journal articles.

• Purpose: To provide readers with a comprehensive understanding of the background of your research or investigation, while critically analyzing and synthesizing published works.

Steps Before Writing

1. Identify the Issue: Clearly define the problem statement and research questions.

2. Gather Materials: Collect credible sources that support your topic.

3. Evaluate and Categorize: Analyze the gathered information and categorize it based on relevance to your research.

Structure of a Literature Review

• Chronological Literature Review: Information organized sequentially to show the development of ideas over time; ideal for historiographical papers.

• Thematic Literature Review: Arranged by theme or topic, presents a broader comparison of theories related to research.