Chapter Two - Literature Review

CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW
A. “The review of the literature provides the background and context for the
research problem. It should establish the need for the research and indicate that
the writer is knowledgeable about the area” (Wiersma, 1995, p. 406). B. The
literature review accomplishes several important things:
• It shares with the reader the results of other studies that are closely related
to the study being reported (Fraenkel & Wallen, 1990).
• It relates a study to the larger, ongoing dialogue in the literature about a
topic, filling in gaps and extending prior studies (Marshall & Rossman,
1989).
• It provides a framework for establishing the importance of the study, as
well as a benchmark for comparing the results of a study with other
findings.
• It “frames” the problem earlier identified.
C. Demonstrate to the reader that you have a comprehensive grasp of the
field and are aware of important recent substantive and methodological
developments.
D. Delineate the “jumping-off place” for your study. How will your study
refine, revise, or extend what is now known?
E. Avoid statements that imply that little has been done in the area or that
what has been done is too extensive to permit easy summary. Statements of this
sort are usually taken as indications that the writer is not really familiar with the
literature.
F. In a proposal, the literature review is generally brief and to the point. Be

judicious in your choice of exemplars—the literature selected should be
pertinent and relevant (APA, 2001- 2020). Select and reference only the more
appropriate citations. Make key points clearly and succinctly.
What is a literature review?
A literature review is an account of what has been published on a topic by accredited

scholars and researchers. Occasionally you will be asked to write one as a separate
assignment, but more often it is part of the introduction to an essay, research report, or
thesis. In writing the literature review, your purpose is to convey to your reader what
knowledge and ideas have been established on a topic, and what their strengths and
weaknesses are. As a piece of writing, the literature review must be defined by a
guiding concept (e.g., your research objective, the problem or issue you are
discussing, or your argumentative thesis). It is not just a descriptive list of the material
available, or a set of summaries
A literature review must do these things:

1. be organized around and related directly to the thesis or research question you
are developing
2. synthesize results into a summary of what is and is not known
3. identify areas of controversy in the literature
4. formulate questions that need further research
WHAT ARE THE PARTS OF A LIT REVIEW?
Most lit reviews use a basic introduction-body-conclusion structure; if your lit review
is part of a larger paper, the introduction and conclusion pieces may be just a few
sentences while you focus most of your attention on the body. If your lit review is a
standalone piece, the introduction and conclusion take up more space and give you a
place to discuss your goals, research methods, and conclusions separately from where
you discuss the literature itself.
Introduction:
1. An introductory paragraph that explains what your working topic and thesis is
2. A forecast of key topics or texts that will appear in the review
3. Potentially, a description of how you found sources and how you analyzed
them for inclusion and discussion in the review (more often found in
published, standalone literature reviews than in lit review sections in an article
or research paper)
Body:
1. Summarize and synthesize: Give an overview of the main points of each
source and combine them into a coherent whole
2. Analyze and interpret: Don’t just paraphrase other researchers – add your own
interpretations where possible, discussing the significance of findings in
relation to the literature as a whole
3. DISCUSSION: Critically Evaluate: Mention the strengths and weaknesses of
your sources
4. Write in well-structured paragraphs: Use transition words and topic sentence
to draw connections, comparisons, and contrasts. THE BODY IS LIKE AN
ESSAY NOT LIKE AN ANNOTATED BIO. IT MUST FLOW.
Conclusion:
• Summarize the key findings you have taken from the literature and emphasize their
significance
• Connect it back to your primary research question

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CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW

F. In a proposal, the literature review is generally brief and to the point. Be

A literature review is an account of what has been published on a topic by accredited

A literature review must do these things:

WHAT ARE THE PARTS OF A LIT REVIEW?

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