LESSON 3: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

PRE-TEST:
Direction: Answer the question comprehensively and concisely.
1. What is a literature review?
2. What is the difference between a literature review and an annotated bibliography?
3. What is the purpose of a literature review?
4. How to create a literature review?
5. Why write a literature review?

Learning Activities:
The learner shall be able to:
1. Learn to review and assess scientific literature critically.
2. Write and present an overview of the relevant literature for a specific research topic.
3. Search the literature using appropriate keywords and databases.
4. Develop a protocol for a literature review of a research topic.
5. Prepare a critically appraised review of the topic.
6. Discuss the implications of the report.
7. Demonstrate competent verbal and written skills.

What is a literature review?

A literature review is not an annotated bibliography in which you summarize briefly
each article that you have reviewed. While a summary of the what you have read is
contained within the literature review, it goes well beyond merely summarizing professional
literature. It focuses on a specific topic of interest to you and includes a critical analysis of
the relationship among different works, and relating this research to your work. It may be
written as a stand-alone paper or to provide a theoretical framework and rationale for a
research study (such as a thesis or dissertation).
A literature review surveys books, scholarly articles, and any other sources relevant
to a particular issue, area of research, or theory, and by so doing, provides a description,
summary, and critical evaluation of these works in relation to the research problem being
investigated. Literature reviews are designed to provide an overview of sources you have
explored while researching a particular topic and to demonstrate to your readers how your
research fits within a larger field of study.
In essence, a literature review identifies, evaluates and synthesizes the relevant
literature within a particular field of research. It illuminates how knowledge has evolved
within the field, highlighting what has already been done, what is generally accepted, what
is emerging and what is the current state of thinking on the topic. In addition, within
research-based texts such as a Doctoral thesis, a literature review identifies a research gap
(i.e. unexplored or under-researched areas) and articulates how a particular research
project addresses this gap.
What is meant by the term literature?
Literature refers to a collection of published information/materials on a particular
area of research or topic, such as books and journal articles of academic value. However,
your literature review does not need to be inclusive of every article and book that has been
written on your topic because that will be too broad. Rather, it should include the key
sources related to the main debates, trends and gaps in your research area.
Why write a literature review?
When you write a thesis, dissertation, or research paper, you will have to conduct a
literature review to situate your research within existing knowledge.
The literature review gives you a chance to:
 Demonstrate your familiarity with the topic and scholarly context.
 Develop a theoretical framework and methodology for your research.
 Position yourself in relation to other researchers and theorists.
 Show how your research addresses a gap or contributes to a debate.
You might also have to write a literature review as a stand-alone assignment. In this
case, the purpose is to evaluate the current state of research and demonstrate your
knowledge of scholarly debates around a topic.
Importance of a Good Literature Review
A literature review may consist of simply a summary of key sources, but in the social
sciences, a literature review usually has an organizational pattern and combines both
summary and synthesis, often within specific conceptual categories. A summary is a recap of
the important information of the source, but a synthesis is a re-organization, or a
reshuffling, of that information in a way that informs how you are planning to investigate a
research problem.
The analytical features of a literature review might:
 Give a new interpretation of old material or combine new with old interpretations,
 Trace the intellectual progression of the field, including major debates,
 Depending on the situation, evaluate the sources and advise the reader on the most
pertinent or relevant research, or
 Usually in the conclusion of a literature review, identify where gaps exist in how a
problem has been researched to date.
What is the purpose of a literature review?
The purpose of a literature review is to:
 Place each work in the context of its contribution to understanding the research
problem being studied.
 Describe the relationship of each work to the others under consideration.
 Identify new ways to interpret prior research.
 Reveal any gaps that exist in the literature.
 Resolve conflicts amongst seemingly contradictory previous studies.
 Identify areas of prior scholarship to prevent duplication of effort.
 Point the way in fulfilling a need for additional research.
 Locate your own research within the context of existing literature [very important].
Components of the literature review
The literature review should include the following:
 Objective of the literature review
 Overview of the subject under consideration.
 Clear categorization of sources selected into those in support of your
particular position, those opposed, and those offering completely different
arguments.
 Discussion of both the distinctiveness of each source and its similarities with the
others.
What Your Literature Review Should Include:
  Overview of the subject and the objective(s) of the review.
 Analysis of works in favor, works against, and works with neutral views on the
subject. These should be clearly divided.
 Explanations of the similarities and differences between the works.
 Comparison of different views held by other authors.
 Critique of the methodology.
 Examination of gaps in the research.
 Evaluation of how each study contributes to the argument in question.
 Conclusion that summarizes the literature review.
How to write a literature review
A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources on a specific topic. It provides an
overview of current knowledge, allowing you to identify relevant theories, methods, and
gaps in the existing research.
Writing a literature review involves finding relevant publications (such as books and
journal articles), critically analyzing them, and explaining what you found.
There are five key steps:
 Search for relevant literature
 Evaluate sources
 Identify themes, debates and gaps
 Outline the structure
 Write your literature review
A good literature review doesn’t just summarize sources – it analyzes, synthesizes, and
critically evaluates to give a clear picture of the state of knowledge on the subject.
Length of a Literature Review
In the absence of specific instructions about the length of a literature review, a
general rule of thumb is that it should be proportionate to the length of your entire paper. If
your paper is 15 pages long 2-3 pages might suffice for the literature review.
The structure of a literature review
A literature review should be structured like any other essay: it should have an
introduction, a middle or main body, and a conclusion.
1. Introduction. The introduction establishes the significance of your topic and gives a brief
preview of the trends you have identified in the scholarship of the subject. This might be a
paragraph or section that lets your reader know what your literature review is going to
address.  You will describe how the literature review will be organized (for example,
what are the main points you are going to address and in what order will they
appear?).  You may choose to briefly describe search criteria (keywords, databases,
journals) in this section, or you may do it in different parts of the review.  It is
suggested that this introductory section be no longer than two pages in length.  The
purpose is to lead your reader further into the body of the literature review.
In the introduction, you will:
 Define or identify the general topic, issue, or area of concern thereby
providing an appropriate context for the remainder of the review
 Point out overall trends in what has been previously published on the topic;
or conflicts in theory, methodology, evidence, conclusions, or gaps in
research and scholarship
 Establish your reason for reviewing this research (point of view); explain the
criteria used to search the literature; the organization of the review
(sequence); and – if necessary – why certain literature either is or is not
included (scope)
 Demonstrate how your research either closes a gap in the literature, extends
earlier work, or replicates an important study thereby contributing new
knowledge to your discipline.
More tips for the Introduction:
 Consider presenting a historical frame of reference.
 Point out a landmark or seminal study.
 Provide definitions for important terms.
 Describe how your literature review was conducted.
 Describe any inclusion or exclusion criteria used.
2. Body. The body contains more extensive information about notable similarities and
differences, points of agreement and disagreement, patterns, trends you have discovered.
Use topic sentences to introduce and clarify these relationships among the separate
scholarly works you have examined. It summarizes individual studies or articles with as
 much or as little detail as each merit according to its comparative importance in the
literature, remembering that space (length) denotes significance. Provide the reader
with strong “umbrella” sentences at beginnings of paragraphs, “signposts”
throughout, and brief “so what” summary sentences at intermediate points in the
review to aid in understanding comparisons and analyses.
Some general tips for writing the body of your literature review:
 Start broad and then narrow to show how past research relates to your
project.
 Make it clear to your reader where you’re going, follow a logical progression
of ideas
 When appropriate, cite two or more sources for a single point but avoid long
strings of references for a single point.
 Use quotes sparingly.
 Keep your own formal academic voice throughout and keep the review
focused and objective, following a logical structure.
 Point out consistent findings and emphasize stronger studies over weaker
ones.  Point out important strengths and weaknesses of research studies OR
contradictions and inconsistent findings.
 Implications and suggestions for further research, or where there are gaps in
the current literature, should be specific.
3. Conclusion. The conclusion provides an overview of what is known and thought
about the topic and what is left to explore. It summarizes major contributions of
significant studies and articles to the body of knowledge under review, maintaining
the focus established in the introduction. Evaluate the current “state of the art” for
the body of knowledge reviewed, pointing out major methodological flaws or gaps in
research, inconsistencies in theory and findings, and areas or issues pertinent to
future study, and conclude by providing some insight into the relationship between
the central topic of the literature review and a larger area of study such as a
discipline, a scientific endeavor, or a profession. Summarize your literature review,
discuss implications, and create a space for future or further research needed in this
 area.  Like the introduction, this section should be around 3-5 pages in length.  How
do you know when you’re done?  
Can you answer these 11 questions?
 Have you clearly defined your topic and audience?
 Did you search and re-search the literature?
 Took notes while reading?
 Chosen the type of review you want to write?
 Have you kept the review focused throughout?
 Were you critical and consistent in your evaluation and synthesis?
 Is the structure of your review logical?
 Did you make use of feedback?
 Were you able to stay relevant and objective throughout?
 Did you maintain an objective voice?
 Did you cite current and older studies?
Step-by-step approach to drafting your literature review:
 Define Your Goal
If you are writing an argument paper, create a thesis statement with a clear
position. If you are evaluating scientific theories, develop a hypothesis to examine. If you
are providing a self-contained review of writings on a topic, state your project’s purpose.
At the beginning of any paper, define your paper’s purpose so that the literature
review will be anchored to a specific point of view.
 Do Your Research
Review a number of texts that most closely pertain to your topic and position, and
are written by relevant scholars. Understand who the top voices are in your topic’s
academic field, and be sure to include the most pertinent publications by those scholars.
 Ground Summary in Relevance
As you summarize each publication, provide the context for that publication’s
importance by tying its main points to your thesis, hypothesis, or project statement.
How does it relate? Establish its relevance to the discussion.
  Develop Review Logically
Think of your literature review as a development of an argument—what were the
earliest ideas on the topic and how did they grow and evolve in the academic conversation
of these publications? First things first.
 Include References/Works Cited List
As you are writing the literature review you will mention the author names and the
publication years in your text, but you will still need to compile comprehensive citations
for each entry at the end of your review. Follow APA, MLA, or Chicago style guidelines, as
your course requires.
Evaluating sources
In assessing each source, consideration should be given to:
 What is the author's expertise in this particular field of study (credentials)?
 Are the author's arguments supported by empirical evidence (e.g.
quantitative/qualitative studies)?
 Is the author's perspective too biased in one direction or are opposing studies and
viewpoints also considered?
 Does the selected source contribute to a more profound understanding of the
subject?
Ways to Organize Your Literature Review
A. Chronology of Events
If your review follows the chronological method, you could write about the
materials according to when they were published. This approach should only be
followed if a clear path of research building on previous research can be identified and
that these trends follow a clear chronological order of development. For example, a
literature review that focuses on continuing research about the emergence of German
economic power after the fall of the Soviet Union.
B. By Publication
Order your sources by publication chronology, then, only if the order
demonstrates a more important trend. For instance, you could order a review of
literature on environmental studies of brown fields if the progression revealed, for
example, a change in the soil collection practices of the researchers who wrote and/or
conducted the studies.
C. Thematic [“conceptual categories”]
Thematic reviews of literature are organized around a topic or issue, rather
than the progression of time. However, progression of time may still be an important
factor in a thematic review. For example, a review of the Internet’s impact on American
presidential politics could focus on the development of online political satire. While the
study focuses on one topic, the Internet’s impact on American presidential politics, it will
still be organized chronologically reflecting technological developments in media. The
only difference here between a "chronological" and a "thematic" approach is what is
emphasized the most: the role of the Internet in presidential politics. Note however that
more authentic thematic reviews tend to break away from chronological order. A review
organized in this manner would shift between time periods within each section
according to the point made.
D. Methodological
A methodological approach focuses on the methods utilized by the
researcher. For the Internet in American presidential politics project, one
methodological approach would be to look at cultural differences between the
portrayal of American presidents on American, British, and French websites. Or the
review might focus on the fundraising impact of the Internet on a particular political
party. A methodological scope will influence either the types of documents in the
review or the way in which these documents are discussed.
E. Theoretical
A literature review is often the foundation for a theoretical framework. You can
use it to discuss various theories, models, and definitions of key concepts. You might
argue for the relevance of a specific theoretical approach, or combine various
theoretical concepts to create a framework for your research.
F. Other Sections of Your Literature Review
Once you've decided on the organizational method for your literature review,
the sections you need to include in the paper should be easy to figure out because they
arise from your organizational strategy. In other words, a chronological review would
have subsections for each vital time period; a thematic review would have subtopics
 based upon factors that relate to the theme or issue. However, sometimes you may
need to add additional sections that are necessary for your study, but do not fit in the
organizational strategy of the body. What other sections you include in the body is up
to you but include only what is necessary for the reader to locate your study within the
larger scholarship framework.
Here are examples of other sections you may need to include depending on the type of
review you write:
 Current Situation: information necessary to understand the topic or focus of the
literature review.
 History: the chronological progression of the field, the literature, or an idea that is
necessary to understand the literature review, if the body of the literature review is
not already a chronology.
 Selection Methods: the criteria you used to select (and perhaps exclude) sources in
your literature review. For instance, you might explain that your review includes only
peer-reviewed articles and journals.
 Standards: the way in which you present your information.
 Questions for Further Research: What questions about the field has the review
sparked? How will you further your research as a result of the review?
Writing Your Literature Review
Once you've settled on how to organize your literature review, you're ready to write
each section. When writing your review, keep in mind these issues.
 Use Evidence
A literature review section is, in this sense, just like any other academic research
paper. Your interpretation of the available sources must be backed up with evidence
[citations] that demonstrates that what you are saying is valid.
 Be Selective
Select only the most important points in each source to highlight in the review. The
type of information you choose to mention should relate directly to the research
problem, whether it is thematic, methodological, or chronological. Related items that
provide additional information but that are not key to understanding the research
problem can be included in a list of further readings.
 Use Quotes Sparingly
Some short quotes are okay if you want to emphasize a point, or if what an author
stated cannot be easily paraphrased. Sometimes you may need to quote certain
terminology that was coined by the author, not common knowledge, or taken directly
from the study. Do not use extensive quotes as a substitute for your own summary and
interpretation of the literature.
 Summarize and Synthesize
Remember to summarize and synthesize your sources within each thematic
paragraph as well as throughout the review. Recapitulate important features of a
research study, but then synthesize it by rephrasing the study's significance and relating
it to your own work.
 Keep Your Own Voice
While the literature review presents others' ideas, your voice [the writer's] should
remain front and center. For example, weave references to other sources into what you
are writing but maintain your own voice by starting and ending the paragraph with your
own ideas and wording.
 Use Caution When Paraphrasing
When paraphrasing a source that is not your own, be sure to represent the author's
information or opinions accurately and in your own words. Even when paraphrasing an
author’s work, you still must provide a citation to that work.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
These are the most common mistakes made in reviewing social science research
literature.
 Sources in your literature review do not clearly relate to the research problem;
 You do not take sufficient time to define and identify the most relevant
 sources to use in the literature review related to the research problem;
 Relies exclusively on secondary analytical sources rather than including relevant primary
research studies or data;
 Uncritically accepts another researcher's findings and interpretations as valid, rather
than examining critically all aspects of the research design and analysis;
 Does not describe the search procedures that were used in identifying the literature to
review;
 Reports isolated statistical results rather than synthesizing them in chi-squared or meta-
analytic methods; and,
 Only includes research that validates assumptions and does not consider contrary
findings and alternative interpretations found in the literature.

POST-TEST:
Answer the following items:
1. Discuss the components of literature review.
2. How to write literature review?
3. Discuss the structure of literature review.
4. What are the issues in writing literature review?
5. Discuss the ways to organize literature review.
6. How to write the body of literature review?
7. Discuss the steps in drafting the literature review.