Week 05: Literature Review

Explanation of Literature Review:

1. Purpose: The main purpose of a literature review is to review, summarize, evaluate, and integrate existing literature to provide a theoretical framework, background, and basis for current research.
2. Positioning: The literature review should clearly establish the current research within the existing literature, emphasizing the novelty, innovation, or expansion of existing knowledge.
3. Structure: A literature review typically includes an introduction, methods for literature search, methods for literature analysis, the main body of the literature review, conclusions, and other sections. It should have a clear structure and organization to allow readers to quickly understand the main content.
4. Analysis: It involves not only a simple listing of literature but also in-depth analysis and evaluation of the literature, including methods, results, limitations, and other aspects.
5. Synthesis: One of the goals of a literature review is to integrate existing research results to form a comprehensive understanding, rather than treating each piece of literature in isolation.

Writing Tips for Literature Review:

1. Clear and concise introduction: The introduction should clearly state the purpose of the research, background information, and why a literature review is being conducted. Clearly articulate the research problem and highlight its importance.
2. Explicit search methods: Describe the methods used to search for literature, including databases, keywords, and screening criteria. This helps readers understand the scope and credibility of your literature review.
3. Critical thinking: It’s not just about listing literature; it’s also about critical thinking. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each piece of literature, assess the credibility of methods and results.
4. Well-organized structure: The literature review should have a clear structure, including logical order and chapter divisions. Each section should have a clear theme and focus.
5. Consistent citation style: Use a consistent citation style such as APA, MLA, etc. Ensure the accuracy of citations to avoid referencing errors.
6. Maintain relevance: Each part of the literature review should be closely related to the research question and objectives. Avoid irrelevant or repetitive content.
7. Pay attention to the literature style: Ensure that your literature review includes the latest research, especially if the field is rapidly evolving.
8. Handle the quantity of literature carefully: While the goal is to understand the research background thoroughly, more literature does not necessarily mean better. It is important to select literature that is most relevant to your research question and objectives.

Overall, a literature review is a carefully planned and written process that requires a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of existing literature to provide robust theoretical support.