A Literature Review Will Best Present Information From Other Studies How

What this handout is about

This handout will explain what literature reviews are and offering insights into the form and construction of literature reviews in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences.

Introduction

OK. You've got to write a literature review. Yous dust off a novel and a volume of poetry, settle downward in your chair, and go ready to event a "thumbs upward" or "thumbs downwardly" as you leaf through the pages. "Literature review" done. Right?

Wrong! The "literature" of a literature review refers to any collection of materials on a topic, not necessarily the bang-up literary texts of the world. "Literature" could be anything from a ready of authorities pamphlets on British colonial methods in Africa to scholarly articles on the treatment of a torn ACL. And a review does non necessarily mean that your reader wants you to give your personal stance on whether or not y'all liked these sources.

What is a literature review, and then?

A literature review discusses published information in a item bailiwick, and sometimes information in a item subject area within a certain time period.

A literature review can be simply a simple summary of the sources, but information technology usually has an organizational blueprint and combines both summary and synthesis. A summary is a recap of the important information of the source, merely a synthesis is a re-organisation, or a reshuffling, of that information. It might give a new estimation of one-time fabric or combine new with quondam interpretations. Or it might trace the intellectual progression of the field, including major debates. And depending on the state of affairs, the literature review may evaluate the sources and propose the reader on the near pertinent or relevant.

Just how is a literature review different from an academic research paper?

The main focus of an academic enquiry paper is to develop a new statement, and a research paper is likely to contain a literature review equally ane of its parts. In a enquiry paper, yous use the literature as a foundation and as support for a new insight that yous contribute. The focus of a literature review, however, is to summarize and synthesize the arguments and ideas of others without adding new contributions.

Why do nosotros write literature reviews?

Literature reviews provide you lot with a handy guide to a particular topic. If you have limited time to behave research, literature reviews tin give you an overview or act equally a stepping stone. For professionals, they are useful reports that keep them upward to date with what is current in the field. For scholars, the depth and latitude of the literature review emphasizes the brownie of the author in his or her field. Literature reviews as well provide a solid background for a research newspaper's investigation. Comprehensive knowledge of the literature of the field is essential to most research papers.

Who writes these things, anyway?

Literature reviews are written occasionally in the humanities, but mostly in the sciences and social sciences; in experiment and lab reports, they plant a department of the newspaper. Sometimes a literature review is written as a newspaper in itself.

Allow's get to it! What should I practise before writing the literature review?

Clarify

If your consignment is non very specific, seek clarification from your teacher:

• Roughly how many sources should you include?
• What types of sources (books, journal articles, websites)?
• Should you summarize, synthesize, or critique your sources by discussing a common theme or effect?
• Should yous evaluate your sources?
• Should you provide subheadings and other background data, such as definitions and/or a history?

Find models

Wait for other literature reviews in your area of interest or in the discipline and read them to go a sense of the types of themes you might want to wait for in your ain enquiry or ways to organize your final review. You can simply put the give-and-take "review" in your search engine along with your other topic terms to discover articles of this type on the Internet or in an electronic database. The bibliography or reference department of sources y'all've already read are also splendid entry points into your own enquiry.

Narrow your topic

There are hundreds or even thousands of manufactures and books on almost areas of study. The narrower your topic, the easier information technology volition exist to limit the number of sources y'all demand to read in order to become a skillful survey of the material. Your teacher will probably not await you to read everything that's out at that place on the topic, simply you'll brand your task easier if y'all offset limit your scope.

Keep in mind that UNC Libraries have research guides and to databases relevant to many fields of study. Yous can attain out to the subject librarian for a consultation: https://library.unc.edu/support/consultations/.

And don't forget to tap into your professor's (or other professors') knowledge in the field. Ask your professor questions such equally: "If you had to read simply 1 volume from the 90'due south on topic X, what would it be?" Questions such as this help you to find and determine quickly the most seminal pieces in the field.

Consider whether your sources are current

Some disciplines require that you use information that is every bit electric current equally possible. In the sciences, for example, treatments for medical issues are constantly irresolute according to the latest studies. Information even two years former could be obsolete. However, if you are writing a review in the humanities, history, or social sciences, a survey of the history of the literature may be what is needed, because what is important is how perspectives accept changed through the years or within a certain time flow. Try sorting through some other current bibliographies or literature reviews in the field to get a sense of what your discipline expects. You tin can also utilise this method to consider what is currently of involvement to scholars in this field and what is not.

Strategies for writing the literature review

Find a focus

A literature review, like a term paper, is unremarkably organized around ideas, not the sources themselves as an annotated bibliography would exist organized. This means that you will not simply simply listing your sources and become into detail virtually each 1 of them, i at a time. No. As you read widely but selectively in your topic expanse, consider instead what themes or issues connect your sources together. Do they present one or different solutions? Is there an attribute of the field that is missing? How well do they present the fabric and practise they portray it according to an advisable theory? Do they reveal a trend in the field? A raging debate? Pick ane of these themes to focus the organization of your review.

Convey it to your reader

A literature review may not take a traditional thesis statement (one that makes an argument), but you do need to tell readers what to expect. Try writing a uncomplicated argument that lets the reader know what is your main organizing principle. Hither are a couple of examples:

The electric current tendency in treatment for congestive centre failure combines surgery and medicine.
More and more cultural studies scholars are accepting popular media every bit a subject worthy of academic consideration.

Consider organization

You've got a focus, and y'all've stated it conspicuously and directly. Now what is the most effective style of presenting the information? What are the most important topics, subtopics, etc., that your review needs to include? And in what guild should yous present them? Develop an organisation for your review at both a global and local level:

Start, comprehend the basic categories

Just like well-nigh bookish papers, literature reviews besides must incorporate at least iii basic elements: an introduction or background information section; the body of the review containing the word of sources; and, finally, a conclusion and/or recommendations section to end the paper. The post-obit provides a brief description of the content of each:

• Introduction: Gives a quick idea of the topic of the literature review, such as the central theme or organizational pattern.
• Torso: Contains your word of sources and is organized either chronologically, thematically, or methodologically (see beneath for more information on each).
• Conclusions/Recommendations: Discuss what you have fatigued from reviewing literature and then far. Where might the discussion proceed?

Organizing the trunk

Once you lot have the basic categories in place, then you lot must consider how you volition present the sources themselves within the torso of your paper. Create an organizational method to focus this section even further.

To help you lot come up with an overall organizational framework for your review, consider the post-obit scenario:

You've decided to focus your literature review on materials dealing with sperm whales. This is considering you've just finished reading Moby Dick, and you wonder if that whale'due south portrayal is actually real. Y'all offset with some manufactures virtually the physiology of sperm whales in biology journals written in the 1980's. But these articles refer to some British biological studies performed on whales in the early 18th century. And then yous cheque those out. Then you look up a volume written in 1968 with information on how sperm whales accept been portrayed in other forms of fine art, such as in Alaskan poetry, in French painting, or on whale bone, as the whale hunters in the late 19th century used to practice. This makes you wonder virtually American whaling methods during the time portrayed in Moby Dick, and then you lot detect some academic articles published in the last five years on how accurately Herman Melville portrayed the whaling scene in his novel.

Now consider some typical ways of organizing the sources into a review:

• Chronological: If your review follows the chronological method, y'all could write about the materials above according to when they were published. For case, first you would talk about the British biological studies of the 18th century, then near Moby Dick, published in 1851, then the volume on sperm whales in other art (1968), and finally the biology articles (1980s) and the recent articles on American whaling of the 19th century. But there is relatively no continuity among subjects hither. And detect that fifty-fifty though the sources on sperm whales in other art and on American whaling are written recently, they are nigh other subjects/objects that were created much earlier. Thus, the review loses its chronological focus.

• By publication: Society your sources past publication chronology, then, only if the guild demonstrates a more of import trend. For instance, you could club a review of literature on biological studies of sperm whales if the progression revealed a change in dissection practices of the researchers who wrote and/or conducted the studies.

• By trend: A meliorate way to organize the above sources chronologically is to examine the sources nether some other trend, such as the history of whaling. And so your review would accept subsections according to eras within this period. For instance, the review might examine whaling from pre-1600-1699, 1700-1799, and 1800-1899. Under this method, you would combine the contempo studies on American whaling in the 19th century with Moby Dick itself in the 1800-1899 category, even though the authors wrote a century apart.

• Thematic: Thematic reviews of literature are organized around a topic or consequence, rather than the progression of time. However, progression of fourth dimension may nevertheless be an important factor in a thematic review. For instance, the sperm whale review could focus on the development of the harpoon for whale hunting. While the study focuses on i topic, harpoon technology, it will withal be organized chronologically. The only divergence hither betwixt a "chronological" and a "thematic" approach is what is emphasized the most: the evolution of the harpoon or the harpoon technology.But more authentic thematic reviews tend to break abroad from chronological society. For instance, a thematic review of material on sperm whales might examine how they are portrayed as "evil" in cultural documents. The subsections might include how they are personified, how their proportions are exaggerated, and their behaviors misunderstood. A review organized in this manner would shift between fourth dimension periods within each department according to the bespeak made.

• Methodological: A methodological arroyo differs from the two higher up in that the focusing factor unremarkably does not have to practise with the content of the cloth. Instead, it focuses on the "methods" of the researcher or author. For the sperm whale project, one methodological approach would be to look at cultural differences between the portrayal of whales in American, British, and French art piece of work. Or the review might focus on the economic affect of whaling on a community. A methodological scope volition influence either the types of documents in the review or the style in which these documents are discussed.
  Once you've decided on the organizational method for the body of the review, the sections y'all need to include in the paper should be piece of cake to figure out. They should arise out of your organizational strategy. In other words, a chronological review would take subsections for each vital time period. A thematic review would have subtopics based upon factors that chronicle to the theme or issue.

Sometimes, though, you might need to add boosted sections that are necessary for your study, but practice not fit in the organizational strategy of the body. What other sections yous include in the torso is up to you. Put in merely what is necessary. Here are a few other sections y'all might want to consider:

• 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 thought that is necessary to empathize the literature review, if the torso of the literature review is non already a chronology.
• Methods and/or Standards: The criteria you used to select the sources in your literature review or the way in which you lot present your data. For instance, yous might explicate that your review includes only peer-reviewed articles and journals.

Questions for Farther Inquiry: What questions about the field has the review sparked? How will you farther your research as a issue of the review?

Begin composing

In one case yous've settled on a general pattern of system, you're ready to write each section. There are a few guidelines you lot should follow during the writing phase besides. Here is a sample paragraph from a literature review about sexism and language to illuminate the post-obit discussion:

Nevertheless, other studies take shown that fifty-fifty gender-neutral antecedents are more probable to produce masculine images than feminine ones (Gastil, 1990). Hamilton (1988) asked students to consummate sentences that required them to fill in pronouns that agreed with gender-neutral antecedents such equally "writer," "pedestrian," and "persons." The students were asked to depict any image they had when writing the sentence. Hamilton found that people imagined 3.3 men to each woman in the masculine "generic" condition and i.5 men per woman in the unbiased status. Thus, while ambient sexism accounted for some of the masculine bias, sexist language amplified the upshot. (Source: Erika Falk and Jordan Mills, "Why Sexist Language Affects Persuasion: The Role of Homophily, Intended Audience, and Offense," Women and Language19:2).

Employ show

In the example above, the writers refer to several other sources when making their indicate. A literature review in this sense is just like any other academic enquiry paper. Your estimation of the bachelor sources must be backed up with evidence to show that what you lot are proverb is valid.

Be selective

Select just the most of import points in each source to highlight in the review. The blazon of information y'all choose to mention should relate direct to the review's focus, whether it is thematic, methodological, or chronological.

Use quotes sparingly

Falk and Mills practice non utilize any direct quotes. That is because the survey nature of the literature review does non allow for in-depth give-and-take or detailed quotes from the text. Some short quotes here and in that location are okay, though, if you desire to emphasize a point, or if what the author said but cannot be rewritten in your ain words. Notice that Falk and Mills do quote certain terms that were coined by the author, not common knowledge, or taken straight from the written report. But if you find yourself wanting to put in more quotes, cheque with your teacher.

Summarize and synthesize

Remember to summarize and synthesize your sources within each paragraph besides equally throughout the review. The authors here recapitulate of import features of Hamilton'due south report, merely so synthesize it by rephrasing the study's significance and relating it to their ain work.

Keep your own vocalization

While the literature review presents others' ideas, your voice (the writer's) should remain front and center. Observe that Falk and Mills weave references to other sources into their ain text, but they yet maintain their own vox by starting and ending the paragraph with their own ideas and their ain words. The sources support what Falk and Mills are saying.

Utilise circumspection when paraphrasing

When paraphrasing a source that is not your ain, be sure to represent the author's information or opinions accurately and in your own words. In the preceding example, Falk and Mills either directly refer in the text to the writer of their source, such as Hamilton, or they provide ample notation in the text when the ideas they are mentioning are not their own, for example, Gastil's. For more data, please come across our handout on plagiarism.

Revise, revise, revise

Draft in hand? Now you're gear up to revise. Spending a lot of time revising is a wise idea, because your main objective is to present the material, not the statement. So check over your review again to make sure information technology follows the assignment and/or your outline. So, merely as y'all would for nigh other academic forms of writing, rewrite or rework the language of your review so that y'all've presented your data in the nearly concise manner possible. Be certain to use terminology familiar to your audience; go rid of unnecessary jargon or slang. Finally, double check that you've documented your sources and formatted the review appropriately for your field of study. For tips on the revising and editing procedure, come across our handout on revising drafts.

Works consulted

Nosotros consulted these works while writing this handout. This is non a comprehensive list of resource on the handout'south topic, and we encourage you lot to do your own research to find additional publications. Please practice not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may non match the commendation fashion you lot are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please run across the UNC Libraries citation tutorial. Nosotros revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Anson, Chris M., and Robert A. Schwegler. 2010. The Longman Handbook for Writers and Readers, sixth ed. New York: Longman.

Jones, Robert, Patrick Bizzaro, and Cynthia Selfe. 1997. The Harcourt Brace Guide to Writing in the Disciplines. New York: Harcourt Caryatid.

Lamb, Sandra E. 1998. How to Write It: A Complete Guide to Everything You'll Ever Write. Berkeley: 10 Speed Press.

Rosen, Leonard J., and Laurence Behrens. 2003. The Allyn & Bacon Handbook, fifth ed. New York: Longman.

Troyka, Lynn Quittman, and Doug Hesse. 2016. Simon and Schuster Handbook for Writers, 11th ed. London: Pearson.

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You may reproduce information technology for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, Academy of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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