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Literature Reviews, Exams of Literature

A literature review is a description, summary, and critical evaluation of scholarly works on a certain topic. A literature review combines both summary (a recap ...

Typology: Exams

2022/2023

Uploaded on 03/14/2023

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Literature Reviews
What is a literature review?
A literature review is a description, summary, and critical evaluation of scholarly works on a certain
topic. A literature review combines both summary (a recap of important information) and synthesis (a
reorganization of that information which reflects your approach to a research problem). You may be
asked to write a literature review on a certain topic for a class, or you may need to include a literature
review as one part of a research paper, thesis, or dissertation.
What is the difference between an academic research paper and a literature review?
The goal of a literature review is to summarize and synthesize the previous research and arguments of
other scholars, without adding new contributions.
The goal of a research paper is to develop a new argument, and typically includes some form of data
collection and analysis. A research paper usually includes a literature review as one of its components
(often labeled as the “Background” or “Theoretical Background” section).
Why are literature reviews necessary?
A literature review demonstrates the author’s understanding of the existing research on a topic and the
author’s ability to relate previous research to their own questions or ideas. Literature reviews provide
solid background for a research paper’s investigation, allowing the author to situate their own question
within the larger academic conversation on a given topic. A literature review with sufficient breadth and
depth reflects the credibility of the author and the author’s research.
Literature reviews address common beliefs or debates on a topic, offer definitions and frameworks
necessary to understand a topic, and incorporate recent (and sometimes historical) scholarship on that
topic. Because they summarize and synthesize literature on a specific topic, literature reviews can
function as a general overview to that topic for readers.
Types of literature reviews
You can adopt different approaches to the literature review depending on the type of analysis
underpinning your research.
Argumentative review: This type of literature review examines literature in a selective way in order to
address a specific argument, assumption, or philosophical standpoint that is firmly established in the
literature, typically with the goal of developing an alternative viewpoint.
Integrative review: This type of literature review generates new frameworks and perspectives on a
topic. This type of literature review includes all known studies addressing a specific question or
hypothesis.
Historical review: This type of literature review focuses on examining research throughout time, often
starting with the first time the topic emerged in the literature and then examining how approaches to
that topic have changed over time. The goal of this type of review is to provide historical context for the
research question.
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Literature Reviews What is a literature review? A literature review is a description, summary, and critical evaluation of scholarly works^ on a certain topic. A literature review combines both summary (a recap of important information) and synthesis (a reorganization of that information which reflects your approach to a research problem). You may be asked to write a literature review on a certain topic for a class, or you may need to include a literature review as one part of a research paper, thesis, or dissertation. What is the difference between an academic research paper and a literature review? The goal of a literature review is to summarize and synthesize the previous research and arguments of other scholars, without adding new contributions. The goal of a research paper is to develop a new argument, and typically includes some form of data collection and analysis. A research paper usually includes a literature review as one of its components (often labeled as the “Background” or “Theoretical Background” section). Why are literature reviews necessary? A literature review demonstrates the author’s understanding of the existing research on a topic and the author’s ability to relate previous research to their own questions or ideas. Literature reviews provide solid background for a research paper’s investigation, allowing the author to situate their own question within the larger academic conversation on a given topic. A literature review with sufficient breadth and depth reflects the credibility of the author and the author’s research. Literature reviews address common beliefs or debates on a topic, offer definitions and frameworks necessary to understand a topic, and incorporate recent (and sometimes historical) scholarship on that topic. Because they summarize and synthesize literature on a specific topic, literature reviews can function as a general overview to that topic for readers. Types of literature reviews You can adopt different approaches to the literature review depending on the type of analysis underpinning your research. Argumentative review : This type of literature review examines literature in a selective way in order to address a specific argument, assumption, or philosophical standpoint that is firmly established in the literature, typically with the goal of developing an alternative viewpoint. Integrative review : This type of literature review generates new frameworks and perspectives on a topic. This type of literature review includes all known studies addressing a specific question or hypothesis. Historical review: This type of literature review focuses on examining research throughout time, often starting with the first time the topic emerged in the literature and then examining how approaches to that topic have changed over time. The goal of this type of review is to provide historical context for the research question.

Methodological review : This type of literature review does not focus on scholars’ findings but instead on how they came to their conclusions (the methods they used to reach their findings). This type of review is useful for exploring the validity of different types of methods used to examine a given topic and provide guidance about which methods should be used in the future. Systematic review : This type of literature review provides an overview of evidence addressing a specific, clearly defined research question. It incorporates standardized methods for identifying and reviewing the literature that should be clearly explained in the literature review, with the goal of including all relevant studies on the given topic. Theoretical review: This type of literature review explores the different theories used to approach a given topic, including the pros and cons of different theories, the relationships between theories, and the ways that different theories have been tested and investigated. Steps to complete a literature review:

  1. Determine the focus of your literature review. The focus of your literature review should be guided by your thesis statement (the main claim or argument you plan to make in the paper). Avoid topics that are too broad or too narrow. When your topic is too broad, you may have too much material to work with and find it difficult to create focus in the paper. When your topic is too narrow, you may struggle with finding enough literature to review.
  2. Find literature to review that is related to your research topic. This can include books, journal articles, news articles, websites, etc. depending on the research topic. Literature reviews typically include secondary sources rather than primary sources (e.g. if you are writing a paper about the Declaration of Independence, your literature review would include books and articles about the Declaration of Independence, rather than the contents of the Declaration of Independence itself). Good places to look for sources are: libraries, online databases, course syllabi, Google Scholar, and the references section of relevant books and articles. Make sure to judge the quality of your sources (e.g. make sure that articles come from reputable journals or that websites are associated with reputable organizations). Wikipedia is not considered a high- quality source, but many Wikipedia articles do have sources listed in the references section that can be useful. If you need to, make contact with University Libraries’ subject librarians, so they can assist you in locating databases, journals, and articles relevant to your research.
  3. Evaluate the contribution of each source. Determine the main point or argument of each source. Consider how the source relates to your own research question. Then determine which sources are most relevant and which sources should be included in your review. Depending on the type of review you are doing, you may not need to include every source you found on a given topic, especially if multiple sources make the same or similar point. Consider page and word limits as you determine which and how many sources to include. If you are conducting an integrative or systematic review, you will include all sources that fall within your specified research parameters (something that is determined before you start searching for literature). At this stage, it can be helpful to create an annotated bibliography to keep track of the contributions of different sources.
  4. Synthesize. Determine how the sources relate to each other and to your own research. Identify common and/or important themes, disagreements or different points of view among scholars,