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Explore different types of literature reviews and guidance on planning, structuring and writing a literature review.
A literature review is an essential component of academic research, particularly at the postgraduate level. Whilst there are various types of literature reviews, it generally involves systematically searching, analysing, summarising, and synthesising existing literature on a specific topic area.
Here are some common terms used when discussing literature reviews and their definition.
Academic literature refers to published information produced by researchers, scholars and experts within a particular field of study. It includes books, journal articles, conference proceedings and other academic platforms.
Peer review is a common quality control mechanism in academia where scholarly work is reviewed by topic experts to evaluate the quality, validity, and significance of a manuscript before being accepted for publication. Not all academic literature is peer-reviewed.
Grey literature refers to information that is produced by non-academic publishers. This includes government reports, doctoral dissertations and some conference papers. The quality of grey literature can vary so consult with your lecturer if you are unsure whether it should in included.
Additional information on different types of literature reviews is included below.
Depending on your discipline and assignment brief, you may be asked to choose from a selection of topics or, you might decide your topic area.
This is a crucial first step as it provides focus and direction. Establishing your topic early allows you to justify the significance of your review. You can explain why the topic is important, what gaps exist, and how your review will contribute to the field.
It is a good idea to plan your literature review as if it were an essay. Use strategies such as mind mapping, to create a detailed outline for the review. Make a list of the topics you want to discuss and analyse, along with relevant arguments and data to support the argument.
This process involves defining your research question or hypothesis, identifying relevant search terms, selecting relevant databases, running searches, managing references, and deciding what information is relevant to your topic area. The library runs numerous workshops throughout the academic year on finding academic sources, referencing and using RefWorks.
For further information contact the Library
Identifying relevant information sources makes a significant contribution to the understanding of the topic you are researching. Deciding what sources are relevant and worth including in your literature review is crucial. Here are some things to consider when deciding whether evidence is relevant.
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You must decide on the scope of the literature review. You want to look at the most relevant literature, not everything that is slightly related. For example, there were many consequences of World War II but a literature review might only examine the implications of World War II on the political ramifications or the economic implications.
A key component of writing a literature review is developing a critical academic argument.
This involves analysing, synthesising, and evaluating evidence.
Let us consider what each of these are, to help you understand what is required when developing your argument when writing a literature review.
Developing a Critical Argument
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The PEEL approach is a structured method for writing a clear and cohesive paragraph.
By following this approach when writing your literature review, you can effectively convey your main idea, provide supporting evidence and interpret the evidence and then link to the next paragraph or back to the main point.
Most literature reviews follow a similar structure but if you are conducting a review as part of an assignment, always consult your assignment brief within your module handbook, for specific instructions on how to format and structure your literature review.
common components of a literature review are included here.
An abstract may be a requirement of your assignment, check the assignment brief in your module handbook. It is often included when you are writing a standalone literature review and provides an overview of the content.
Further guidance on writing an academic abstract is available.
For some assignments or if the literature review is to be submitted for publication, you will be required to include keywords. Keywords help the reader understand the main themes or topics included in the literature review.
Although not all introductions will follow the same structure, the majority will include the following components:
The main body of a literature review can be formatted in different ways depending on your assignment brief or research topic. In some cases a combination of formats will be appropriate.
Here are some common ways in which you can structure the main body section of your literature review.
In chronological order, the literature is presented based on the timeline of when the research was published.
This approach could be used to track developments within a specific area or topic and demonstrate how ideas or concepts develop over time.
In a thematic structure, the literature is organized and presented by the theme, topic, or concept that emerges from synthesising the literature, regardless of chronological order.
An example could be a literature review exploring the risk factors for females developing cancer and the themes could be organised by cancer type with subthemes then on the different risk factors.
In a methodological structure, the literature is organised based on the research methods, allowing for comparisons to be made between methodologies.
An example could be combining the results from experimental studies, then surveys, etc.
This structure could be used when considering renewable energy technologies and literature on solar, wind, and bioenergy methods could be presented separately.
Although not all conclusions will follow the same structure, as a guide incorporate the following points when preparing the conclusion.
Using reference management software, such as RefWorks, can be beneficial when conducting a literature review.
RefWorks helps you manage and organize references efficiently.
Write-N-Cite is a function within Microsoft Word that allows you to insert citations to a document. These tools can save you a lot of time, and support you in developing a reference list of the citations included within the literature review.
Always remember to read, check, and format your reference list to ensure it complies with the guidelines within your assignment brief.
The Library runs numerous training workshops throughout the academic year on referencing.
Reading and editing work before submission is crucial!
It helps identify grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors and assesses the overall clarity and cohesion of the work.
It also allows you to review the content and quality alongside the assessment brief and rubric, to ensure you have addressed all the required components.
Remember to factor in time to use Studiosity.
Studiosity is a free tool that is available 24/7 and provides assignment feedback on your language, structure, spelling and grammar.
