Seven Tips On How To Write A Good Thesis Literature Review

A Comprehensive Guide To Writing A Thesis Literature Review

A literature review is a paper that reports on the relevant literature. If there are issues in that literature, you need to bring that to light. Your research should address any flaws or gaps. Conducting the review can also give you a better understanding of your study.

  • Your review is much like a proposal. You can suggest a solution, but be careful not to make any promises you can't keep. Your research may not actually solve a problem, so don't state that it will. It's better to say that you're addressing a problem rather than fixing it.
  • Your paper is essentially a summary of other people's work, whatever your topic may be. Whatever arguments, ideas or questions that have been found by others, you will include in your work. You want to focus on information that already exists first, before trying to come up with something new.
  • However, you may find your own way to interpret the work and potentially solve (or simply suggest) issues with the previous literature. You are encouraged to suggest further research on your topic, and how that research should be conducted.
  • Your review should provide a summary of your subject, and make your position on the matter clear. You should be able to connect your thoughts and ideas to the work that came before yours, the topic that is the main focus. That information should tie into your conclusions and have the most contribution to your own research.
  • When you are deciding what to include in your paper, consider what is the most relevant to your topic. You need to consider their credibility, because flawed information can be disastrous to your review. If what you include isn't solid then your work can be questioned. Any research from previous authors should add or contribute to your own.
  • Depending on your topic, you may be expected to have an argument. Whether or not you're required to choose a stance on your topic, the main goal is to analyse the research and identify any issues that you can find. Alternatively, you may need to present a weakness and recommend a solution. All of that depends on your subject and your class.
  • Overall, your review should present a problem (or a statement of your topic), collect data, evaluate that data, and then give your interpretation of everything you researched and reviewed. You should only present studies that are valid. Any other information is not worth mentioning.
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