Literature Review
A literature review summarizes and synthesizes the existing
scholarly research on a particular topic. Literature reviews are a form of academic writing commonly used in the sciences, social sciences, and
humanities. However, unlike research papers, which establish new arguments and
make original contributions, literature reviews organize and present existing
research. As a student or academic, you might produce a literature review as a
standalone paper or as a portion of a larger research project.
What
Literature Reviews Are Not
In order to understand literature reviews, it’s best
to first understand what they are not. First,
literature reviews are not bibliographies. A bibliography is a list of resources consulted when researching a
particular topic. Literature reviews do more than list the sources you’ve consulted:
they summarize and critically evaluate those sources.
Second, literature reviews are not subjective. Unlike some of
the other well-known “reviews” (e.g. theater or book reviews),
literature reviews steer clear of opinion
statements. Instead, they summarize and critically assess a body of scholarly
literature from a relatively objective perspective. Writing a literature review
is a rigorous process, requiring a thorough evaluation of the quality and
findings of each source discussed.
Why Write
a Literature Review?
Writing a literature review is a time-consuming process that
requires extensive research and critical analysis. So, why should you spend so much time reviewing and writing
about research that’s already been published?
1. Justifying
your own research. If you’re writing a literature review as part of a larger research project, the literature review allows you to
demonstrate what makes your own research valuable. By summarizing the existing
research on your research question, a literature review reveals points of
consensus and points of disagreement, as well as the gaps and open questions
that remain. Presumably, your original research has emerged from one of those
open questions, so the literature review serves as a jumping-off point for the
rest of your paper.
2. Demonstrating
your expertise. Before you can write a literature review, you
must immerse yourself in a significant body of research. By the time you’ve
written the review, you’ve read widely on your topic and are able to synthesize
and logically present the information. This final product establishes you as a
trustworthy authority on your topic.
3. Joining
the conversation. All academic writing is part of one
never-ending conversation: an ongoing dialogue among scholars and researchers
across continents, centuries, and subject areas. By producing a literature
review, you’reengaging with all of the prior scholars who
examined your topic and continuing a cycle that moves the field forward.
Tips for Writing a Literature Review
While specific style guidelines vary among disciplines, all
literature reviews are well-researched and
organized. Use the following strategies as a guide as you embark on the writing
process.
1. Choose
a topic with a limited scope. The world of scholarly research is vast, and if
you choose too broad a topic, the research process will seem never-ending.
Choose a topic with a narrow focus, and be open to adjusting it as the research
process unfolds. If you find yourself sorting through thousands of results
every time you conduct a database search, you may need to further refine your
topic.
2. Take
organized notes. Organizational systems such as the literature grid are essential for keeping track of your
readings. Use the grid strategy, or a similar system, to record key information
and main findings/arguments for each source. Once you begin the writing
process, you’ll be able to refer back to your literature
grid each time you want to add information about a particular source.
3. Pay
attention to patterns and trends. As you read, be on the lookout for any
patterns or trends that emerge among your sources. You might discover that
there are two clear existing schools of thought related to your research
question. Or, you might discover that the prevailing ideas
about your research question have shifted dramatically several times over the
last hundred years. The structure of your literature review will be
based on
the patterns you discover. If no obvious trends stand out, choose the
organizational structure that best suits your topic, such as theme, issue, or
research methodology.
Writing a literature review takes time, patience, and a whole lot of intellectual energy. As you pore over countless academic articles, consider all the researchers who preceded you and those who will follow. Your literature review is much more than a routine assignment: it’s a contribution to the respiratory therapy field with a total of 8 articles referenced. Please use hanging (indent) style for the references. 6 to 7 pages excluding title and reference pages
