literature review sample pdf

literature review sample pdf

The Importance of Literature Review in Research

1. Introduction

The literature review is a place to start for your research. It will give a clear idea to the reader of what you want to do and what we can get after finishing the research. The important point is that this will help your study to expand more and also give a contribution to other people who want to do research on a similar topic. In other words, the work that has been done by other researchers before will give some inspiration and new ideas to do the next research. As our lecturer has told us, before we start to do research, make sure we should look back at the previous research that has been done in our related topic. The international student coming to the United States or elsewhere is often required to write an academic paper on a topic in which the professor is interested, but of which the student is unfamiliar. Coming to this block, students may find a problem at the beginning, especially in identifying and locating a topic of research or knowing what features should be followed in order to get good and accurate information. This is because the information is so huge and this will make confusion for the student itself. So, the way to resolve this problem is by performing the literature review. By doing a literature review for our desired topic, it can make our task become easier, and we can also know the current progression made by other researchers on the same topic. This can be a benchmark for us to determine whether our research has been done by others or not.

2. Benefits of Conducting a Literature Review

After getting familiar with the literature review, it will be easier to understand the topic being researched. A good review of literature paints a clear overview about the research and importance of its topic. It will also make the writer easier to focus on the research question or the topic to be developed. Understanding the research topic will save time and prevent you from conducting research in a similar field. This is because the researcher is able to assess whether the topic has been done in previous research. If the same topic has been done before, the researcher needs to justify doing the same topic. Literature review will help identify what methodologies and what kind of research design are suitable for the topic. Reading a similar research design or methods can improve the design being developed and could also bring something new in the method part. From the literature, the writer can also assess the type of data collection and appropriate data analysis based on previous research.

3. Steps to Conducting a Literature Review

2. State of the art by issue or chronological: This is a broad scope of assessment that is ordered either by issues or by chronological order. The entire sample can be more or less set within the field, rather than sample A. The main concern of researchers using this method is to establish the changes in the field, while considering whether there is a need for a study of the current state of a subject, or if a chronological development is done with the purpose of explaining progress towards an ideal type. Whenever the question is about stating the current state of a problem, it is necessary to differentiate between the present and the past. This will help determine whether the problem is different or has actually been solved. At the very end of this type of review, it is often useful to try to amalgamate results into an all-encompassing framework.

1. Comparative theoretical critique: This approach, often called the theory building approach, begins by identifying a problem with the traditional or current theory or practice and then determining what is needed to solve or explain this problem. The research is designed to modify the theory or re-articulate it, and at the end point, a new set of propositions will have been developed. At this point, the resulting work is essentially theoretical, often addressing chronic issues or attempting to move closer to ideal types. This work may not yield a simple solution, but it may lead to multiple outcomes within the framework of the comparative case. The researcher who carries out this type of research needs to have a thorough understanding of theoretical work, as they must use it as a tool to explain findings in the comparative case.

D. Step 1: As there are different approaches and studies that determine what kind of review should be conducted, these could include the following:

4. Common Challenges in Literature Review

Procrastination: Given the exhaustive nature of literature reviews, a postgraduate can lose motivation and begin to feel overwhelmed about the prospect of having to read and synthesize so much information. This often leads to procrastination which can result in a poorly constructed review at the eleventh hour.

Time Management: Understanding vast bodies of literature is a strenuous process that requires a lot of time and mental energy. This can be a major challenge for a postgraduate student who often has a myriad of professional and personal responsibilities.

There are several challenges in literature review writing which are encountered by students despite good intentions and effort. The factors revolve around the intricate and exhaustive nature of the processes and professional practices. Gaining knowledge on how to write a literature review often results in a false step which can lead to a wasted effort and an unproductive experience. One must be vigilant of the following:

5. Conclusion

In conclusion, a researcher has to provide an integrated synthesis of the current knowledge including substantive findings as well as theoretical and methodological contributions to a particular topic. Its goal is to set research within the historical context of the work being reviewed while also identifying areas for further research. A well-done integrative review meets the same standards as primary research in regard to clarity, rigor, and replication. This is the next stage ‘how’. This is the main difference between this review and the things that have been done in the past. A literature review is important because it: Explains the background to your research and shows to the readers that you are aware of what has happened in the past, so all other research is valid. Identify strengths and weaknesses in the past research, to justify the need for your current research. Provide the context of your research and identify the link between your research and the body of knowledge in the field. So in retrospect, as illustrated, the literature review is the body of the research. It is the solid foundation with the posts to which a building or structure is held. It is the backbone to your research.