Chapter 8

Writing a Literature Review

Introduction

A literature review is a written evaluation of the work of others on a specific topic or research question. It either answers a question or discusses a topic using published material. The literature review sets out to explore and then tell the reader what has been written about a particular topic and to evaluate the quality of the literature described. Evaluation of the appropriateness, reliability and quality of the published material is an essential part of a literature review, and this makes it different from an essay. This chapter provides guidance on how to select quality literature for your review, (in the case of research students) define your research topic, and how to plan and write the review.

The essential aspects of a literature review

The literature review in a thesis

It is an essential part of all research and reveals what is known and unknown about a topic, what others have discovered, and the quality of their work. A review of the literature is the first part of any academic project. The review assists researchers to clarify and define the parameters of their research in relation to others’ work. Ultimately, it contributes to the body of knowledge in a particular area.

What literature may be used?

Any published materials may be used in a literature review, although some are more reliable than others. Refereed journals, for example, have been submitted to the rigour of peer review and may be considered more credible than non-refereed publications. Evaluation of the literature includes an examination of the worth of a source, that is the credentials/bias of the author, or the quality of the publication as well as the actual content.

Literature could include:

Refereed journals
Survey
Experimental reports
Journal articles
Daily and weekly publications
Government / Departmental reports
Books/chapters in books
Published case studies
Review papers
Official documents
Electronic information

Care should be taken when selecting literature for review. Literature must be current. Literature over 5-10 years of age may be used in an historical context, or as definitive texts on the topic. The best quality is found among the professional journals. You should not just accept anything found on the Web, as much of the information is for consumers rather than professionals. A good guide is to look at the address; if it contains “.com”, the information would not be valuable for your literature review. The number of references necessary will depend on the scope of the work, which may vary from a brief summary to a literature review for a doctoral thesis.

Defining a topic

Your topic should give a definite and concise indication of what is to come.

State in a complete sentence exactly what your review is about.
Do not be too ambitious or too broad in your topic.
Avoid vague, ambiguous or ill-defined terms and confusing vocabulary.
If no topic is provided, select a topic for which there is fairly recent, reliable publications which will help point you to other sources.

Finding the literature

An invaluable skill, and one that is fun to develop, is the skill of using the library resources to find information you want. Your lecturer may organise a session with one of the librarians to get you started.

Start with La Trobe facilities; they are excellent.
Use reference lists from articles gathered.
Use book/journal/computer indexes and listings.
Do not forget new journal volumes (not yet listed).
Do a literature search - use key words.
Use paper and electronic sources of information.
Use other specialist libraries.

Managing your literature

Keep copies of everything, as you will probably need to re-read information.
Keep correct and full citations when you collect references.
Read the documents as you collect them. This will help when you go back to the article.
There are many different ways to organise data. The method is up to you, but be methodical and thorough.
Sort your information under headings, use a computer, numbering system, and so on. These headings may change as your review develops.
Use a computer bibliographic package, for example, EndNote 10.2.

Structure of the review

The review should be a well-organised and logically developed presentation on the stated topic/question. It should include:

Table 1 - Structure of the review
Inclusions	Description
Title	indicates the topic area/question to be discussed
Key words	lists the main concepts investigated, if required.
Abstract	gives a brief outline of the issue examined and the general findings.
Introduction	describes the topic, defines terms and boundaries, and outlines the purpose of the review.
Discussion	describes and evaluates the literature, pointing out where authors agree and disagree. Information is organised in logical sequence. Discussion integrates the literature. For papers of more than 300 words, headings give structure to the content and guide the reader.
Conclusion	sums up what has been discussed and draws general conclusions about findings. Includes suggestions from these findings for further investigation.
References	A reference list contains a list in alphabetical order of all the material referred to in your review. Information on referencing is included in Chapters 9 and 10 of this handbook. A bibliography usually contains all references you have read that have contributed to your understanding of the topic, including those referred to in your paper.

General hints for writing literature reviews

Make sure your review is easily "readable".
Each paragraph should contain one main idea, contributing to the heading and the review topic. Avoid one sentence paragraphs. Each paragraph should follow from the last and lead to the next. Clear links should be made.
Generally professional literature uses third person. However, use of the first person is now acceptable.
Make sure the review is not too jargon-laden.
Use short quotes if necessary. Only use long quotes for a good reason.
Always acknowledge other authors’ words and ideas to avoid plagiarism.

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