How To Write A Literature Review From Start To Finish (Full Tutorial)

Summary

This video tutorial guides viewers on crafting an effective literature review for research papers or theses, regardless of the academic field. It emphasizes identifying key topics and subtopics derived from research aims, maintaining a clear purpose, and avoiding excessive description. The presenter advises structuring the review from general to specific themes, using varied referencing patterns to enhance coherence. The video concludes with an offer for a free consultation to help researchers publish in top journals.

Takeaways

• 📚 The literature review is a challenging section of academic writing that requires a structured approach.
• 🎯 Identifying main topics or themes is crucial at the outset of a literature review to avoid being overwhelmed.
• 🔍 Derive topics and subtopics for the literature review from the research aim or questions to ensure relevance.
• 🧭 Having a clear destination or purpose for each section of the literature review helps maintain focus and direction.
• ❓ The 'so what' question is essential to guide the literature review, ensuring every point made has a clear purpose.
• 🚫 Avoid being overly descriptive; instead, be critical and focus on the significance of the studies being reviewed.
• 🔄 Vary the referencing pattern to create a coherent narrative and to avoid repetitiveness in the literature review.
• ⏳ Structuring the literature review from general to specific or chronologically can help in presenting a logical flow of information.
• 🔗 Use varied sentence structures to link studies and ideas, enhancing the narrative and argumentation in the review.
• 💡 Remembering the 'so what' question is key to writing an effective literature review that is more than just a description of previous work.

Q & A

What is the main challenge people face when writing a literature review?

The main challenge people face when writing a literature review is identifying the main topics or themes to focus on due to the overwhelming amount of literature available in any broad area.

Why is it important to derive main topics or subtopics from the aim of your study or research questions?

Deriving main topics or subtopics from the aim of your study or research questions helps to ensure that the literature review is relevant and focused, avoiding the pitfall of being too descriptive and going off on tangents.

What is the purpose of discussing main themes and subthemes in a literature review?

Discussing main themes and subthemes in a literature review is essential for guiding the reader towards the research gap and the research aim, ensuring that the review is directed and contributes to the overall argument of the paper or thesis.

How does knowing the destination of the literature review help in writing it?

Knowing the destination of the literature review helps in maintaining focus and ensuring that each section and paragraph contributes to the overall argument, avoiding aimless descriptions and ensuring a coherent narrative.

What is the 'so what' question and why is it important in a literature review?

The 'so what' question is a critical self-assessment that asks why a particular point is being made and what it contributes to the overall argument of the literature review. It helps in being more critical and ensuring that the review is not just a descriptive list of previous studies.

Why should a literature review not just describe previous studies?

A literature review should not just describe previous studies because it is meant to be an argument that supports the main thesis or point of the research. It should critically analyze and synthesize information to answer the 'so what' question.

What are some common mistakes to avoid when writing a literature review?

Common mistakes to avoid in a literature review include trying to cover too much, being overly descriptive, failing to establish a clear purpose or destination, and not critically engaging with the literature to answer the 'so what' question.

How can the structure of a literature review be organized?

A literature review can be structured from general to specific, chronologically, by fields or subfields, or by mixing and matching these approaches. The most common structure is general to specific, which helps in building a coherent narrative.

Why is it important to vary the referencing pattern in a literature review?

Varying the referencing pattern in a literature review helps to avoid a repetitive and list-like narrative. It allows for clearer connections between studies and contributes to a more coherent and logical flow of information.

What is the significance of the inverted pyramid structure in organizing a literature review?

The inverted pyramid structure, starting with more general information and moving towards specific details, helps in guiding the reader from a broad understanding of the field to the specific research gap and aim, which is the ultimate destination of the literature review.