How to write a CRITICAL Literature Review: You MUST follow these 3 STEPS!

Summary

In this video, Miguel Moital introduces the concept of the 'Intellectual Ladder,' a framework to elevate the quality of literature reviews. He explains how researchers should progress from basic description to more advanced analysis and evaluation. Using a case study on the attributes of prestigious sports events, he demonstrates how to move from a descriptive to an analytical level by identifying key themes across studies. Finally, he shows how evaluation identifies gaps and limitations, encouraging researchers to contribute unique perspectives to existing literature. The video provides essential insights for students aiming to enhance their dissertation writing.

Takeaways

• 😀 Description, analysis, and evaluation are the three steps of the Intellectual Ladder used to elevate your literature review.
• 😀 The ladder is a process that requires moving from one level to the next: description → analysis → evaluation.
• 😀 A common challenge for inexperienced researchers is moving from description to analysis, as it requires a shift in thinking and skills.
• 😀 A good literature review starts with a comprehensive description of studies, which is essential but not enough on its own.
• 😀 Analysis involves categorizing and identifying themes across studies, moving away from an author-based structure to a more thematic approach.
• 😀 The best evidence of a literature review written analytically is when statements are supported by more than one reference, showing a focus on themes.
• 😀 Categorizing themes across individual contributions demonstrates higher intellectual skills, as it requires more advanced analysis.
• 😀 Evaluation focuses on identifying the strengths, limitations, gaps, and biases within the themes identified during analysis.
• 😀 A strong evaluative literature review draws conclusions that show the gap in existing research, thereby highlighting the uniqueness of your own study.
• 😀 The ultimate goal of using the Intellectual Ladder in a literature review is to move from a descriptive understanding to an analytical and evaluative stance that strengthens your research argument.

Q & A

What is the Intellectual Ladder, and how does it help in writing a literature review?

The Intellectual Ladder is a framework that helps improve the quality of literature reviews by guiding writers through three levels: description, analysis, and evaluation. Each level represents an increase in intellectual skill and depth, moving from basic factual descriptions to critical analysis and ultimately to a high-level evaluation of the literature.

What challenges do inexperienced researchers face when writing literature reviews?

Inexperienced researchers often struggle with moving from description to analysis. They may describe individual studies well but have difficulty identifying themes and drawing conclusions. Analysis requires higher intellectual skills, and it can be a significant leap for many.

Why is description considered an important step in writing a literature review?

Description is important because it helps establish the foundation of the literature review by identifying relevant individual contributions. It provides context for the studies reviewed and sets up the necessary groundwork for analysis and evaluation.

How does analysis differ from description in a literature review?

Analysis moves beyond simply describing individual studies. Instead of listing authors' findings in isolation, it focuses on identifying common themes and patterns across studies. This step requires a more sophisticated intellectual approach and the ability to categorize information effectively.

What is the key skill required during the analysis stage of a literature review?

The key skill required during the analysis stage is categorization. Researchers must be able to identify common themes across different studies and group similar ideas together. This process helps elevate the intellectual quality of the literature review.

How can a literature review demonstrate higher intellectual skills during analysis?

A literature review demonstrates higher intellectual skills during analysis when it moves from an author-based structure to a thematic structure. If the review draws conclusions supported by multiple references, it shows that the researcher is focusing on themes, not just individual studies.

What is the purpose of evaluation in the context of a literature review?

The purpose of evaluation is to critically assess the strengths, limitations, gaps, and biases in the literature. This stage helps to draw conclusions about the overall state of the literature and to highlight areas where new research could contribute, such as identifying gaps that have not been addressed.

How does the example of prestigious sports events illustrate the Intellectual Ladder?

In the example of prestigious sports events, the process begins with describing the attributes of sports events as identified by previous studies. Then, analysis identifies themes like 'core' and 'peripheral' attributes. Finally, evaluation focuses on the gaps in the literature, highlighting how the new research perspective (prestige) fills these gaps.

What is the difference between core and peripheral attributes in sports events?

Core attributes refer to elements related to the sporting experience, such as game attractiveness and performance, while peripheral attributes focus on non-game factors like venue quality, staff, and additional entertainment. These categories help structure the literature analysis.

What role does the researcher’s perspective play in the evaluation of the literature?

The researcher’s perspective is crucial in evaluation because it allows them to identify gaps in the existing literature. In the case of the sports events study, the researcher’s prestige perspective was used to argue that previous studies had not fully explored this angle, thus contributing new knowledge to the field.