Writing a literature review (assignment 1)

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Assignment 1 - Writing a literature review

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Goals
Explore what a literature review is and the purpose of it
Critical reading (to ensure critical writing)
Writing the review:
o Structure
o Introductions
o Conclusions
o Critical approaches to writing

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Activity 1: Discussion
1. What is a literature review?
2. What is the purpose of the literature review in your
dissertation/diploma project?

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What is the literature review?
• A literature review summarises, critically analyses and evaluates
previous research available on the subject, presenting this in an
organised way. It should address a clearly articulated question or series
of questions
• It is NOT:
• A descriptive list or summaries of books/articles etc
• An exhaustive bibliography on everything ever written on the
topic. You need to make a decision about what to include
• Your arguments and ideas (like an essay)

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Why do we write a literature review?
• Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of your topic area including key concepts,
terminology, theories and definitions
• Identify who the major thinkers are
• Identify what research has been done in that area
• Find gaps in the research or current areas of interest to help you formulate your
own research question
• Identify the main research methodologies in your subject area
• Identify main areas of agreement or controversy
• Convince the reader that your research questions are significant, important and
interesting
• Convince the reader that your thesis will make an original contribution to the area
being investigated.

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Steps to complete the literature review
1. Find relevant literature on your topic and follow trails of references
2. Identify themes/ideas/theories/approaches to the topic that have emerged from
reading
3. Introduce ideas by themes/theory/approach/chronologically or any other
appropriate structure but do not just list different authors’ viewpoints
4. Introduce and explain each theme (or theory/approach), present evidence from
readings (agreements/ disagreements), critically commentate and relate to your
own research

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Critical reading

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Activity 2: The importance of critical
reading
• In your groups come up with at least 5 questions that you would ask
yourself when critically analysing a text for your review

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Critical questioning when reading
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Who is the author?
What is the authors central point or main argument?
What findings and conclusions are made?
What evidence is used to support the conclusions?
Is the evidence relevant? What methodology has the author used? What are the
strengths and limitations?
6. Does the author make any assumptions?
7. What is not being said?
8. Is there any explicit or hidden bias?
9. How is the text relevant to your project or assignment?
10. How does this link with other texts that you have read?

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Synthesising the information
Author(s), date
Aim of paper
Type of study/information
Key findings and
conclusions
Strengths, weaknesses,
links to other sources
Hardy (2007)
Assess the future
roles of subject
librarians in the
context of
technological
changes and
financial pressure.
Questionnaires were used to
collect data about the roles,
relationships and competencies
of 32 subject/liaison librarians
supporting three disciplines in
UK universities.
Librarians undertaking a
wide range of activities,
with academic liaison and
information literacy
teaching as central tasks,
Teaching skills are needed
to compliment more
tradition librarianship
skills
They are still fulfilling a
useful role in web based
environment but further
research needs to be
undertaken
Study limited to just 3
subject areas and non
respondants may have
skewed the results.
Conroy and Boden (2007)
does support the
evidence found here.

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Adapt headings to your discipline/project:
Author
Year
Type of
study
Sample
Design
Data
collection
approach
Key
findings

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What is the big picture?

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What is the big picture?
• You might read first during which time you start to develop ideas for themes.
• Ask yourself:
• What ideas seem to come up in several articles?
• Are the same ideas presented from the same or different perspectives?
• Are there any major debates that need addressing
• Does there seem to be a change in thought over time?
• What ideas/themes are relevant to answer my question(s)
• Are there different methodology being applied? (A review might evaluate
different methods)

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What is the big picture?
You might already have a “big picture” idea. Your reading may then
either:
- Confirm and support the structure of your initial plan
OR
- Lead you to change your plan due to new ideas you’ve developed in
your reading

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What is the big picture?
Categorise the evidence into themes:
topic/theory/methodology/chronologically
Themes: topic/theory/methodology etc
Relevant references
Teaching role of the subject librarian:
Important role
Fielden report (1993), Morgan (1996), Bahr (2000),
Pinfield (2001), Conroy and Boden (2007), Hardy
(2007)
Not core role
Asher (2003)
Pedagogy, teaching skills and librarians
Morgan (1996), Fry (1999), Hepworth (2000) Allan
(2000) Peacock (2001), Levy (2005),Brophy (2007),
Sinikara (2008),
Teaching skills in the LIS curriculum
Cronin (1982), Elkin (1994), Mitchell (2001), Bell
(2004), Foster (2006), CILIP (2008)

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Writing the review: The structure

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Structuring your literature review
Introduction (scope and
structure)
Distantly related to
your work
Background, more to
do with your topic area
than your research
question
Narrow categories you
may deal with sources
in more detail
Closer to what you’re
doing but not match
directly
Research that is
particularly pertinent
to your work
Your study/current research issues
Categories close to
your research and you
may find you are
looking at a few key
papers in detail

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Topic (broad to narrow)
Second Homes: Investigating Local Perceptions and Impacts on Communities in
Cornwall
• 2.1 Introduction
• 2.2 The Growth of Second Homes
• 2.3 The Emergence of British Second Homes in Literature
• 2.4 Defining Second Homes
• 2.5 The Impacts of Second-Home Ownership
• 2.5.1 Housing Demand and Local Housing Markets
• 2.5.2 Local Services, Employment and Economic Demand
• 2.5.3 Community Interactions
• 2.6 Conclusion and Gaps for Further Study

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Structuring your literature review: Factors
affecting cardiovascular health
Psychological
factors

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Chronological
• A literature review on theories of mental illness might present how the
understanding of mental illness has changed through the centuries, by
giving a series of examples of key developments and ending with
current theories and the direction your research will take.

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Writing the literature review

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Activity 4: The introduction
Take the introduction from any of the examples and answer the questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
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Does your review show a clear understanding of the topic?
Have all key landmark studies been cited and most discussed?
Is there a suitable structure and logical development to the review?
Does the review state clear conclusions about previous research using appropriate evidence.
Does the review show the variety of definitions and approaches to the topic area?
Does the review reach sound recommendations using coherent argument that is based on evidence?
Is the text written in a clear style, free of spelling and grammatical errors with complete references?
Does the review show a gap in existing knowledge?
Anticipate reader’s questions, do not leave your work open to questions such as:
• “What is your point here?”
• “What makes you think so?”
• “What is your evidence?”
• “So what?”

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Writing the literature review
The introduction could include:
• Why the topic is important - is it an area of current interest?
• The scope of the review - the aspects of the topic that will be covered
• How the review is organised
• Has the topic been widely researched? Or not?
• Significant gaps in the research into your topic
• Is there debate and controversy about the topic or a consensus?

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Main body: General writing advice
“Provide the reader with strong "umbrella" sentences at beginnings of
paragraphs, "signposts" throughout, and brief "so what" summary
sentences at intermediate points in the review to aid in understanding
comparisons and analyses”.
• Use language to show confidence/caution:
e.g. There is clearly a link.../This suggests a possible link...
• Use you own voice to comment on the literature

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Critical writing in a literature review can
include…
1. Comparing and contrasting different theories, concepts etc and indicating the
position you are taking for your own work
2. Showing how limitations in others work creates a research gap for you.
3. Strategic and selective referencing to support the underpinning arguments which
form the basis of your research
4. Synthesising and reformulating arguments from various sources to create
new/more developed point of view
5. Agreeing with/defending a point of view or finding
6. Accepting current viewpoints have some strengths but qualifying your position
by highlighting weaknesses
7. Rejecting a point of view with reasons (e.g. Lack of evidence)
8. Making connections between sources

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Activity 4: Can you identify these features
in the examples?
- Underline: Where the author has commented on the literature they are
reviewing (rather than just presenting what the literature has said)
- Make a bold text - Where the writer has used language to avoid a
‘black and white’, right/wrong type of judgement
- Using the list on the Critical writing in a literature review slide decide
how the writer has shown criticality by assigning a number 1-10 (can
assign more than one number)

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Conclusions
Conclude your literature review with a statement which summarises
your review and links this to your own research/current issues:
In conclusion, extensive research has shown space to be an important concept that vastly affects
society. Definitions of public and private spaces are changing noticeably over time, in particular in
Western cities such as the UK. An increasing withdrawal from public life can be observed as
technology and other factors largely impact the way we live and experience otherness. These changes
in public, private and electronic spaces do and will continue to greatly impact fundraising activities
and giving behaviour. This research therefore fills an evident gap in charity and geographical
research, bringing these two concepts together in an important investigation of space and charity.

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Don’t forget about the referencing!
• Keep a record of all the sources that you use!
• Use the referencing style recommended by your university/supervisor
(most of the time – APA style)