A literature review is a crucial part of your academic work. It is a written argumentative essay that analyzes and evaluates the existing research on a particular topic, identifies gaps in the research, and connects this existing body of knowledge in a new way. A literature review section of an academic paper or any other type of document (e.g., thesis, dissertation) aims to provide readers with a general understanding of what has been previously published about the topic under analysis.
You may be asked to write it as an assignment for another class, as part of your final thesis or dissertation document, or as part of a job application process. Regardless of the context in which you need to produce one, having detailed information about its structure and content can help you immensely. In this post, we will discuss everything you need to know about writing a literature review section: its components and strategies for creating one successfully.
This Article – Literature review section
- What are the components of a literature review?
- Finding relevant information
- Developing an argument and position
- Establishing context
- Summing up
- Conclusion
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What are the components of a literature review?
When writing a literature review, you should keep in mind what your ultimate goal is. Your primary objective is to analyze and evaluate the existing research on a particular topic, identify gaps in the research, and connect this existing body of knowledge in a new way. A literature review section of an academic paper needs to address the following important components:
- Topic: This section of your paper is about the topic that you are analyzing. Be specific and provide a clear definition of the topic under consideration.
- Context: You need to contextualize the topic by providing a brief overview of the historical, cultural, social, and political background information related to it.
- Review of literature: In this section, you are supposed to analyze and evaluate the existing research on the topic under consideration.
- Conclusion: In this section, you need to provide a summary of the information that you have provided in the first three components of your paper and connect it in a new way.
Finding relevant information
When writing a literature review, it is important to find and identify relevant information on the topic under consideration. There are numerous ways to find relevant information and sources. You can use both primary and secondary sources. A primary source is a document created by the researcher who conducted the original research. Primary sources include journals, books, articles published in scholarly journals, interviews, and newspaper articles.
A secondary source is a document that has been created after the original research has been conducted. Secondary sources include review articles, book chapters, textbooks, and encyclopedia articles. Before writing a literature review, you need to determine which type of sources you will use. Depending on the topic you are analyzing, different sources may be more relevant and useful than others. When selecting the sources, be critical and careful.
You need to make sure that they contain useful information that is relevant to your paper and that the information is accurate.
Developing an argument and position
When writing a literature review, you need to develop an argument. What is an argument? An argument is a claim that you make about the topic under consideration that you defend with reasons and examples. In your literature review, it is important to clearly state your main argument. You need to make sure that your paper is an argumentative one that has a clear position. What is the position that you are taking? Why are you taking that position? What are the reasons that support this position? Make sure that the position you have chosen is supported by the existing research and is up-to-date.
While you are developing an argument, it is important to think about your readers. You need to consider your readers’ knowledge and background. You need to make sure that the information you provide is relevant and accessible to your readers. In order to do that, you need to summarize the information that you have found. You can do this by making a list of all the important points that you have discovered while reading various sources and then putting them into your own words.
Establishing context
The next important thing that you need to do when writing a literature review is to establish the context of your paper. What do we mean by context? The context of a paper refers to the historical, cultural, social, and political background information related to the topic under consideration. Why is it important to establish the context? When you establish the context, you create a general understanding of the topic and help your readers to better understand the information that you provide in your paper. In order to establish the context, you need to research the topic.
You can use various tools, such as books and journals, and online articles and databases, to conduct your research. It is important to use multiple and different sources when researching. It is also important to read various and different types of sources. In this way, you can get a broader and more comprehensive view of the topic and create a better paper. When researching, it is important to be critical and careful and review critically all the information that you have discovered.
Summing up
Finally, when writing a literature review, it is important, to sum up the information that you have provided. What does it mean to sum up? It means to make a brief summary of the information that you have provided in your paper. Why is it important to sum up? It helps you to conclude your paper and make a general statement about your analysis and evaluation of the existing research and what gaps you have identified. It also helps you to connect the existing research in a new way.
Literature review section – Conclusion
This has been a detailed discussion of what a literature review is, what its components are, and how to write one. A literature review is a crucial part of your academic work. It is a written argumentative essay that analyzes and evaluates the existing research on a particular topic, identifies gaps in the research, and connects this existing body of knowledge in a new way. A literature review section of an academic paper or any other type of document (e.g., thesis, dissertation) aims to provide readers with a general understanding of what has been previously published about the topic under analysis.
A literature review is an important part of your academic work, and it is a written argumentative essay that analyzes and evaluates the existing research on a particular topic, identifies gaps in the research, and connects this existing body of knowledge in a new way.
