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The literature review is the first step of writing every research article or study. The first step is to learn about the previous study and work on the same subject to gain a neutral grasp of the concepts. This is the primary purpose of a literature review.

The literature review can be defined as previous research results to obtain better knowledge from other academics' and researchers' perspectives.

A literature review also gives the reader a detailed description of prior discussions that precede the study's research paper, argument, or thesis.

Therefore, learning how to create a literature review to prevent mistakes is vital. This blog explains fundamental essentials.

1. What Is A Literature Review?

Before rushing to the main content, you must first know what literature review exactly means. Although a literature review is a separate portion, it is an essential component of every research effort since it thoroughly examines the crucial publications on the study topic. 

It is often prepared to assess a piece of a published body of knowledge by outlining, summarising, and examining previous research projects.

A literature review might be in the form of a research paper or printed material. An introduction summarises the research article based on the literature review, which is an essential part of a review. 

Next, every minute of information about the chapter overview, acknowledgment, aims, and particular purpose is expressed systematically in the body section. Finally, you write the conclusion to summarise the entire paper.

2. Examples of Literature Reviews And How to Write Them

A literature review should be structured similarly to any other essay, with an introduction, the main body, and a conclusion.

We've outlined the framework of a literature review below to assist you in understanding how to create one:

Introduction

The beginning of your literature review will give readers an outline of research works concerning your selected topic. 

The following are the essential elements to include in the opening of a literature review:

• Describe the purpose of your study and the significant works you cover in your dissertation or literature review.

• Give the primary rationale for selecting the individual research, including their purpose for your issue.

• Make your review's structure and composition more transparent.

• Indicate the evaluation's scope, including what's included and left out. This way, you'll be able to distinguish between the elements of your issue related to the present literature you'll be addressing. Avoid those that are irrelevant to the topic.

The Main Body of Information

After presenting the review's objective, topic, and context, the following stage is to compose the primary material body. 

This is the primary area to look at while learning how to write a literature review. It comprises the following:

• Arrange the review consistently, such as chronologically, thematically, or otherwise.

• Consider the link between the theme you've picked and the more in-depth information accessible on the subject. 

• Always remember to provide your thoughts in addition to what the scholar has said.

The Conclusion

It's also essential to properly tie up your literature review once you've completed it. 

When writing the conclusion of a literature review, here are the essential components you must include:

• Compile a summary of the study results you've highlighted based on your careful review of the topic.

• Examine the books you've read thus far.

• Determine whether there are any severe defects or gaps in the current data.

• Make a map of potential research areas.

• Connect your literature evaluation to current data and determine where you want to extend your research thesis or project.

3. How To Write Literature Review For a Research Paper

You will need to do a literature study while writing a thesis, dissertation, or research paper to contextual your findings with current knowledge. 

You may accomplish the following using the literature review:

• Showcase your information about the topic and academic background.

• Design a theoretical foundation for your topic as well as a research strategy.

• Examine how you stack up against other academics and researchers.

• Illustrate how your research fills a gap or adds to a debate.

Have a glance through the points below to understand how to write a literature review:

Step 1: Conduct A Relevant Search on Your Topic

You must have a well-defined topic before you start looking for books. 

If you write a literature review portion of a dissertation or research paper, you will look for literature linked to your study topic and questions. 

Make A Keyword List

Make a list of terms related to your study topic. Draw up a list of synonyms and phrases for each primary topic or feature you're interested in. You may add phrases to this list if you encounter more phrases while conducting your literature search.

The library's catalogue at your college, like Project by EBSCO Muse, is a fictitious character in Google Scholar and JSTOR (humanities and social sciences), and MedlinePlus is a database that contains information about medical conditions (life sciences and biomedicine). 

"EconLit" (economics) is an acronym for "economic literature" (physics, engineering, and computer science). These websites will likely be of use to you.

Use the following adaptive filter to help you narrow down your search:

• AND to locate sources with more than one term (e.g., social media AND body image AND generation Z).

• OR to search sources that include one of several synonyms.

• NOT to have results that contain specific words (e.g. apple, NOT fruit)

Note: Read the abstract to see if an article relates to your topic. You may utilise the bibliography to identify more relevant sources after you've found a helpful book or article. 

To locate the most important papers on your topic, look for citations that appear repeatedly. If certain writers, books, or articles keep popping up in your reading, make it a point to look them up.

Step 2: Assess And Choose Sources

As you will not be able to read everything published on the topic, you will need to prioritise which sources are most relevant to your questions. Ensure that your sources are reliable whenever you read critical studies or ideas on your subject/topic.

When you open a research paper, you can see how many times someone has cited it. A high citation count suggests that the work has significantly influenced the field. You should consider those papers for the literature review of your research paper. 

Depending on your topic and field, the extent of your evaluation will vary: In the sciences, you usually look at contemporary literature, but in the humanities, you could go back over a long period (for example, to see how a piece of art evolved).

Make A List of Your Sources And Make A Note of Them

As you read, you should begin writing. Make notes that you may include in the content of your literature study later. It's vital to keep track of your sources and credit them to avoid plagiarism.

Making an annotated bibliography, in which you collect complete citation information and write a paragraph summarising and analysing each source, might be beneficial—this aids in remembering what you've read and saves you time later. 

You may use our free citation generator to rapidly generate APA (American Psychological Association) or MLA (Modern Language Association) citations that are proper and consistent.

Step 3: You Need To Search For Three Things In A Research Paper

Common themes, arguments, and gaps. You must first appreciate the connections and relationships between the sources you've researched before you can begin organising the thesis and structure of your literature review.

Few things you can search for to read and prepare notes:

• Do specific techniques to gain or lose acceptance over time. 

• Keep an eye on the issues or subjects that recur throughout the literature.

• Sometimes the same topic can contradict in different sites, so always notice the point where that disagreement occurred and in which context. 

• Also, see whether any ground-breaking studies or hypotheses have transformed the focus.

These questions will help you establish the framework for your literature evaluation and (if applicable) show how your research contributes to it.

Step 4: Create A Rough Outline For Your Literature Study

You can format a literature review's body in a variety of ways. Before you start writing, you should have a broad idea of what you want to accomplish. 

You can use a combination of these strategies, depending on the duration of your literature study. 

Here Are Some Examples of Possible Literature Review Formats:

• Following the topic's progression over time is the most straightforward technique. If you have decided to utilise this method, you have to ensure you are not merely identifying and summarising sources in chronological sequence. Examine the significant controversies, turning points, and trends that have influenced the field's trajectory. You need to write the literature review in your own words.

• If you see certain recurring vital themes, you may divide your literature study into subsections focusing on different parts of the issue. If you're seeking information about disparities in migrant health outcomes, you may check into healthcare policy, language barriers, cultural perspectives, legal status, and economic access.

• If your sources originate from several areas or fields, consider looking at the outcomes and conclusions that different research methods provide. 

Think About This Scenario:

• Take a look at the results of qualitative vs. quantitative research.

• Distinguish between empirical and theoretical approaches to the problem.

• Sort the sources into categories such as social, historical, and cultural.

A literature review is often used to construct a theoretical framework. It may explain a wide range of concepts, models, and definitions. Make a case for one theoretical approach or combine numerous theories to provide a framework for your research.

Step 5: Conclusion

Summarise and emphasise the most critical findings in your conclusion from the material you've acquired. You need a literature review for a dissertation.

Explain how your study fills gaps and contributes new information or how you established a framework for your research by relying on existing concepts and approaches if your literature review is part of your thesis or dissertation.

4. Review of The Literature For A Stand-Alone Article

You may have to write a literature review as a separate task rather than write a whole research paper. 

The goal in this instance is to assess the present level of research and exhibit your understanding of academic arguments on the subject. 

Each case's substance will change significantly, but the methods for performing a literature study are the same.

When writing a stand-alone piece, look at the larger implications of the literature or provide recommendations for future research based on the gaps you've found. 

As soon as you finish writing the literature review, proofreading is a crucial step.

5. Final Words

Begin by looking at your topic's most important research papers, studies, books, and other materials.

Create a list of references or sources relating to your topic as a starting point. You may use research sites or scholarly.google.com to obtain relevant literary materials. You can also contact your supervisor for assistance in finding the most significant literature and texts on your topic.

You may also utilise additional bibliographical sources to depict your literature evaluation properly. EndNote, for example, is a valuable tool for reading, organising, and generating reference records.

So, following the procedures mentioned above, you will soon become a pro-level writer.

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