Research: Review of Literature

RoL is a survey of books, scholarly articles, and any other sources relevant to a particular issue, area of research, or theory. It provides a summary, and more correctly, a synthesis (major debates and intellectual progression) of those works.

Study the PDF below (only for academic use)

Review of Literature PDF

Why a review of literature?

To establish how a problem has been researched to date; and to know their conclusions.
To reveal any gap that exist in the literature so far.
To locate your own research within the context of existing research and literature.
To develop a theoretical framework and methodology.

Writing Review of Literature

Be Selective: Select only the most important points in each source to highlight in the review.
Summarize, Paraphrase, and Synthesize: Recapitulate and synthesize important arguments of a research study, and relate it to your own research. Be sure to represent the author's information or opinions accurately.
Use Evidence: Your interpretation of the available source has to be backed with citation, that proves what you are saying is valid.
Use Quotes Sparingly: Some short quotes are okay if you want to emphasize a point, or to quote certain terminology that was coined by the author.
Make it Your Own: While the literature review presents others' ideas, you weave it together to add value and perspective to your research.

Review of Literature

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Literature Review

Most relevant sources are left out: Sources in your literature review do not clearly relate to the research problem. Relies exclusively on secondary studies and popular opinions.
Being uncritical: Uncritically accepts another researcher's findings and interpretations as valid, rather than examining critically all aspects of the research design and analysis.
Being Biased: Only includes research that validates your assumptions and does not consider contrary findings and alternative interpretations found in the literature.

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