Writing a literature review will take time to gather and analyze the research relevant to your topic, so it is best to start early and give yourself enough time to gather and analyze your sources. The process of writing a literature review usually covers the following steps:
- Define your research question
- Plan your approach to your research and your review
- Search the literature
- Analyze the material you've found
- Managing the results of your research
- Writing your review
Some questions to think about as you develop your literature review:
- What is known about the subject?
- Are there any gaps in the knowledge of the subject?
- Have areas of further study been identified by other researchers that you may want to consider?
- Who are the significant research personalities in this area?
- Is there consensus about the topic?
- What aspects have generated significant debate on the topic?
- What methods or problems were identified by others studying in the field and how might they impact your research?
- What is the most productive methodology for your research based on the literature you have reviewed?
- What is the current status of research in this area?
- What sources of information or data were identified that might be useful to you?
- How detailed? Will it be a review of ALL relevant material or will the scope be limited to more recent material, e.g., the last five years.
- Are you focusing on methodological approaches, on theoretical issues, or on qualitative or quantitative research?
Source: University of Pittsburgh, Literature Reviews
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