examples of literature review

examples of literature review

The Importance of Literature Review in Research

1. Introduction

In contrast to the article by Cruickshank (2007), Sugiyama (2006) has taken a firm view, arguing that the real reasons why scholars do research on the published works of others is to avoid duplication and assess the scientific progress in the field. This enables them to gain a clear understanding of where their research is positioned and where it can take them. Finally, the view presented by author B from comments on a previous post is that it provides a good background of the problem and understanding the research environment.

Apart from providing a guideline on how to complete a literature review, authors have also highlighted various issues and concerns for doing a literature review. Hart (1998) has identified that the personal perspective of the researcher may impose bias in selecting certain styles of research and published information. This may cause a language barrier, and to date, translations of some articles written in English may not be accessible. Shimp (2002) highlighted anticipating an information overflow, which makes it hard to select the relevant published work. The rapid and continuous change in the marketing environment makes it difficult to distinguish between old and new published works. Though there could be a countless list of issues and concerns when completing a literature review, the fact is its application is both useful and essential to any research work.

The article “The real truth about literature review” by Cruickshank (2007) states that the main reasons for conducting a literature review are to “gauge the existing state of a field,” explore and identify problem areas and specific issues, and identify potential new opportunities for research. Completing a literature review is an essential component of any research whose aim is to understand and contrast the published research with their current research work. There are various methods to do this, and many authors have provided their views. Hart (1998) identified 8 steps for formulating research questions, identifying a research topic, scanning the literature to consider developments in the field, and studying all areas of the selected field. Fink (1998) has provided a systematic approach to reviewing published work by developing a research question, creating a list of keywords and terms, and constructing the search query to see the latest development of published work.

2. Purpose of a Literature Review

A literature review is a crucial and in-depth evaluation of previous research. It is a summary and synopsis of a particular area of research, allowing anybody reading the paper to establish why you are pursuing this particular research. A good literature review builds on the reasons behind the selection of a particular research question. It supports the need for the chosen methodology and demonstrates that the researcher is aware of the theoretical and methodological resources within their chosen field of research. This invariably means that after carrying out a literature review, or a critical analysis of the work of others, a researcher will have substantial knowledge and ideas about their topic area. This knowledge will act as a foundation upon which they can develop and adapt their own ideas. This highlights yet another of the benefits of carrying out a literature review. By becoming more aware of what others have done in the field, a researcher will be in a better position to devise methods and approaches which have not previously been attempted. This then paves the way for the experimental phases of the research. Finally, writing a literature review will in itself help to boost a researcher’s confidence and expertise. Writing about the work of others undoubtedly involves putting forth one’s own opinions on the work in question. It may therefore be useful to others who read your work. Writing a literature review also provides practice in critical thinking.

3. Methods for Conducting a Literature Review

This is the most common form of review in the social sciences. A research topic is chosen, and a ‘boundary’ for the area being researched is stipulated. This method then involves searching for work that has been published within the defined area. The work is then filtered and re-filtered if necessary. The objective here is to compile a comprehensive and well-structured list of resources. Once the list of resources is complete, the researcher should read through the material and take notes on the most relevant points to their research topic. This is essential when the literature is being synthesized, thus the notes should categorize and compare the literature. It is at this point when the researcher can identify any ‘holes in the literature’; areas in which there may be conflicting resources or no resources at all. This method is considered to be well-structured and an efficient way to conduct a literature review.

This is the most common form of review in the social sciences. A research topic is chosen, and a ‘boundary’ for the area being researched is stipulated. This method then involves searching for work that has been published within the defined area. The work is then filtered and re-filtered if necessary. The objective here is to compile a comprehensive and well-structured list of resources. Once the list of resources is complete, the researcher should read through the material and take notes on the most relevant points to their research topic. This is essential when the literature is being synthesized, thus the notes should categorize and compare the literature. It is at this point when the researcher can identify any ‘holes in the literature’; areas in which there may be conflicting resources or no resources at all. This method is considered to be well-structured and an efficient way to conduct a literature review.

The literature review is a critical phase within the research process, and in an attempt to make it more accessible, below, the methods for conducting a literature review are presented.

4. Benefits of a Comprehensive Literature Review

Identification of the experts on a particular topic or in a certain area. A researcher who is interested in this area can develop a knowledge of who the key thinkers are and who are the people doing the research. Prevention of duplication of the research. If a researcher finds that there have been several studies on a particular topic, he or she can avoid repeating what has already been done. There will be a clear indication as to where the present work fits in and it builds on what has already been done. Identification of the “knowledge gap”, that is, areas which have not had much research time. It helps in shaping the research question. By bringing the area of research into the general context, the researcher can determine the area of the research question. Provides a firm foundation for the research. As it provides a detailed working knowledge of the area and the previous research that has been done in this area, it provides various standpoints on the topic.

5. Conclusion

You should never attempt to write an essay before thoroughly studying and understanding the topic. You should gather and evaluate relevant information in order to make informed decisions on what you are going to include in your essay. The importance of literature reviews in the academic field is very huge and the teachers used to ask students to write down literature reviews when they assign their students with different academic assignments. The assignments that you do in college are not easy and it demands a long and painstaking process. Students have to spend sleepless nights to know the requirements and expectations of the assignments. It is spot on that the tasks help you to have a better understanding of the subject and enable you to improve your writing skills. But, it irritates the students to a great extent. They have to read through the huge syllabus to extract the specific information about the assignments given. An advanced search is done by the students in order to get specific information about the subject. So, to write the assignment with good understanding, it is very important to do thorough research. A research can be done in various ways. Primary research is that which is done by the researcher. Accounts from former researchers and academicians can assist you to do secondary research. There are many methods to extract information regarding the assignment. The internet is the best source where you can extract vast information on any topic. The internet has made it very simple to extract information. There is another method called taking an interview. An interview and account from an expert about the topic can be the best alternative for researching. Yet another method is the literature review. A literature review is the account of the secondary research. It is done to understand what the opinions and views of the authors of the particular topic are. This is the best method to understand what a topic requires. Then another advantage is that it saves your time. For instance, if you have a vast syllabus in a week and you are asked to write an assignment at the end of the week, it is impossible for you to spare a day to do research and write an assignment. In such cases, an assignment with a literature review is the best choice. You can extract all the information and frame it into an assignment. A good understanding is reflected by many assignments such that the teachers will think that you have written the information directly from your mind. A literature review can fetch you those credits because it is only an understanding of the topic and it is not a shortcut to copy and paste.