The Importance of Literature Review in Academic Research
First and foremost, it is essential to understand what a literature review is and what its main objectives are. A literature review can be defined as a summary and explanation of the complete and current state of knowledge on a certain topic as found in academic books and journal articles. There are a lot of reasons why literature review is conducted. For starters, a review of the literature in a research is not simply a recounting of what is available. This is what is involved in the process of writing a literature review, where we look at what a literature review is and how to go about writing it. It is truly a tough and complicated process that requires many different challenging skills, so it’s not surprising that many students need help writing a literature review for a research paper. Also, every discipline and major has a different criteria or expectation on what to include in a literature review. Most importantly, the process is completed at several different layers or steps. By understanding how various sources define and describe a literature review, we can see different ideas and contradictions. By examining what has which included in a particular area of study, one can see what theories and ideas are most dominant. We can also see how one idea builds on another and can also go into the gaps in the current research. Doing a literature review allows us to see where our work is and how it is contributing to the field. Furthermore, it can help to pinpoint where we are bringing in our knowledge, and where our sources are bringing in their knowledge. This process can occur both consciously and unconsciously, and it very often helps to demonstrate with a simple example. So, is there a better process to start the literature review? Nope! Actually, we can start it anytime and from anywhere. But from my own perspective, I think we should start exploring the research field before start working on the literature review. First, let’s start read and take note of background information before start working on a research topic. Next, we can move on to gather information of the current state of knowledge on a research topic. Just in case if our interest is in doing our research an even more updated study, that is when we can start in on the literature review. And lastly, let us synthesize what we have learn and demonstrate the relationships among different studies.
Second, literature review helps the researcher to build on his knowledge of a field. Because this kind of project is mainly investigative work, it is the kind of thing that you will be doing in the future such as your graduate research work. It is therefore important that you not only learn how to look for information but also continue to build on your capacity to do the kind of critical reading and thinking that a literature review demands. The better a research worker you become, in fact, the more you realize that you need to learn. A quality literature review is not just a summary, a list of terms, or an enumeration of what researchers or other authors have said about the topic. A literature review is an evaluative report of information found in the literature related to your selected area of study. The review should describe, summarize, evaluate, and clarify this literature. It is also important to establish particular, current knowledge within the discipline in this kind of work. In many of the social sciences, for instance, it is also critical that what we are able to discover can be used to help us either improve our capacity to work in the society in which we live or assist others better to understand. The work of conducting and evaluating research does not begin after your investigation is completed. It starts at the very beginning of your work. A literature review will help you determine early in the research what you want to do. It can only be performed after really important, basic decisions about the kind of work that is being done have been made, and one big decision is the choice of research methods. So the work of trying to put the whole field in some kind of order is just the kind of evaluative process that is going to help make sure that your research, right from the start, is focused, thorough, and has at least some sense based on what has gone before.
First and foremost, it contributes to the work of knowledge construction. In the increasingly knowledge-driven economy, it is now recognized that knowledge is the primary driver of development. Every piece of new research is building on what is already known. Thus, the work of research workers of all kinds will be made usable if they are able to locate and build upon the work of previous scholars. Another secondary aspect of this contribution is that a systematic review – and by extension a literature review – that is undertaken well can provide a chronological, accessible and useful record of the work done in a particular field. This can be a resource for those of us who work in the same or allied field in the same way that, for example, a final year student’s dissertation might provide useful help and guidance for a new student considering carrying out similar work.
Since you have to review so much material, especially if you are using the library for your projects, you should build your project list in stages. Familiarity with electronic searches will help you not to run your search continuously, trying to remember the results of different searches to be done simultaneously. Try to use different combinations of keywords, titles, and authors to make your searches as broad as possible. And don’t forget to bookmark those books and articles that you find, as you will need this information later on!
The next step is to search for your literature. Modern academic libraries don’t just hold physical books and journals – they also provide electronic access to journals and databases. These electronic resources often have special search functions, so you can filter your search results to include only the type of material you need, for example, only journals or about a specific subject.
The first step is to identify the literature that you will review, meaning the data that you will work with. You will look at an incredible amount of writing and you should only pick the writing that is relevant to your specific topic. But if you are unsure exactly what to choose, then you can always discuss this with your instructor.
Apart from these challenges, some researchers may find the literature review process tedious and time-consuming, and they may not be motivated to start because, unlike primary research, they see little value in doing it for the sake of it. However, if a researcher can overcome these challenges, then the benefits of doing a comprehensive literature review will become more obvious. One method researchers can use to help overcome this challenge is to adopt a research-oriented mind at all times. Whenever a writer picks up velocity literature, it is essential to have a goal in mind, and to keep the focus on not just reviewing the literature, but actually producing it. In this way, the literature review is not shelved away and forgotten about, but rather done in bite-size pieces, with a targeted goal for each sitting. This will help to motivate the researcher and give value to the mass of literature that needs to be managed. Also, by setting tasks for each session, it is less likely researchers will feel overwhelmed, and there will be a constant sense of progression, as well as reduced potential for information overload when actually coming to write the literature review itself. In addition, it is important for researchers to realise that the literature review is an iterative process, and that it is more than just a literature search. It is a well-defined, supposed to be able to produce new knowledge. By remembering that the literature review is part of the research process, not something that has to be right first time, researchers are more likely to maintain enthusiasm and, it is hoped, produce something of real value. This is key as it means literature will not be searched for too and included where it possibly is irrelevant; possibly just to bulk out the word count or make the research seem more comprehensive. By remembering the aim of the literature review, staying focused, adopting a research-oriented mind, undertaking tasks in manageable chunks and recognising the iterative nature of the process, researchers are more likely to maintain enthusiasm and produce work of real value. In doing so, the sum of the literature review can be greater than its parts and will provide a well-founded platform for the researcher’s work.
In conclusion, an effective literature review is an important component of any research project and presents itself as a valuable asset. It is a necessary requirement for the ongoing development and improvement for not only the individual researcher but also the collective knowledge within the research community. As a key step in the research process, it’s important to always seek constructive feedback and not shy away from criticism. This not only builds the researcher’s confidence in the validity and significance of their research but also gives a new dimension of credibility. Additionally, sharing your work in a meaningful way which may include publishing and presentation will generate more understanding and creativity. One of the recommendations for future study is that more attention should be given to the modern literature or the newly gained knowledge because of the vast and quick developing of information. It is important to make your research well-grounded and relevant nowadays. For me, as an academic, I have been exposed to a myriad of new things in this module itself, a lot of which I can use to benefit my research, either now or in the future. This will feed into my cumulative knowledge and every little bit will be cherished in a way that will benefit my intellectual development. This module of study is not an isolated learning process and the understanding of the same does not restrict to the assimilation of known facts but also extends to an ability to interpret them in a learned discourse. I am beginning to develop an in-depth awareness and grasp of the underlying complexities and expanding possibilities that a well-informed knowledge can produce. Hence, it’s clear that conducting a systematic and critical literature review is an essential step in the research and the goal of generation of new knowledge. I have learnt that a literature review is not just a narrative that summarises the previous works but a piece of careful analysis and selection, where each acts as a critical and elucidate source of the existing knowledge. Cultivate this practice for my academic research and the wisdom of doing a literature review I have learnt will facilitate my life in the future. This introduction to existing knowledge and its discovery demonstrated the key aspect to solidify the vision of self-development, and the ability to make a personal and high level commitment to learning. I am excited in exploring the variety of new research direction, mainly because the lectures and case studies in this module have instigated my quest for knowledge growth. It is not only thought-provoking but also provides evidence of the advanced and evident changes in my outlook of my learning and my perception of knowledge. The persistence of such appeal will lead to a potent and growing nourishment of my knowledge, both experiential and knowledge itself. The possibilities to benefit my research and my personal character are so immense that makes this module an indelible journey of intellectual and emotional empowerment.
