This presentation has been made for those who intends to write their thesis or dissertation in the level of masters and Ph.D. I have done this only for the sake of Allah!

1. Literature Review
Lecturer:
Prof.Dr. Thameem Ushama
Prepared and Presented by
Belayet Hossen
Matric: G1429975
Department of Quran and
Sunnah Studies, IRKHS,
IIUM

2. What is Literature Review?
 Literature Review is an examination of the
research that has been conducted in a
particular field of study.
 A literature review is an account of what
has been published on a topic by
accredited scholars and researchers.

3. What is the Purpose of a Literature
Review?
 Attain a good knowledge of the field on inquiry-
facts, scholars,etc.
 Proposed research is really needed
 Helps to narrow a problem
 Generation of hypotheses, RQs or questions for
further studies
 To convey what knowledge and ideas have
been established on a topic
 And what their strengths and weakness are?

4. Why is the Literature Review necessary?
 To identify gaps in the research area.
 To avoid the reinventing the wheel.
 To carry on from where others have already
completed.
 To identify other people’s working in the same
fields.
 To fathom the depth of knowledge of our
subject area.

5. A Literature Review must do these things
 Be organized around and relate directly to the
thesis or research questions we are
developing.
 Synthesize results into a summary of what is
and what is not known.
 Identify areas of controversy in the literature.
 Formulate questions that need for further
research.
5

6. Two Important Objectives of LR
 Seeking Information: the ability to scan the
literature efficiently, using manual or
computerized methods, to identify a set of
useful articles and books.
 Critical Appraisal: the ability of apply
principles of analysis to identify unbiased and
valid studies.

7. Ask Yourself Question Like these
 What is the specific thesis, problem or research
question that my literature review helps to
define?
 what type of literature review am I conducting?
Am I looking at issues of theory? Methodology?
Policy? Quantitative research?
 What is the scope of my literature review? What
type of publications am I using (e.g. Journals,
books, government documents, popular media)?

8. Ask Yourself Questions…….
 What discipline am I working in (e.g., Engineering,
Psychology, humanities, Pharmacy, Management)?
 How good was my seeking information? Has my
search been wide enough to ensure I have found all
the relevant materials? Is the number of sources I
have used appropriate for the length of my paper?
 Have I critically analyzed the literature I use? Do I
follow through a set of concepts and questions,
comparing items to each other in the ways they deal
with them?

9. Ask Yourself Questions…….
 Instead of just listing and summarizing items,
do I assess them, discussing strengths and
weaknesses?
 Have I cited and discussed studies contrary to
my perspective?
 Will the reader find my literature review
relevant, appropriate, and useful?

10. Ask Yourself Questions…….
 Has the author formulated a problem/issue?
 Is it clearly defined? Is its significance (scope,
severity, relevance) clearly established?
 Could the problem have been approached more
effectively from another perspective?
 What is the author’s research orientation (e.g.,
interpretive, critical science, combination)?
 What was the author’s theoretical framework (e.g.,
psychological, developmental, feminist)?

11. Ask Yourself Questions…….
 Has the author evaluated the literature
relevant to the problem/issue? Does the
author include literature taking positions she
or he does not agree with?
 How accurate and valid are the
measurements? Is the analysis of the data
accurate and relevant to the research
question? Are the conclusions validly based
upon the data and analysis?

12. Literature Review Process
1. Select a
topic
2. Search and
choose the
literature
3. Develop your
argument
4. Critique
the literature
5. Survey
the literature
6. Write the
Review

13. 1. Select A Topic
 Read your assignment carefully!
 Ask for clarification from professor
 Talk over your ideas with someone
 Scan academic journals
 Read professional blogs and listserve
 Look for Research Agendas on professional
association websites
 Focus on your topic.

14. 2. Search the literature
 Types of sources that can be included:
 Books, Articles, Abstracts, Reviews,
Dissertations and thesis, Research reports,
Websites, Films, etc.
 Identify the most important/useful databases
for your discipline.
 Develop an understanding of the academic
terminology for your field of study
 Determine time frame.

15. 2.Cont.……. Search the
literature
 Look for empirical and theoretical literature
 Include primary and secondary sources
 Identify classic or seminal studies
 Identify important authors who are contributing to
the development of your topic
 Use a system to organize and manage material
 From the very beginning
 Refworks or other bibliographic management software.

16. 3. Develop your argument
 This step is a planning step- you will develop these
arguments in the next two steps: surveying and
critiquing the literature
 You must build a case for what is known about
your topic and determine how this knowledge
addresses the question”- Machi and McEvoy, 2009
 Develop two types of arguments:
 Argument of discovery- develop findings that present that current state
of knowledge about your research interest.
 Argument of advocacy- analyze and critique the knowledge gained from
developing the argument of discovery to answer the research question.

17. 3.Cont.….. Develop Your
Argument
 Analyze the claims within the literature to develop
your argument.
 Claim- the argument’s declaration or assertion
 Evidence- data that define and support the claim
 Types of claims:
 Fact
 Worth
 Policy
 Concept
 interpretation

18. 4+5. Survey and Critique the
Literature
 Develop the discovery argument and the advocacy
argument.
 Answer the Questions:
 What do we know about the subject of our study?
 Based on what we know, what conclusions can we draw about the
research question?
 Critically assess each piece of literature you have
gathered to analyze its content.
 You need to be:
 Methodical
 Systematic
 Rigorous
 Consistent.

19. 4+5. Cont.…. Survey and Critique
 Stage 1: Skim and Read
 Skim first- note topic, structure, general reasoning, data,
and bibliographical references.
 Go back and skim the prefaced and introduction, try to
identify main ideas contained in the work.
 Identify key parts of the article or key chapters in books.

20. 4+5. Cont.….. Survey and
Critique
 Stage 2: Highlight and Extract Key Elements
 Trying to understand historical context and current state
 Identify themes, trends, patterns
 Also looking for gaps and anomalies
 Key questions to ask of the literature:
 What are the origins and definitions of the topic?
 What are the key theories, concepts, and ideas?
 What are the major debates, arguments, and issues?
 What are the key questions and problems that have been addressed to
date?
 Are there any important issues that have been insufficiently addressed
to date?

21. 4+5. Cont.….Survey and Critique
 When analyzing research studies, must also identify
some of the key elements that all research studies
should include:
 Problem
 Purpose
 Research question
 Sample
 Methodology
 Key findings
 Conclusions
 Recommendations

22. 6.Write the Review
 Use the results of your analysis and critique of the
literature to develop the organization of your review
 Develop a detailed outline:
 Identify the themes and /or patterns that have emerged
 Translate these into headings and subheadings
 Be sure your outline is logical
 Be selective with the literature you include

23. 6. Cont.…. Write Review
 Synthesis , reorganize and reassemble all of the
separate pieces and details to create an integrated
whole
 Make connections between ideas and concepts
 Never present a chain of isolated summaries of
previous studies
 The synthesis needs to build a knowledge base and
extend new lines of thinking
 Remember- this is your entry into conversation!
 Writing a literature review is a creative activity

24. References
 1. Bloomberg, L.D. and M. Volpe (2008). Completing
your Qualitative Dissertation: A Roadmap from Beginning
to End. Los Angeles: Sage
 2. Machi, L.E. and B.T. McEvoy (2009). The Literature
Review: Six Steps to Success. Thousand Oaks: Corwin
Sage.

25. The End
Thanks all my dear brothers and
sisters for your kind cooperation
by watching and listening with
patience!