This file gives insights to researchers about the main concepts of composing a literature review, which is the second chapter of an empirical or phenomenological study. This file used APA style as a guiding style to the organisation, process and conduct of Literature Reviews.

1. Review of Related Literature
By: Husam M. BinSasi
University of Misurata, Faculty of Arts

2. What is it?
• Literature Review is a critical evaluation of material that
has already been published.
• By organizing, integrating and evaluating previously
published material, writers of literature reviews consider
the progress of research toward clarifying a problem.

3. How to do it?
• Define an clarify the problem
• Summarize previous investigations to inform the reader
of the state of the research;
• Identify relations, contradictions, gaps, and
inconsistencies in the literature; and
• Suggest the next step or steps in solving the problem

4. What’s in there?
 Listing themes:
You need to include all the themes that are required to improve understanding about
the focused topic of your problem.
 Related Studies:
Include at least three studies that are related to your topic and compare them with
your current study in terms of their:
 Problem
 Methodology
 Conclusions

5. Organization?
• organize related studies according to:
1. Similarity in the concepts or theories of interests,
2. Methodological similarities among the studies reviewed or;
3. The historical development of the field.

6. Process of Writing a
Literature Review
• Grandello (2001) linked the activity of writing a literature
review with Benjamin Bloom’s revised taxonomy of the
cognitive domain.
1. Remembering 2. Understanding. 3. Applying.
4. Analyzing. 5. Evaluating. 6. Creating

7. What is Bloom’s Taxonomy?
Bloom's taxonomy is a way of distinguishing
the fundamental questions within the education
system. It is named after Benjamin Bloom, who
chaired the committee of educators that devised
the taxonomy.

8. Domains of the Taxonomy
Bloom's taxonomy refers to a classification
of the different objectives that educators set
for students (learning objectives). It divides
educational objectives into three "domains":
cognitive, affective, and psychomotor

9. Cognitive Domain of the Taxonomy
• Granello (2001) only implemented the cognitive domain
of Bloom’s Taxonomy in order to clarify the process of
writing Literature Review.
• Before presenting the link drawn by Granello’s (2001) in
his study, it is important to understand the revised
division of Bloom’s Taxonomy by Krathwohl (2002).

10. Krathwohl’s Revised Taxonomy

11. Now we get to Granello’s link of
Bloom’s Taxonomy with the Process of
writing a Literature Review

12. Remembering
For a person doing a literature
review this would include tasks such as
recognition, retrieval and recollection of
the relevant literature. During this stage
relevant books, articles, monographs,
dissertations, etc. are identified and read

13. Understanding
Understanding occurs as the scholar
comprehends the material they have collected
and read. This step is critical because no one
can write clearly about something they do not
understand. Understanding may be challenging
because the literature could introduce the
scholar to new terminology, conceptual
framework and methodology. Comprehension
(particularly for new scholars) is often
improved by taking careful notes.

14. Applying
The scholar is able to make
connections between the literature and his or
her larger research project. This is
particularly true if the literature review is to
be a chapter in a future empirical study. The
literature review begins to inform the
research question, and methodological
approaches.

15. Analyzing
When scholars analyze, they are able to
separate material into parts and figure out how the
parts fit together. Analysis of the literature allows
the scholar to develop frameworks for analysis and
the ability to see the big picture and know how
details from the literature fit within the big picture.
Analysis facilitates the development of an outline
(list). The books, articles and monographs read will
be of different quality and value.

16. Evaluation
When scholars evaluate they
are able to see the strengths and
weaknesses of the theories,
arguments, methodology and
findings of the literature they have
collected and read.

17. Creating
When scholars create, they bring creativity to
the process of doing a literature review. In other
words, they draw new and original insights from the
literature. They may be able to find a fresh and
original research question, identify a heretofore,
unknown gap in the literature or make surprising
connections. By understanding how ways of thinking
connect to tasks of a literature review, a scholar is
able to be self-reflective and bring metacognition to
the process of reviewing the literature.

18. References
American Psychological Association. (2011). Publication manual of the American
Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
Granello, D. H. (2001). Promoting Cognitive Complexity in Graduate Written
Work: Using Bloom's Taxonomy as a Pedagogical Tool to Improve
Literature Reviews. Counselor Education and Supervision, 40(4)
292-307. DOI: 10.1002/j.1556-6978.2001.tb01261.x
Krathwohl, D. R. (2002). A revision of Bloom’s taxonomy: An overview. Theory
Into Practice, 41(4)212–218. Retrieved from:
http://www. unco.edu/cetl/sir/stating_outcome/documents/krathwohl.pdf