Review of literature is one of the most important steps in the research process. Literature review helps the researcher to get used to the related material on the study Gives an overview of the field of inquiry on what has been already said about the topic. Literature reviews also provide a solid background for a research paper’s investigation. It also provide the knowledge about the problems faced by the previous researchers’ while studying same topic

1. LITERATURE
REVIEW
By
ALI HASSAN
MAKEN
1

2. CONTENTS
 Overview
 Definitions
 Importance of Good Literature Review
 Why do we write Literature Review
 Functions of Literature Review
 Sources of Literature Review
 Types of Literature Review
 Organization of Literature Review
 Structure and writing style
 Conclusion
 Bibliography
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3. OVERVIEW
Review of literature is one of the most important
steps in the research process.
It is an account of what is already known about a
particular phenomenon.
The main purpose of literature review is to convey
to the readers about the work already done. The
knowledge & ideas that have been already
established on a particular topic of research.
Literature review is a laborious task, but it is
essential if the research process is to be successful. 3

4. DEFINITIONS
A researcher cannot perform significant research without first
understanding the literature in the field’ (Boote and Beile, 2005: 3)
The process of reading, analyzing, evaluating, and summarizing
scholarly materials about a specific topic.
A literature review is an evaluative report of information found in
the literature related to selected area of study. The review
describes, summarizes, evaluates & clarifies this literature. It gives
a theoretical base for the research & helps to determine the nature
of research. …(Queensland University, 1999)
A literature review is an account of what has been already
established or published on a particular research topic by accredited
scholars & researchers. …(University of Toronto, 2001)
A systematic and thorough search of all types of published4

5. IMPORTANCE OF GOOD
LITERATURE REVIEW
Literature review helps the researcher to get
used to the related material on the study
Avoid unnecessary and unintentional
duplication of others researchers' projects.
It will help to contribute to knowledge
Helps to summarize the results of previous
studies in order for you to use them as data
base for your findings.
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6. IMPORTANCE OF GOOD
LITERATURE REVIEWGives an overview of the field of inquiry on what
has been already said about the topic.
Shows how the prevailing ideas fit into your
study how your study agrees or differs from them.
It may reveal data sources of that you may not
have known to have existed.
It can reveal methods of dealing with problematic
situations.
It can help you interpreted and make sense of
your findings and ultimately help you to tie your
results to the works of those who have preceded
you. 6

7. WHY DO WE WRITE LITERATURE
REVIEWLiterature reviews provide you with a handy guide to a
particular topic.
If you have limited time to conduct research, literature reviews
can give you an overview or act as a stepping stone.
For professionals, they are useful reports that keep them up to
date with what is current in the field.
For scholars, the depth and breadth of the literature review
emphasizes the credibility of the writer in his or her field.
Literature reviews also provide a solid background for a
research paper’s investigation.
Comprehensive knowledge of the literature of the field is
essential to most research papers.
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8. FUNCTIONS OF LITERATURE
REVIEWThe purpose of a literature review is to convey to the reader previous
knowledge & facts established on a topic, & their strength &
weakness.
The literature review allows the reader to be updated with the state
of research in a field & any contradictions that may exist with
challenges findings of other research studies.
It helps to develop research investigative tools & to improve research
methodologies.
It also provide the knowledge about the problems faced by the
previous researchers’ while studying same topic.
Besides enhancing researchers’ knowledge about the topic, writing a
literature review helps to:
Place each in the context of its contribution to the understanding of8

9. FUNCTIONS OF
LITERATURE REVIEWIdentify new ways to interpret & shed light on any gaps in previous
research. Resolve conflicts amongst seemingly contradictory
previous studies.
Identify areas of prior scholarship to prevent duplication of effort.
Point a way forward for further research.
See what has & has not been investigated.
Develop general explanation for observed variations in a behavior
or phenomenon.
Identify potential relationship between concepts & to identify
researchable hypothesis.
Learn how others have defined & measured key concepts.
Identify data sources that other researchers have used. 9

10. SOURCES OF LITERATURE
REVIEW
Books Journals
Conference papers Theses and dissertations
Bibliographies Maps
Internet Indexes/Abstracts
Audio-visual material CDs/DVDs
Electronic databases Government reports
Magazines Newspapers
Grey literature Interviews and other
unpublished research
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11. (CONTINUE..) THREE TYPES
OF LITERATURE
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12. TYPES OF LITERATURE REVIEWS
It is important to think of knowledge in a
given field as consisting of three layers.
First, there are the primary studies that
researchers conduct and publish. Second
are the reviews of those studies that
summarize and offer new interpretations
built from and often extending beyond
the original studies. Third, there are the
perceptions, conclusions, opinion, and
interpretations that are shared
informally that become part of the lore of12

13. TYPES OF LITERATURE
REVIEWSArgumentative Review
This form examines literature selectively in order to support or refute an
argument, deeply imbedded assumption, or philosophical problem already
established in the literature. The purpose is to develop a body of literature
that establishes a contrarian viewpoint. Given the value-laden nature of
some social science research [e.g., educational reform; immigration control],
argumentative approaches to analyzing the literature can be a legitimate
and important form of discourse. However, note that they can also introduce
problems of bias when they are used to make summary claims of the sort
found in systematic reviews.
Integrative Review
Considered a form of research that reviews, critiques, and synthesizes
representative literature on a topic in an integrated way such that new
frameworks and perspectives on the topic are generated. The body of
literature includes all studies that address related or identical hypotheses. A
well-done integrative review meets the same standards as primary research
in regard to clarity, rigor, and replication.
13

14. CONTINUE…..
Historical Review
Historical reviews are focused on examining research throughout a period of
time, often starting with the first time an issue, concept, theory, phenomena
emerged in the literature, then tracing its evolution within the scholarship
of a discipline. The purpose is to place research in a historical context to
show familiarity with state-of-the-art developments and to identify the
likely directions for future research.
Methodological Review
A review does not always focus on what someone said [content], but how
they said it [method of analysis]. This approach provides a framework of
understanding at different levels (i.e. those of theory, substantive fields,
research approaches and data collection and analysis techniques), enables
researchers to draw on a wide variety of knowledge ranging from the
conceptual level to practical documents for use in fieldwork in the areas of
ontological and epistemological consideration, quantitative and qualitative
integration, sampling, interviewing, data collection and data analysis, and
helps highlight many ethical issues which we should be aware of and
consider as we go through our study.
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15. CONTINUE…..
Systematic Review
This form consists of an overview of existing evidence pertinent to a clearly
formulated research question, which uses pre-specified and standardized
methods to identify and critically appraise relevant research, and to collect,
report, and analyze data from the studies that are included in the review.
Theoretical Review
The purpose of this form is to concretely examine the corpus of
theory that has accumulated in regard to an issue, concept, theory,
phenomena. The theoretical literature review help establish what
theories already exist, the relationships between them, to what
degree the existing theories have been investigated, and to
develop new hypotheses to be tested. Often this form is used to
help establish a lack of appropriate theories or reveal that current
theories are inadequate for explaining new or emerging research
problems. 15

16. ORGANIZATION OF
LITERATURE REVIEW
16
A general organization looks like a
funnel
Broader topics
Sub-topics
Studies like yours

17. STRUCTURE AND WRITING
STYLE
1) Thinking about Your Literature Review
2) Development of the Literature Review
3) Ways to Organize Your Literature Review
4) Writing Your Literature Review
5) Common Mistakes to Avoid
17

18. 1) THINKING ABOUT YOUR
LITERATUREA. The structure of a literature review should include the following:
 An overview of the subject, issue or theory under consideration, along with the
objectives of the literature review,
 Division of works under review into themes or categories (e.g. works that support of
a particular position, those against, and those offering alternative approaches
entirely),
 An explanation of how each work is similar to and how it varies from the others,
 Conclusions as to which pieces are best considered in their argument, are most
convincing of their opinions, and make the greatest contribution to the
understanding and development of their area of research
B. The critical evaluation of each work should consider:
 Provenance -- What are the author's credentials? Are the author's arguments
supported by evidence (e.g. primary historical material, case studies, narratives,
statistics, recent scientific findings)?
 Objectivity -- Is the author's perspective even-handed or prejudicial? Is contrary
data considered or is certain pertinent information ignored to prove the author's
point?
 Persuasiveness -- Which of the author's theses are most/least convincing?
 Value -- Are the author's arguments and conclusions convincing? Does the work
ultimately contribute in any significant way to an understanding of the subject? 18

19. 2) DEVELOPMENT OF THE LITERATURE
REVIEW
 Four Stages
1. Problem formulation -- which topic or field is being examined and what are its
component issues?
2. Literature search -- finding materials relevant to the subject being explored.
3. Data evaluation -- determining which literature makes a significant
contribution to the understanding of the topic.
4. Analysis and interpretation -- discussing the findings and conclusions of
pertinent literature.
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20. 2.1) CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING ISSUES BEFORE WRITING THE
LITERATURE REVIEW
i. Clarify
ii. Find Models
iii. Narrow the Topic
iv. Consider Whether Your Sources are Current
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21. 3) WAYS TO ORGANIZE YOUR LITERATURE
REVIEW
Chronological of Events
 If your review follows the chronological method, you could write about the materials
according to when they were published. This approach should only be followed if a clear
path of research building on previous research can be identified and that these trends
follow a clear chronological order of development.
Thematic [“conceptual categories”]
 Thematic reviews of literature are organized around a topic or issue, rather than the
progression of time. However, progression of time may still be an important factor in a
thematic review.
 Methodological
A methodological approach focuses on the methods utilized by the researcher. The method
can be the qualitative, quantitative and it can be the mixed method.
 Other Sections of Your Literature Review:
 Here are examples of other sections you may need to include depending on the type of
review you write:
 The Current situation, History, selection methods, Standards and Questions for further
Research 21

22. 4) WRITING YOUR LITERATURE
REVIEW Use Evidence
A literature review in this sense is just like any other academic research paper. Your interpretation
of the available sources must be backed up with evidence to show that what you are saying is valid.
 Be Selective
Select only the most important points in each source to highlight in the review. The type of
information you choose to mention should relate directly to the research problem, whether it is
thematic, methodological, or chronological.
 Use Quotes Sparingly
Some short quotes are okay if you want to emphasize a point, or if what the author said just cannot
be rewritten in your own words. Sometimes you may need to quote certain terms that were coined by
the author, not common knowledge, or taken directly from the study.
 Summarize and Synthesize
Remember to summarize and synthesize your sources within each paragraph as well as throughout
the review. Recapitulate important features of a research study, but then synthesize it by rephrasing
the study's significance and relating it to their own work.
 Keep your own Voice
While the literature review presents others' ideas, your voice [the writer's] should remain front and
center. 22

23. 5) COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID
1. Sources in your literature review do not clearly relate to the research
problem;
2. You do not take sufficient time to define and identify the most relevant
sources to use in the literature review related to the research problem;
3. Relies exclusively on secondary analytical sources rather than including
relevant primary research studies or data;
4. Uncritically accepts another researcher's findings and interpretations as
valid, rather than examining critically all aspects of the research design
and analysis;
5. Does not describe the search procedures that were used in the literature
review;
6. Reports isolated statistical results rather than synthesizing them in chi-
squared or meta-analytic methods; and,
7. Only includes research that validates assumptions and does not consider
contrary findings and alternative interpretations found in the literature.23

24. CONCLUSION
Review of literature is one of the most important
steps in the research process. It is an account of
what is already known about a particular
phenomenon. Literature review is a skill of
summarize and synthesize the literature critically.
Be systematic in search for relevant sources, and
avoid being overly descriptive. Use a structure that
leads the reader through the key points and is
framed by research questions. Be aware to the
university regulations on presentation, including
referencing. The literature review should not be a
narrative story, not a list.
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25. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Fink, Arlene. Conducting Research Literature Reviews: From the Internet to Paper. 2nd ed.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2005;
Frodeman, Robert. The Oxford Handbook of Interdisciplinary. New York: Oxford University Press,
2010.
Hart, Chris. Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social Science Research Imagination.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1998;
Jesson, Jill. Doing Your Literature Review: Traditional and Systematic Techniques. London:
SAGE, 2011;
Kennedy, Mary M. "Defining a Literature." Educational Researcher 36 (April 2007): 139-147.
Ridley, Diana. The Literature Review: A Step-by-Step Guide for Students. 2nd ed. Los Angeles,
CA: SAGE, 2012;
Taylor, Dena. The Literature Review: A Few Tips On Conducting It. University College Writing
Centre. University of Toronto; Writing a Literature Review. Academic Skills Centre. University of
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