Literature Review
Introduction
A literature review is a comprehensive summary of previous research on a topic. The literature review surveys scholarly articles, books, and other sources relevant to a particular issue, area of research, or theory, and by so doing, provides a description, summary, and critical evaluation of these works in relation to the research problem being investigated. Literature reviews are designed to provide an overview of sources you have explored while researching a particular topic and to demonstrate to your readers how your research fits within a larger field of study Literature.
Purpose of a Literature Review
The primary purpose of a literature review is to provide a rationale for your own research. Without a solid literature review, your evidence may seem isolated or unrelated to the broader context of scholarly research about your topic. The review of literature also educates the researcher about what studies have been conducted in the past, how these studies were conducted, and the conclusions in the problem area. All these aspects are important in considering whether or not to embark on a particular area of research Research.
Types of Literature Reviews
There are several types of literature reviews, each with its unique requirements, methods, and purposes. These include:
- Narrative Literature Review: This is broadest type of review. Researchers use it to provide a comprehensive history of the literature in a specific area. It can be helpful when a broad picture of research on a certain topic is needed. It can include a wide range of materials including but not limited to scholarly articles, books, dissertations, conference papers, and reports.
- Systematic Literature Review: This type of review aims to provide a complete, exhaustive summary of current literature relevant to a research question. The systematic review's methodology is clearly defined in advance, in order to ensure that the process is transparent and can be replicated. This type of review often includes a meta-analysis.
- Meta-Analysis: This is a statistical technique for combining the findings from independent studies. Meta-analysis is a quantitative, formal, epidemiological study design used to systematically assess the results of previous research to derive conclusions about that body of research.
- Scoping Review: This is a type of literature review that aims to provide a preliminary assessment of the size and scope of available research literature. It aims to identify nature and extent of research evidence.
- State-of-the-Art Review: This type of review considers the current state of knowledge about a particular topic. It is often used to discuss recent developments and is often written by leaders or experts in the field to provide a summary of the current state of understanding on a topic.
Conducting a Literature Review
Conducting a literature review involves collecting, evaluating and analysing publications (such as books and journal articles) that relate to your research question. There are five main steps in the process of writing a literature review:
1. Search for relevant literature: Before you begin searching for literature, you need to identify a clear topic or research question to guide your research.
2. Evaluate and select sources: You will need to think about what sources are most likely to give you the information you need.
3. Identify themes, debates, and gaps: To draw meaningful conclusions about your research question, you will need to identify themes or trends in the literature.
4. Outline your literature review’s structure: There are several ways to organize your literature review. Make a plan before you begin.
5. Write your literature review: A good literature review doesn’t just summarize sources – it analyses, synthesizes, and critically evaluates to give a clear picture of the state of knowledge on the subject.
Importance of Literature Review in Research
A literature review serves many important purposes, including establishing the need for research, broadening the knowledge base, increasing understanding on the topic and context, informing research design, providing potential research topics, and identifying data sources for the research. It is an essential part of the research process and helps to establish a theoretical framework of the research, and it also helps to prevent duplication of work already done.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a literature review is a critical 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 expands on the reasons behind selecting a particular research question.