What is a literature review and how do you write it?

The literature review is a written overview of major writings and other sources on a selected topic. Sources covered in the review may include scholarly journal articles, books, government reports, Web sites, etc. The literature review provides a description, summary and evaluation of each source.

How do you write a literature review in APA format?

Step 1: Review APA guidelines. Step 2: Decide on a topic. Step 3: Identify the literature that you will review: Step 4: Analyze the literature. Step 5: Summarize the literature in table or concept map format. Step 6: Synthesize the literature prior to writing your review. Step 7: Writing the review (Galvan, 2006: 81-90)

How many studies should be included in a literature review?

Maybe – as a very rough and ready rule of thumb – 8-10 significant pieces (books and/or articles) for a 8,000 word dissertation, up to 20 major pieces of work for words, and so on. But use your judgement! Skim through the books and articles identified as potentially relevant.

How do you start an introduction for a literature review?

The introduction should include a clear statement of the topic and its parameters. You should indicate why the research area is important, interesting, problematic or relevant in some way. The literature review is an important part of a dissertation or thesis.

How does a literature review look like?

Consider organization. Just like most academic papers, literature reviews also must contain at least three basic elements: an introduction or background information section; the body of the review containing the discussion of sources; and, finally, a conclusion and/or recommendations section to end the paper.

What a literature review is not?

A literature review is NOT: is a brief critical discussion about the merits and weaknesses of a particular book. Book reviews of creative works are sometimes called literary reviews. Scholarly books are also reviewed by other scholars. Scholarly book reviews are often published in scholarly journals.

What person is a literature review written in?

Here are seven simple rules that cover the most common literature review mistakes, in no particular order. Refer to these rules before submitting any written work: Do not write in the first person (no I or we). Single space after all punctuation.

Does a literature review have to be in alphabetical order?

It does not present studies in alphabetical order or chronological order. The sources should instead be organized based on commonalities in their theoretical approach, research question, methods, or findings, moving toward demonstrating the need for your own new research and new contribution.

What is a literature review sociology?

A literature review provides an overview of previous research on a topic that critically evaluates, classifies, and compares what has already been published on a particular topic. It allows the author to synthesize and place into context the research and scholarly literature relevant to the topic.

How do you Harvard reference a literature review?

To be made up of:Name of the reviewer (if indicated).Year of publication of the review (in round brackets).Title of the review (in single quotation marks).Review of (title of work reviewed – in italics).Author of work being reviewed.Publication details (title in italics).

How do you write a social science literature review?

a critical summary of relevant and selective literature on the topic.situate and focus your research in context.use credible and most relevant sources.written in clear language.a piece of research on its own.add value to the existing knowledge on the topic.