For academic writers, a dissertation literature review is a one of the first things required in dissertation papers. Students must be able to analyze sources and write comprehensive overviews of the literature. Since the reader may not be familiar with the information, students have to make sure that they include background information. To get started on writing a dissertation literature review, use the following tips.
- Expectations
- Things to Include
- Choosing What to Include
- Using Evidence
Within the review, students are expected to demonstrate how their work will fit within the existing body of academic literature. They have to provide their own interpretation on issues around the topic and any gaps in previous literature. In addition, the student must be able to explain how their work relates to other research. If previous research was contradictory, the literature review will work to resolve conflicts between these viewpoints.
The literature review must be written so that each idea flows logically into the next topic. Each source must be relevant and cited correctly within the document. The entire subject must be discussed and each work must be connected to the student’s idea. Additionally, the student may want to divide academic research into different categories to make them easier to deal with. At the end of the review, students will also need to make a conclusion about which works provided the best contribution to the topic.
School libraries can be extensive, so knowing what to include is not always an easy task. When reviewing research, students should consider if the author’s perspective is fair or biased. They should review the author’s credentials to see if they are credible sources of information. Likewise, students have to look at the quality of the research itself. Does the author’s research add to the student’s topic? Is the thesis convincing? All of these factors should be considered when the student is deciding the sources that will be included.
As students write a literature review, they must ensure that only relevant quotes and materials are used. Evidence used in the review should make sense in the context of the student’s argument. Each quote should be smoothly integrated into the text so that it does not disrupt the reader’s train of thought. Although the sources are a strong focus for the review, students should always remember that the student’s ideas matter most. The literature review is only intended to give the state of the field.