How to Write a Literature Review

Welcome to Grad Coach TV with Derek.

Introduction

• Focus on writing a literature review in three simple steps.
• Based on the free Dissertation 101 ebook available on the Grad Coach website.

What is the Function of a Literature Review?

Understanding the purpose of a literature review helps clarify the writing process.

1. Demonstrate Understanding of Literature

• Show solid understanding of existing research related to your questions.
• Academic writing builds on previous work—acknowledge those foundational researchers.

2. Identify Research Gaps

• Establish the need for your research by identifying gaps in existing studies.
• Aim for originality and uniqueness in your research angle.

3. Build a Theoretical Framework (If Relevant)

• Useful for those creating theoretical or conceptual models.
• Base your model on existing theories and research.

4. Foundation for Methodology

• Review methodologies used in existing literature to inform your own
• Look for validated instruments and methodologies used by others.

Three Steps to Writing a Literature Review

Step 1: Find Relevant Research

• Techniques for Finding Literature:
  1. Google Scholar Scrubbing:
     • Use Google Scholar to find articles related to your keywords.
     • Look at citation data for article credibility.
     • Read abstracts to determine relevance.
  2. University Database:
     • Use your university's licensed content for broader access.
     • Important to copy and paste titles exactly to avoid missing results.
  3. Snowballing:
     • Start with core articles and explore their reference lists.
     • This can lead to more relevant literature.
  4. Review Other Dissertations:
     • Look at dissertations related to your topic for additional sources.
     • Be cautious as you don't know the quality of the work.

Step 2: Log, Catalog, and Synthesize Literature

• Logging: Put all references into reference management software (e.g., Mendeley, Zotero).
• Cataloging: Build a catalog in Excel with key information about each article.
  • Include author, date, title, summary, methodology, and keywords.
  • This helps to sort and filter relevant information when writing.
• Synthesize: Spend time thinking about how all pieces fit together and develop a narrative.
  • Use visual aids like mind maps for better understanding.

Step 3: Outline and Write

• Outlining:
  • Structure your discussion before writing.
  • Consider a chronological or thematic structure.
• Writing:
  • Focus on getting ideas down; perfection isn't the goal for the first draft.
  • Seek feedback from peers to refine your writing.
  • Use feedback to improve clarity and flow.

Conclusion

• Recap the process: Understand the purpose, find literature, log and synthesize, outline and write.
• Encourage contacting Grad Coach for help with research topics.
• Reminder: Share and subscribe for more content.