Conducting a Literature Review

Overview

• The article provides guidance for students undertaking a literature review as part of their dissertation during undergraduate or Master's courses.
• A literature review is a summary of a subject field, supporting the identification of specific research questions.

Key Components

• The literature review should evaluate and draw from various sources including:
  • Academic and professional journal articles
  • Books
  • Web-based resources

Literature Search

• Essential for identifying and locating relevant documents and sources.
• Utilizes:
  • Search engines for web resources
  • Bibliographic databases

Conceptual Frameworks

• Useful for developing an understanding of a subject area.

Stages of Creating a Literature Review

1. Scanning: Browsing through potential sources.
2. Making Notes: Taking detailed notes on relevant information.
3. Structuring the Literature Review: Organizing the collected notes into a coherent structure.
4. Writing the Literature Review: Drafting the actual review based on structured notes.
5. Building a Bibliography: Compiling a list of all sources cited in the literature review.

Keywords

• Serials management
• Information media
• Information management

Citation

• Rowley, J. & Slack, F. (2004), "Conducting a literature review", Management Research News, Vol. 27 No. 6, pp. 31-39.

Publisher

• Emerald Group Publishing Limited (2004)

Related Articles

• Articles on methodologies and guidelines for writing and publishing literature reviews.
• Discussions on enhancing the impact of literature reviews.

Additional Notes

• The article emphasizes the importance of a structured approach to conducting a literature review.
• Provides practical steps for compiling and drafting the review effectively.

This summary serves as a concise guide to the fundamental components and procedures involved in conducting a literature review as outlined in the article.