How to write a literature review quickly
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How to write a literature review quickly
Many students usually ask, ‘what is a literature review?’ as it is a less common academic writing type. A literature review is a task that explores various publications within a specific subject area and sometimes within a specific subject area or a set timeframe. Literature review writing requires you to read and analyze different sources that relate to the main subject and present each unique comprehension of the publications.
This task should combine a summary with a synthesis of the documents used. A synthesis is a re-organization of the information that gives the writing a unique and new meaning, while a summary is a precise overview of the vital information in the publication. Writing a literature review is an essential part of any academic research paper or thesis, but it can often be a time-consuming and daunting task.
The literature review is a critical analysis of existing research, providing a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge and gaps in the field. However, with the right strategies and techniques, it is possible to write a literature review quickly without compromising on quality. In this blog post, we will guide you through the process of writing a literature review efficiently, enabling you to save time and produce a well-structured and insightful review.
The purpose
A literature review synthesizes and summarizes the ideas created by previous writers without adding other additional information or implementing personal opinions. However, its objective is not just to list summaries of sources but to notice a central principle or trend in all of the publications. While a research paper has a thesis that guides it on rails, a literature review has the main organizing principle. The goal of a literature review is to identify the main organizing principle and indicate how it exists in all of your supporting documents.
Why is a literature review important? The value of such work is explained by the following goals it pursues:
- It reveals the main points of controversy and gaps within a topic
- Highlights the importance of the main topic within a given subject area.
- A literature review helps to find out the key principles, themes and researchers that exist within a topic.
- It explains and demonstrates the background of research for a particular subject matter
- It helps reveal relationships between existing ideas
- and suggests questions to drive primary research based on previous studies
How long is a literature review?
Students tend to wonder how long a literature review should be when facing the need to write a literature review. The length of your paper’s body is sometimes determined by your instructor. Ensure you read the guidelines carefully to learn what is expected from you. If you have not been provided specific guidelines, keep your literature review around 15 to 30% of your entire paper. If you are writing a literature review as a stand-alone assignment, the length should be specified in the instructions provided.
Structure of a literature review
A literature review, like many other types of academic writing, follows a typical introduction-body-conclusion style.
Introduction
When writing a literature review, you should direct your readers towards the main organizing principle. Your information must, therefore, start from a broad perspective and narrow down gradually until it reaches a focal point. Commence by presenting your general concept. Narrow the focus of your introduction toward the MOP after the initial presentation by mentioning the criteria you used to select the literature sources you have chosen. The introduction will end with a presentation of your MOP that should directly link it to all the literature sources.
Body paragraphs
Each body paragraph will focus on a given source of literature laid out in the introduction of the essay. It is vital to structure the review in the most logically consistent way possible since each source has its frame of reference for the MOP. The writing should be thematically, chronologically or methodologically.
Chronologically
To keep a correct historical timeline, you can break down your sources based on their publication date. It can present the development of certain concepts over time and provide examples in the form of literature if properly applied. There are, however, better alternatives sometimes we can use to structure the body.
Thematically
Looking at the link between your MOP and your sources is another option. The author may sometimes have to seek examples to prove their opinion. The main idea will sometimes glare from a piece of literature. An experienced author will present their sources by order of strength.
Methodologically
This type of structuring focuses on methods used to present the main ideas. By showing the different methods used to portray the MOP, the writer can compare them based on things like ethicality, severity, and overall impact.
Conclusion
There are three final objectives to complete in the conclusion of an essay after presenting your key findings in the body paragraphs. The writer should summarize the findings they have found or made. Once the information has been discussed, the subsequent step involves highlighting the relevance of this information to the present-day world. In simpler terms, it is important to explore how readers can apply this information to today’s society. This leads us to the conclusion, where we leave a trail for readers to continue their thoughts on the essay topic. This trail serves as a starting point for further investigation, allowing readers to anticipate the direction of the discussion.
How to write a good literature review
Step 1: identifying the topic
The approach to conducting a literature review may differ depending on whether it is a part of a research paper or a separate assignment. If it is a part of another work, you should focus on finding literature that is related to your main research questions and issues. On the other hand, if you are writing a stand-alone literature review, you will need to choose a relevant topic and central question around which you will gather the literature. In the earlier sections of this guide, we provided some interesting topics to help you in your search.
Step 2: conducting research
When embarking on a literature review, it is important to gather relevant literature that relates to your chosen topic. To streamline the research process and expedite the discovery of pertinent publications, we suggest creating a list of keywords associated with your central question. These keywords will aid in conducting targeted searches for credible and applicable sources. It is crucial to rely on reputable sources, such as those found in university libraries and online scientific databases. Once you have identified potential sources, it is advisable to evaluate their relevancy to your topic and research question. To save time, you can read the abstracts of the papers to gain a general understanding of their content rather than reading them in their entirety.
Step 3: assess and prioritize
During your research, it is common to come across a plethora of relevant literature that can be incorporated into your literature review. However, it is important to avoid the mistake of trying to include every single source you have collected. Instead, we recommend taking a step back and carefully evaluating the gathered sources to determine their relevancy. It is unlikely that you will be able to read all the material on a specific topic and then synthesize it into a single literature review. That is why prioritizing the most pertinent sources is crucial.
Step 4: identify relationships, key ideas and gaps
To effectively create an outline and write your literature review, it is essential to first understand the relationships between the existing studies. This process involves identifying how the studies interrelate, which will enable you to organize the existing knowledge, establish a coherent literature outline, and potentially highlight your own research contribution in a specific field. The following are key points to keep an eye out for:
- contradictions and debates
- main themes
- trends and patterns
- influential theories or studies
- gaps.
Step 5: make an outline
Even though students often overlook this step, creating an outline is crucial when writing any academic paper. It is a simple yet effective method to structure the content and ensure that no important details are overlooked. Furthermore, having a clear understanding of the paper’s main ideas and subtopics will facilitate a faster and smoother writing process.
Step 6: move on to writing
Once you have gathered and organized all your sources, notes, citations, and a comprehensive outline, you can proceed to the actual writing phase. During this stage, it is essential to adhere to the plan you have developed and pay attention to the overall structure and format specified in your professor’s guidelines.
Step 7: adding the final touches
Many students often overlook the final stage of the writing process, which is proofreading and editing. It is highly recommended to allocate sufficient time to these steps in order to ensure that your work will receive the highest possible score. The importance of proofreading and editing should not be underestimated, so make sure to dedicate ample time to these tasks.
Tips you need to keep in mind when writing a literature review
Good sources
When conducting a literature review, it is crucial for writers to prioritize finding the most appropriate sources for their research. This involves carefully selecting and evaluating different options during the initial research phase. The quality of the overall review greatly depends on how effectively the chosen literature highlights the central point.
Synthesize the literature
It is important to ensure that the review is structured in the most optimal way. This can be done by organizing the sources chronologically, thematically, or methodologically, depending on what you want to convey. It is essential to have a clear understanding of your message and structure the comparison of sources accordingly.
Avoid generalizations
When examining different pieces of literature, it’s important to recognize that each one will have its unique perspective on the subject matter. As the author, it is crucial to effectively highlight and elucidate the contrasts in approaches without including vague statements that don’t contribute any value to the discussion.
Writing an outline for a literature review
Many students tend to underestimate the significance of pre-planning the structure of their papers. However, this approach is not advisable. It is important to create a rough outline, such as an APA literature review outline, to not only adhere to the correct format and structure, but also to simplify the writing process and ensure all important information is included.
When creating an outline, it is important to keep the general introduction-body-conclusion structure in mind and ensure that each section serves its own objectives. However, it is crucial to note that a literature review outline differs slightly from outlines of other types of essays, as it does not introduce new information. Instead, it focuses on existing studies that are relevant to the main topic.
Conclusion
Writing a literature review quickly can be a challenging task, but with the right approach and strategies, it is definitely achievable. By following the steps outlined in this blog, you can streamline the process and ensure that you are able to produce a well-organized and comprehensive literature review in a shorter span of time. it is crucial to start by clearly defining your research question or objective. This will help guide your search for relevant literature and prevent you from getting overwhelmed with excessive information. Additionally, utilizing effective search techniques, such as using keyword variations and utilizing different databases, can help you locate the most relevant and up-to-date sources quickly.
Once you have gathered a substantial amount of literature, it is important to critically evaluate each source and determine its relevance and credibility. By employing techniques such as skimming, scanning, and taking detailed notes, you can quickly assess the key findings and arguments of each study, allowing you to identify any gaps or patterns in the existing research. Organizing your literature review is another crucial step in writing it quickly.
Creating a well-structured outline will not only help you stay focused and organized but also ensure that you include all the necessary sections, such as the introduction, methodology, findings, and conclusion. This will make the writing process smoother and reduce the chances of forgetting important information. When it comes to writing the actual literature review, it is important to strike a balance between summarizing the main points of each study and providing a critical analysis. Remember to cite all your sources properly and to use clear and concise language to convey your ideas effectively. By following the steps outlined in this blog, you can save time and energy while still producing a high-quality literature review.