Literature Reviews

As you write your review, consider these ways of expressing your ideas:

• Compare and contrast views of different authors.
• Criticize previous work.
• Highlight gaps in existing research.
• Show how your work relates to previous work.
• Identify problems, conflicts, debates, gaps.
• Define a research area in a new way.
• Question previous results.

From: Writing the successful thesis and dissertation, p. 111
by Irene L. Clark

Some helpful tips for preparing your synthesis of the literature!

• Compare and contrast the results of each study.
• Assign codes to main discussion points in each study.
• Developing themes, grouping together codes.
• Compare and link the codes and themes.
• Work with codes and themes that do not support each other.
• Discuss of the strength of the evidence.
• Be aware of results that appear too neat.
• Be creative!
• Write up YOUR results, telling a story with your data.
• Organize themes in logical order.
• Answer your research question.
• Incorporate your critical appraisal.
• How well does your information address your research question?

From Doing a Literature Review in Health and Social Care: 
A Practical Guide by Helen Aveyard

Explore the resources listed below to learn more about how to avoid plagiarism and correctly citing the ideas of others:

The sites below offer a range of considerations and steps for writing the literature review.

Suggestions for your reading pleasure!