10 best strategies for preparing a literature review for a dissertation

Many students who are writing their Masters or undergraduate dissertations struggle to understand the concept of a literature review. What exactly is it? What length should a literature review have? How should it be structured? It can be daunting to compile a literature review for a dissertation if you are a student or at a lower level. We break down the dissertation literature review and offer top tips for how to do it correctly.

WHAT IS A LITERATURE REVIEW?

A literature review is often found near the beginning of your dissertation and is an important part of your overall dissertation structure. This is a summary and analysis of current literature in the area you are researching, which will be the basis for your dissertation. Even though you probably will not be able to read everything about your topic in one sitting, the literature review should show that you read a lot.

Your literature review is not a listing of authors in the field with their opinions. It should provide a comprehensive overview of the entire field. This includes describing the different literature bodies, giving different perspectives on important issues, and indicating where opinions have changed or are being challenged. You must give a critical analysis of each work and not just a summary of the articles or books to which they are referred. This should also be done with authoritative work by experts. You will need to assess each book and article to verify that it was written by an academic.

A good literature review is not only important for your dissertation writing; it also shows where your dissertation fits into the field.

WHAT SHOULD THE LENGTH OF A LITERATURE REVIEW BE?

The average dissertation literature review should not exceed 25%. However, this will depend on your dissertation's structure and the literature you have available. When considering inclusion or exclusion criteria, you should ask each article the following questions: Is it relevant, appropriate, and useful?

This will allow you to keep the review concise and relevant to the topic. If you feel that the literature is not sufficient or insurmountable, it may be worth rethinking your research questions to narrow down the focus to the topic.

This blog will provide 10 tips to help you create a great literature review for your dissertation.

WHAT INFORMATION SHOULD A DISSERTATION LITERATURE REVIEW CONTAIN?

A literature review does not include paragraphs that give the title of each book and then summarise its contents. Look for themes mentioned by several authors and then discuss how the different authorities dealt with them. You should make your literature review as thorough as possible. It should include all major writers and theorists in the area of your dissertation.

It is important to have a clear understanding of what the field looks like. Do not talk about each writer separately. Instead, try to connect them and compare their points of view to give a better picture of the current arguments and which pieces of literature go together.

To clarify the various areas of theory and the positions taken by each writer, it might be helpful to include bullet points or subheadings in your dissertation. These subsections may echo the areas you'll later explore in your dissertation.

These are some of the best strategies for writing a literature review for a dissertation:

1.  WIDE SEARCH

You must be able to find relevant material from many sources in order to write a good literature review. You can search online for relevant articles and dissertations by looking at their abstracts. Also, you should consult all university, college, and departmental libraries. Footnotes are also helpful. You should also keep in mind the dissertation-tutoring service. This provides tutoring to draft a dissertation to help you create your own work.

2.  QUESTIONS

Before you begin to analyse the literature, clarify in your mind the research questions that will guide the dissertation. You will save time and avoid spending hours reading in vain. You should figure out what the main issues are and then only look at the information from that point of view.

3.  SIGNIFICANCE OVER CONTENT

Writing a literature review can be frustrating if you get too involved in the description of every book, journal article, or report that you've read. Do not link to irrelevant content. Instead, spend your time analysing the relative significance of different sources for your own purposes.

4.  KEY THEMES

You will need to identify, draw out, and explain key themes from the literature that you have studied. Thematic analysis not only shows that you really care about the book, but it also gives you a framework for building the body of your text.

5.  CRITICAL ATTITUDE

You cannot include any literature that has not been critically analyzed, questioned, and dissected. Critical analysis of all material reviewed is essential to ensure that there is no description left and that the original analysis is given the highest priority. You must challenge assumptions, make arguments, and justify your actions.

6.  VALID SOURCES

It is obvious that you need to review a wide range of materials. However, it is important to consider the reliability of the sources. Some subject areas retain the authority of classic texts for thousands of years. Scientists who do cutting-edge research will have to be more aware of the risks of using old information.

7.  SOURCE PROVENANCE

This is a common consideration in reviews, but it's worth mentioning, nonetheless. Is the author authoritative? Are there any citations from the author? Is there a literature response that has either criticised the work or given it a lot of support?

8.  FINDINGS

It is important to identify key themes and issues. However, you will also need to draw certain conclusions based on your review of relevant literature. You should draw conclusions about the current state of debate on certain issues; discuss what you consider to be emerging or future trends in the field, and identify any gaps in current knowledge.

9.  CATEGORISATION

A literature review can be structured using key themes. Categories based on research questions, academic position and theoretical paradigm, chronology, and so forth, are also useful. One way to present results is to categorise reviewed material into a "for" or "against" class for certain controversies.

10.  THEORY

A large part of your analysis of the reviewed material will likely include a discussion of the theoretical underpinnings of each source: implicit working assumptions, paradigmatic goals, and so forth. You should give a clear explanation of the theory behind your findings and the conclusion you came to at the end.

LAW TUTOR

If you are looking to create a literature review for a legal research paper or project, it can be incredibly helpful to have the guidance and expertise of a law tutor. A knowledgeable and experienced tutor can not only help you navigate the process of conducting thorough research, but can also assist you in crafting a high-quality literature review that effectively highlights the key themes and arguments present in the legal literature. By working with a tutor, you can gain a deeper understanding of the importance of a literature review, learn how to effectively analyse and synthesize legal sources, and ensure that your review meets the highest academic standards. With the assistance of a top-notch law tutor, you can feel confident in your ability to produce a comprehensive and well-written literature review that effectively supports your legal research.