文献回顾
THE LITERATURE REVIEW
我们知道(做)些什么呢?
What do (and don’t) we know?
Purpose 目的
文献综述是一个关键的“关于公认的学者和研究员已经发表了什么样的课题?”
A literature review is a critical “account of what has been published on a topic by accredited
scholars and researchers".http://www.ukthesis.org/Thesis_Tips/Reference/Literature_Review/ (Taylor and Proctor, 2001)
• What are its strengths and weaknesses? (critique) 它的长处和弱点是什么? (批判)
• What is the current state of knowledge? (describe) 知识的当前状态是什么? (详细说明)
• How is this knowledge structured? (structure) 这方面的知识是如何构成的? (结构)
这个表明如何选择你熟悉的工作, 并且进入适合你的领域。它不应该是描述性的。其目的是为了:
It shows that you are familiar with your chosen field and how your work fits into this field. It
should not be descriptive. Its purpose is to:
• Relate the boundary of your topic to previous research
• Identify to the reader what theories and practice have been developed on a topic
• Explain how past research and ideas have developed over time
• Explain what their respective strengths and weaknesses are
• Assess the significance of such developments
回顾文献,还可以帮助您通过自己的建议实际的模型进行研究设计。
Reviewing the literature can also help you by suggesting practical models for your own
research design.
It should be a critical review.
• Your literature review should not be simply a set of summaries or a report but rather
an integrated prose document
• Critical does not mean finding fault but rather it means providing a balanced account
of the strengths and weaknesses, and competing views, of your chosen field of
literature
• It is necessary but not sufficient simply to summarise and describe the literature - you
also need to critique it. Include literature that opposes your position – as well as that
which supports it.
• You need to build your argument and explain it – ‘I believe x because of y and
therefore I conclude z’. Have a narrative – what story are you telling?
• It needs a guiding purpose (assignment, research project, thesis) – why are you
writing it?
"The Literature Review should give the reader the sense that you have
examined some material on your topic and are familiar with contrasting#p#分页标题#e#
perspectives and viewpoints. In this sense it builds your authority to speak
about the issues you are dealing with". (California State University, 2002)
N.B. A literature review is based on literature you have directly consulted, wherever
possible in full. Do not rely on other authors' paraphrasing.
Questions to ask yourself. 要问自己的问题:
• Why am I doing this literature review?
• What type of literature am I looking at (theoretical/empirical/policy/practice)
• What is its scope (timeframe/disciplinary/industry/types of publications)
• What search process should I undertake
• How am I going to cite my sources
Stages of the literature review 文献回顾的阶段
• Clarify your purpose for the literature review and what you want to achieve
• Literature search
• Classifying/sorting your literature
• Review #1 – making sense of the literature
• Review #2 – presenting your literature review for your chosen audience
认真审视(从2006年华莱士和WRAY的概列)
Critically reviewing (Summarised from Wallace and Wray, 2006)
Is what I’ve read convincing and if not why not?
• Does the evidence sound true?
• Do the conclusions flow from the evidence?
• Is the evidence dated or too narrow?
• Are assumptions made that you find questionable?
• Are claims to being new or original over-stated?
• Can the conclusions be generalised as the author(s) suggest?
Does what I’ve written show a mature appreciation of evidence?
• Will the reader be clear what I am arguing?
• Is it clear why I’m reviewing this particular set of literature?
• How/what logically structures the literature review e.g. using research questions?
• Are conclusions (the use I’m going to make of this literature) clearly stated?
• Have key terms been defined and consistency employed?
• Are the conclusions convincing?
• Is the literature properly (Harvard) referenced?
Critically selecting literature 选择批判性文献
• Are all the relevant authors cited?
• Are peer-reviewed papers cited?
• Internet citations should only be from reputable organisations/people.
Language and formatting 语言和格式
• Does my work pass UK-English grammar and spell checks?
• Is the language tight and purposeful rather than verbose and rambling?#p#分页标题#e#
• Does the formatting look right e.g. spaces between paragraphs, left aligned and numbered
headings?
• Are tables and charts numbered, headed and cited?
BIBLIOGRAPHY 参考书目
WALLACE, Mike. and WRAY, Alison (2006) Critical reading and writing for
postgraduates. London, Sage.
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