美国留学dissertationliterature review指导
07-25, 2014
A literature review summarizes, interprets, and critically evaluates existing "literature" (or published
material) in order to establish current knowledge of a subject. The purpose for doing so relates to
ongoing research to develop that knowledge: the literature review may resolve a controversy,
establish the need for additional research, and/or define a topic of inquiry.
A literature review summarizes, interprets, and critically evaluates existing "literature" (or published
material) in order to establish current knowledge of a subject. The purpose for doing so relates to
ongoing research to develop that knowledge: the literature review may resolve a controversy,
establish the need for additional research, and/or define a topic of inquiry.
In the Body
group research studies and other types of literature (reviews, theoretical articles, case
studies, etc.) according to common denominators such as qualitative versus quantitative
approaches, conclusions of authors, specific purpose or objective, chronology, etc.
summaries individual studies or articles with as much or as little detail as each merits
according to its comparative importance in the literature, remembering that space (length)
denotes significance.
provide the reader with strong "umbrella" sentences at beginnings of paragraphs,
"signposts" throughout, and brief "so what" summary sentences at intermediate points in
the review to aid in understanding comparisons and analyses.
In the Conclusion
summarise major contributions of significant studies and articles to the body of knowledge
under review, maintaining the focus established in the introduction.
evaluate the current "state of the art" for the body of knowledge reviewed, pointing out
major methodological flaws or gaps in research, inconsistencies in theory and findings, and
areas or issues pertinent to future study.
conclude by providing some insight into the relationship between the central topic of the
literature review and a larger area of study such as a discipline, a scientific endeavour, or a
profession.
Questions a literature review will try to answer
1. What do we know about the area of inquiry?
2. What are the relationships between key concepts, factors, variables? #p#分页标题#e#
3. What are the current theories?
4. What are the inconsistencies and other shortcoming?
5. What needs further testing because evidence is lacking, inconclusive, contradictory,
limited?
6. What designs or methods are faulty?
7. Why study this question further?
8. What contribution will your work make?
Recommended web resources
How to write a literature review
http://juno.concordia.ca/help/howto/litreview.php
Writing a literature review; Academic Skills Program, University of Canberra
http://www.canberra.edu.au/studyskills/writing/literature
Writing a literature review; Study and Learning Centre, RMIT
http://www.dlsweb.rmit.edu.au/lsu/content/2_AssessmentTasks/assess_tuts/lit_review_LL/index.ht
ml
Writing a literature review; Teaching and Learning Unit, Faculty of Economics and Commerce, The
University of Melbourne
http://tlu.ecom.unimelb.edu.au/pdfs/lit_review.pdf
An example of how to write a literature review is found here:
http://www.york.cuny.edu/~washton/student/Org-Behavior/lit_rev_eg.pdf
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