The literature review should deal with relationships – how do the articles relate to each other? How do the articles relate to your research?
In the literature review:
- Explain the reason for reviewing the literature; explain why particular literature was included or excluded
- Summarize the major contributions of the significant articles
- Evaluate and compare the articles
- Evaluate the current state of the research -- explain inconsistencies in theory or conclusions, gaps in research, trends in what has been published, and opportunities for further research
- DO NOT just summarize the articles
Ways to organize:
- By theoretical approaches
- By methodologies employed
- By chronology, if significant changes in thought have taken place
Tips:
- Use subheadings to clarify the structure
- Use original sources -- do not cite works you have not read
- Minimize direct quotations by summarizing in your own words (with citations)
- Use appropriate quotation and citation methods to avoid plagiarism