How to Write a Good Literature Review
A literature review is a part of a big research paper and your duty is to overview all sources that you have found for your study. Many students do not understand what they have to do and most of them fail their literature review. Here you are able to find helpful piece of advice with writing and you will surely learn how to write a good literature review correctly if you follow these original writing guidelines.
Step One: Find the Right Sources
You first duty is to find enough literary sources that can be used in the process of writing. Go to the local library and take textbooks, scientific periodicals, dictionaries and encyclopedias in order to be able to analyze your subject effectively. Remember that you have to choose only reliable and up-to-date credible sources; otherwise, your research will lose its quality. You are expected to hand in a relevant research paper, so you need to choose only professional and famous authors who observe your subject effectively and whose thoughts are enough reputable.
Step Two: Overview Your Subject
It is important to explain the main subject of your research in order to provide readers with your idea of writing. One is able to clarify this idea with the help of a thesis statement. When you overview the subject, it will be easier to understand the choice of literary sources and the definite authors.
Step Three: Divide Your Sources into Categories
The main idea of literature review is to explain the choice of sources, so you will have to create the definite strategy that will explain this choice logically. Every topic for research paper is controversial and can be researched from different sides. No wonder, every author who investigates this problem, takes the definite side and builds his research around his definite concept or idea. Your duty is to categorize authors and their works according to their similarities and differences.
Step Four: Explain Similarities and Differences
It is important to divide sources into several piles or categories – similar ideas, different ideas and original ideas. If you have noticed that several authors support the same thought, you can state that their point of view is similar. Opposite opinions can be placed into the second pile. You have to join one of these parties and support your idea with the help of the wise quotes of the authors who share your opinion about the subject.
Step Five: Explain Usefulness and Relevance of Sources
You have to overview every source in brief and state what important information and arguments you have found there. You can evaluate every book and journal and say whether it has been useful for your research.
