Literature reviews are in high demand in the scientific field due to the increasing number of scientific publications.
A literature review is essential to research and publication, and keeping the literature current is the most important skill in a researcher’s career. It is an important part of an academic paper submitted to a journal for publication.
However, the world’s research output grows with 2.5 million new journal articles each year, making it difficult to find relevant literature.
Including a long list of references at the end of the manuscript is optional. Still, if researched, the list of references should be included in the synopsis of existing literature.
In this article, we shall learn more about literature reviews and how you can conduct one effectively. So keep reading.
Understanding a Literature Review
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A literature review summarizes what reputable academics and researchers have written about a subject. It frequently appears in the essay, research paper, or thesis introduction.
A literature review aims to explain what information and concepts have been formed about a subject and their advantages and disadvantages.
A central idea must describe it, such as the study’s goal, a problem or issue, or an arguing thesis.
It must also be structured around and directly connected to the thesis or research question, summarizing findings into an overview of what is known and unknown.
It is important that you point out areas of disagreement in the literature and propose questions that need additional investigation.
5 Tips to Complete an Effective Literature Review
Source: anmj.org.au
Given below are some tips that will help you craft your literature review better, more informative, and easily:
1. Choose a Broad Aspect of Your Research Topic
Take a step back and consider several ways to approach your research question. For instance, talk with coworkers or ask a mentor for advice to extend your viewpoint and find new research directions.
In order to pinpoint the gaps and restrictions that your study will address, it’s also crucial to carefully evaluate and assess the body of knowledge already available in your subject.
This will offer you the advantage to assert the value of your work and make a more substantial contribution.
The essay underlines extending one’s search parameters to locate pertinent material to back up a made-up research subject.
It advises considering different materials, methods for making plastic biodegradable, and the potential negative effects of plastic waste on the environment.
Bioplastics derived from organic substances like maize starch can provide light on whether they are practical for wide-scale adoption and implementation in various sectors.
It also advises looking at these substitute polymers’ potential advantages and disadvantages.
2. Select Befitting Keywords
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To ensure sources are pertinent and reliable, assessing and choosing them carefully is crucial. Well-defined keywords should properly target the research articles you are looking for.
While examining sources, keep in mind the author’s qualifications and the date of publication as well.
To identify pertinent articles and papers, use these keywords to research databases like PubMed, PsycINFO, or Google Scholar.
The methods utilized to find pertinent material on Google are the most crucial information in this article.
These techniques include the following:
- Enclosing keywords.
- Rearranging keywords.
- Noting synonyms and alternative phrases for each keyword.
- Utilizing advanced search options like date range and language.
- Using keywords you intend to use in your paper.
- Using advanced search techniques like Boolean operators and truncation.
These strategies can help you do more focused and effective searches, yielding more pertinent sources for your research.
3. Find Relevant Articles
The benefits of using few references are the most crucial information in this work. This allows you to spend more time considering the specifics of each article and concentrate on finding the major themes and concepts present in the articles you have chosen.
Moreover, consider speaking with a librarian or research expert who can advise you on locating and assessing academic materials.
Furthermore, if there are few sources in the field of your research, many fundamental issues are probably still unresolved.
To uncover pertinent materials that will help your study, you may also need to extend your search phrases and consider related fields.
To offer fresh perspectives and develop the discipline, assessing the existing literature and critically identifying knowledge gaps is crucial.
4. Look Through the Citations and Find out The Sources
Source: nature.com
Citations point readers to earlier, pertinent studies on a certain topic. The citations in an article can be followed in one of two ways: forward or backward searching.
Although forward searching requires looking at papers that have cited the article you are currently reading, backward searching is looking at the reference lists of these articles.
Researchers may thoroughly grasp their topic and keep up with recent advancements using backward and forward-searching approaches.
Also, speaking with a librarian or research expert who can advise on efficient search techniques and resources for their subject of study may be beneficial.
Researchers may improve the caliber and legitimacy of their study by following these procedures, which will ultimately result in a more significant contribution to the academic community.
5. Take Help when Required
Ask for assistance by contacting your university’s librarian and inquiring whether they have a subscription to the publication you want.
If you need more time, contact a dissertation writing service like Ivory Research that will provide you with assistance from experts or researchers in your area.
If you have a few pieces, find the publication they were published in and look there for more in the same vein.
Ask a lecturer, manager, or senior colleague who has experienced a situation comparable to the one you are presently experiencing.
They will have a few strategies to assist them in getting across the immense ocean of scholarly literature.
The most crucial information is knowing which journal the studies were published in and getting guidance from a professor, manager, or senior colleague on exploring the academic literature. You may explore the immense sea of scholarly literature with these pointers.
Know how To Compose Your Literature Review
Source: research-hub.auckland.ac.nz
The key themes in this book are that a literature review is an academic research document, just like any other, and that the key ideas in each source should be directly related to the review’s main thesis.
You can utilize paraphrasing to demonstrate that you understand the subject matter and can express it in your own words.
The most significant information in this article is that it is crucial to avoid plagiarism and to attribute the source properly.
You must synthesize and summarise their sources while retaining their style by beginning and closing with their thoughts and language.
Be careful to correctly and in your own words convey the author’s ideas when paraphrasing a source that is not your own.
