Observe the way literature reviews are presented in theses. You may want to take note of the following.
CONTENT ANALYSIS
Are aims, issues, debates, themes and ‘gaps’ identified?
Are results, methods, theories or techniques:
described?
analysed?
interpreted?
evaluated?
compared and contrasted?
ranked?
Others:
ORGANISATION OF MATERIAL:
How is material ‘grouped’ or organised?
Chronologically
According to method or technique
According to results or findings
Studies in ascending or descending order of importance
By issue or theme
Other…
What headings and sub-headings are used?
Is the sequence of, and relation between, sections logical?
STYLE
What verb tense/s are used when reporting on other studies/findings?
Is the author’s tone certain or cautious, engaging or didactic?
Does the author use active voice or passive voice?
Active = actors identified: ‘Jones and Bloggs studied the effects of early childhood vaccination…’
Passive voice = actors subordinated: ‘The effects of early childhood vaccination were studied…’
Does the author use ‘I’? When and why?
Are technical terms explained?
Has the author used ‘signposts’ to aid the reader – for example:
Are topic sentences used to introduce or conclude paragraphs?
Does each section have a short, introductory sentence/s?
Is the organization of the chapter previewed in the introduction?
USE OF SOURCES
How many references are included in a standard paragraph?
How many sources are cited in total in the literature review?
What referencing style is used?