LECTURE
LITERATURE REVIEW
Lecturer: Mr.
Maluleka
B.Ed., B.Ed. Hons., M.Ed with Distinction
(Wits)
PhD Candidate (Wits)
WHAT HAS BEEN COVERED SO
FAR:
1. Basic concepts in educational
research
2. What is research?
3. Why research?
4. Introduction to meta-theory
5. Research problem
6. Formulating a research
question and/or topic
WHAT THIS LECTURE WILL FOCUS
ON:
Literature Review
1. What is Literature Review?
2. What is the purpose of doing a
Literature Review?
3. What are the characteristics of an
effective Literature Review?
4. What are the steps for writing an
effective Literature Review?
Goals of the lecture:
•
To help you understand the purpose and basic
requirements of an effective literature review.
•
To help you critically assess, engage, and critique
research discourses/debates relating to your
research subject.
•
To develop strategies for inventing, organizing, and
drafting a literature review.
What is Literature Review?
• A critical analysis of existing research in your field of
study; it highlights both the strengths and weaknesses
(knowledge gap) of existing research.
• Literature Review allows you as a researcher to gain a
critical understanding of your field of study.
•
It is also an opportunity to think about what has been
done in your field; opportunity to think about the
similarities, patterns, trends and also differences across
the existing research.
•
By identifying strengths and weakness, you will be able to
think about what has not/needs to be done in your field
of study.
•
The gap in the literature is your justification for your
research!!!!!
CONTI…..
• A literature review is also a process as well as an
outcome!
• Literature review as an outcome: appears in the
final draft of your research report as part of your
introduction or as a separate chapter.
•
Literature review as a process: critical
engagement (thinking, reading and writing) with
relevant research on your topic. It is a crucial
and formative stage of your thesis journey.
What is the purpose of doing a
Literature Review?
• To provide background information
relating to your research.
• To establish importance of your research.
• To demonstrate familiarity with the
discipline you are researching in.
• To “carve out a space” for further
research, i.e., knowledge gap to be filled.
What are the characteristics of an
effective Literature Review?
• Outlining important research trends in
your field/discipline.
• Assessing the strengths and weaknesses
of existing research in your
field/discipline.
• Identifying potential gaps in knowledge
• Establishing a need for current and/or
future research projects
What are the steps for writing
an effective Literature Review?
• Planning
• Reading and
Research
• Analysing
Planning
1.
•
In your planning you need to first start by answering
the following questions:
What is the specific thesis, problem, or research
question that my literature review helps to define?
What is the existing knowledge gap in the literature?
By so doing, this will allow you to:
• Sort and categorize information
• Eliminate irrelevant information
2. You will also need to think about the SCOPE of your
Literature Review. That is, the types of sources you will
use and the limit of those sources.
Reading and Research
•
•
Collect and read material.
Select only relevant books and academic articles.
•
Engage and critique your sources using the following
questions:
 Who is the author?
 What is the author's main purpose?
 What is the author’s theoretical perspective?
 Research methodology?
 Who is the intended audience?
 What is the principal point, conclusion, thesis,
contention, or question?
 How is the author’s position supported?
 How does this study relate to other studies of the
problem or topic?
 What does this study add to your project?
Analysing
 A literature review is never just a
list of studies—it always offers an
argument about a body of research
 Analysis occurs on two levels:
Individual sources
 Body of research.

Four Analysis Tasks of the
Literature Review
TASKS OF
LITERATURE
REVIEW
SUMMARIZE
SYNTHESIZE
CRITIQUE
COMPARE
End of Lecture! Any
questions?