Critical Literature Review
Writing Resources Center
http://wrc.uncc.edu
Writing Resources Center (WRC)
Locations:
220 Fretwell
109 Atkins Library
Phone:
Web:
http://wrc.uncc.edu
Appointments:
http://rich65.com/uncc/
704-687-HELP (4357)
E-mail:
wrchelp@uncc.edu
2
Purpose of a Critical Literature Review

Establishes a foundation of prior research

Illustrates your breadth of knowledge

Discusses your position on the topic

Justifies why your research is necessary

Explains how your research contributes to the field
Keep an Open Mind

You may have to alter your topic if you have difficulty
finding adequate information or are overwhelmed with
information.

You may want to refine your topic as you read more about
the subject and discover a niche to fill.
What to Consider as You Read

Note the General Nature of the Available Research
What research has been conducted?
What are the current trends in the field?

Scrutinize the Prior Research
Could the focus have been broadened or narrowed to yield more conclusive results?
Could the research have benefitted from a different methodology?
Was an idea overlooked or treated dismissively?

Identify an Area for Research
Is there a new problem to solve?
Is there a new solution to an old problem?
Is there a need to re-examine an issue or continue work in an area?
Is this a breakthrough idea?
5
Writing the Review





Demonstrate a critical understanding of the work of others
Provide fair, balanced information that addresses all sides of the issue,
including neutral or opposite perspectives
Organize the text according to:
method
theory
chronology
theme
Rely on paraphrases and summaries more than direct quotations
Synthesize your interpretation of others’ work into a coherent, fluid
expression of ideas
6
Synthesizing Information

Group like ideas together to form paragraphs and sections
of the text

Present the research as an integrated representation of
thoughts, not as a progression of sources
Weak Synthesis
Sexual harassment has many consequences. Adams, Kottke, and
Padgitt (1983) found that some women students said they avoided
taking a class or working with certain professors because of the risk of
harassment. They also found that men and women students reacted
differently. Their research was a survey of 1,000 men and women
graduate and undergraduate students. Benson and Thomson’s study in
Social Problems (1982) lists many problems created by sexual
harassment. In their excellent book, The Lecherous Professor, Dziech
and Weiner (1990) give a long list of difficulties that victims have
suffered.
Neuman, W. Lawrence. (2003). Social research methods: qualitative and quantitative approaches, 5th ed, Allyn and Bacon,
Boston.
Source: RMIT’s Study and Learning Centre
Stronger Synthesis
The victims of sexual harassment suffer a range of
consequences, from lowered self-esteem and loss of selfconfidence to withdrawal from social interaction, changed
career goals, and depression (Adams, Kottke, and Padgitt,
1983; Benson and Thomson, 1982; Dziech and Weiner,
1990). For example, Adams, Kottke, and Padgitt (1983)
noted that 13 percent of women students said they avoided
taking a class or working with certain professors because of
the risk of harassment.
Neuman, W. Lawrence. (2003). Social research methods: qualitative and quantitative approaches, 5th ed,
Allyn and Bacon, Boston.
Source: RMIT’s Study and Learning Centre
Engineering Examples

Consult the bound dissertations housed in Atkins Library
for examples more specific to engineering

Review the following websites for easily accessible samples
on the Internet:
http://www.comcol.umass.edu/academics/deansbookcou
rse/pdfs/sample_lit_review.pdf
http://www.jstor.org/sici?sici=0022-0027%28199506%
2939%3A2%3C224%3AEIODAW%3E2.0.CO%3B2-2
Writing Tips

Include a strong topic sentence for each paragraph

Provide transitions between paragraphs or within
paragraphs

Beware paragraphs that are too long or too short

Vary word choice and sentence structure

Avoid redundancy