Name: Richelle R.

Broqueza January 17, 2020

Major: Physical Science

Topic: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

What it is!
 A literature review provides an overview of what has been written about a specific topic.
The review of literature includes practically all the information and data which are
authoritative and relevant to the topic of the study as in the case of research and similar
scholarly undertakings.
 The literature review surveys scholarly articles, books and other sources relevant to a
particular area of research.
 It acknowledges the work of previous researchers, and in doing so, assures the reader that
your work has been well conceived. It is assumed that by mentioning a previous work in
the field of study, that the author has read, evaluated and assimilated that work into the
work at hand.
 A literature review creates a “landscape” for the reader, giving her or him a full
understanding of the developments in the field.
 It provides the conceptual or theoretical framework of the planned research.
 A review of related literature is the process of collecting, selecting and reading books,
journals, reports, abstracts and other reference materials. The following information may
be collected:

1. Background information about the problem and related concepts.

2. Theories that explain the existence of the problem and the possible connection between
certain factors and the problem.
3. Data that confirms the existence and seriousness of the problem.
4. General and specific findings of studies related to the problem.
5. Recommendations for further study given in related studies.

Literary Works
Literary works include nondramatic textual works with or without illustrations. They may be
published or non-published. Computer programs and databases also are considered literary
works.

Examples of literary works:

 fiction
 nonfiction
 manuscripts
 poetry
 contributions to collective works
 compilations of data or other literary subject matter
 dissertations
  theses
 reports
 speeches
 bound or loose leaf volumes
 secure tests
 pamphlets
 brochures
 textbooks
 online works
 reference works
 directories
 catalogs
 advertising copy
 single pages of text
 tracts
 games
 automated databases
 computer programs

How to Write it!

1. Collect, evaluate and select literature
 Search for literature using keywords and citations (Some useful databases are
Your University’s Library Catalogue, Google Scholar, JSTOR, EBSCO, Project
Muse, Medline, EconLit, Inspec)
 Evaluate and select sources (Make sure the sources you use are credible, and
make sure you read any landmark studies and major theories in your field of
research).
 Take notes and cite your sources (Keep track of your sources with citations to
avoid plagiarisms)
 Receive feedback on language, structure and layout (Professional editors
proofread and edit your paper by focusing on academic style, vague sentences,
grammar, style consistency)
2. Find connections and themes
 Trends and patterns (in theory, method or results) do certain approaches become
more or less popular over time?
 Themes: what questions or concepts recur across the literature?
 Debates, conflicts and contradictions: where do sources disagree?
 Pivotal publications: are there any influential theories or studies that changed the
direction of the field?
 Gaps: what is missing from the literature? Are there weaknesses that need to be
answered?
3. Plan your literature review’s structure
 Chronological – the simplest approach is to trace the development of the topic
over time. Be careful to avoid simply listing and summarizing sources in order.
Try to analyze patterns, turning points and key debates that have shaped the
 direction of the field. Give your interpretation of how and why certain
developments occurred.
 Thematic – if you have found some recurring central themes, you can organize
your literature review into subsections that address different aspects of the topic.
 Methodological – if you draw your sources form different disciplines or fields
that use a variety of research methods, you might want to compare the results and
conclusions that emerge from different approaches.
 Theoretical – a literature review is often the foundation for a theoretical
framework. You can use it to discuss various theories, models and definitions of
key concepts.
4. Write your literature review
 Like any other academic text, your literature review should have an introduction,
a main body and a conclusion. What you include in each depends on the
objective of your literature review.
o Introduction – it should clearly establish the focus and focus of literature
review.
o Body – depending on the length of your literature review, you might want
to divide the body into subsections. You can use a subheading for each
theme, time period, or methodological approach.
o Conclusion – you should summarize the key findings you have taken
from the literature and emphasize their significance.

Conclusion
 A review of related literature is a must in research. The following are some of the
obvious reasons:

1. It helps the researcher identify and define a research problem.

2. It helps justify the need for studying a problem.
3. It prevents unnecessary duplication of a study,
4. It can be a source of a theoretical basis for the study.
5. It enables the researcher to learn how to conceptualize a research problem and properly
identify and operationally define study variables.
6. It helps formulate and refine research instruments.
7. It provides lesson for data analysis and interpretation.

Tips in Reviewing Literature

1. Summarize and synthesize: give an overview of the main points of each source and
combine them into a coherent whole
2. Analyze and interpret: don’t just paraphrase other researchers – add your own
interpretations where possible, discussing the significance of findings in relation to the
literature as a whole
3. Critically evaluate: mention the strengths and weaknesses of your sources
 4. Write in well-structured paragraphs: use transitions and topic sentences to draw
connections, comparisons and contrasts

References
1. Practical Research 1 for Senior High School , Prieto, et. Al, Lorimar Publishing, 2017
2. Methods of Research, Sevilla et. Al. Rex Bookstore, 2005
3. https://www.copyright.gov/register/tx-examples.html
4. http://researchchmsc.blogspot.com/2010/05/review-of-related-literature.html
5. https://www.scribbr.com/dissertation/literature-review/
6. https://guides.library.bloomu.edu/litreview