Criteria on Making a Good

Review of Related
Literature & Studies
Group 3

What is it?
Overview
of
previous
research on the authors
topic or on an important
aspect of the authors topic
It identifies and describes
and sometimes analyzes
related research that has
already been done and
summarizes the state of
knowledge about the topic

Must..
Be organized around and related directly to the
thesis or research question you are developing
Synthesize results into a summary of what is and
is not known
Identify areas of controversy in the literature
Formulate questions that need further research

Purpose?
To convey to your
reader what knowledge
and ideas have been
established on a topic,
and what their strengths
and weaknesses are

Objectives
The review should provide a thorough overview of
previous research on the topic.
The review should contain references to important
previous studies related to the research question that are
found in high quality sources such as scholarly books
and journals.
The review should be succinct and well-organized.
The review should follow
generally established stylistic
guidelines.

Guidelines

Characteristics of the
Materials Cited
The materials must be as
recent as possible.
Materials must be as
objective and unbiased
as possible.
Materials
must
be
relevant to the study.
Materials must not too
few but not too many.

Ways of Citing Related

Literature and Studies
By author or writer
o Examples:
According to Enriquez, praise helps much in
learning, etc., (Enriquez, 1981)
Maglaque found out that praise is an important
factor in learning, etc., (Maglaque, 1984)
By topic
o Example:
It has been found out that praise is an important
aid in learning of children. (Enriquez, 1981)
Chronological
o According to the year they were written.

What to Cite?
It should be emphasized that only the major
findings, ideas, generalizations, principles, or
conclusions in related materials relevant to the
problem under investigation should be discussed
in this chapter.
Generally, such findings, ideas, generalizations,
principles, or conclusions are summarized,
paraphrased, or synthesized.

Quoting a Material
A material may be quoted if the idea conveyed is
so perfectly stated or it is controversial and it is
not too long.
It is written single spaced with wider margins at
the left and right sides of the paper but without
any
quotation
marks.

Steps

Step 1:
Overview the articles
Skim the articles to get an idea of the general
purpose and content of the article

Step 2:
Group the articles into
categories
Topics
Subtopics
Chronologically
within
each
subtopic

Step 3:
Take Notes
Define key terms: look for differences in the way keys terms are
defined
Note key statistics that you may want to use in the introduction to
your review.
Select useful quotes that you may want to include in your
review. Note emphases, strengths & weaknesses
Identify major trends or patterns:
Identify gaps in the literature, and reflect on why these might
exist
Identify relationships among studies
Keep your review focused on your topic
Evaluate your references for currency and coverage

Step 4:
Synthesize the
literature prior to
writing your review
Consider your purpose and voice before beginning to write.
Consider how you reassemble your notes: plan how you will organize
your findings into a unique analysis of the picture that you have captured
in your notes.
Create a topic outline that traces your argument
Reorganize your notes according to the path of your argument
Within each topic heading, note differences among studies.
Within each topic heading, look for obvious gaps or areas needing more
research.
Plan to describe relevant theories.
Plan to discuss how individual studies relate to and advance theory
Plan to present conclusions and implications

Step 5:
Writing the review

Identify the broad problem area, but avoid global statements

Early in the review, indicate why the topic being reviewed is important
Distinguish between research finding and other sources of information
Indicate why certain studies are important
If you are commenting on the timeliness of a topic, be specific in describing the time
frame
Discuss other literature reviews on your topic
Refer the reader to other reviews on issues that you will not be discussing in details
Justify comments such as, "no studies were found."
Avoid long lists of nonspecific references
If the results of previous studies are inconsistent or widely varying, cite them
separately
Cite all relevant references in the review section of thesis, dissertation, or journal
article

Step 6:
Developing a
coherent essay

If your review is long, provide an overview near the beginning of the

review
Near the beginning of a review, state explicitly what will and will not be
covered
Specify your point of view early in the review
Aim for a clear and cohesive essay that integrates the key details of the
literature and communicates your point of view
Use transitions to help trace your argument
If your topic teaches across disciplines, consider reviewing studies from
each discipline separately
Write a conclusion for the end of the review
Check the flow of your argument for coherence.

Avoid common
mistakes when
writing your
literature review
Not employing the best key words and not
identifying the best sources
Not relating your study findings to the findings of
the literature review
Relying on secondary rather than primary sources
Blindly accepting other researchers' findings
rather than critically examining them

Group 3

Shaira Mae Andres

Rikka Aida Deanon
Mary Amabelle Pacatang
Kristine Angeli Tech
Meriel Louise Anne Villamil

Reference
Galvan, J. (2006). Writing literature reviews: a
guide for students of the behavioral sciences ( 3rd
ed.). Glendale, CA: Pyrczak Publishing