Dr D.K. Nyahunzvi Midlands State University 2012

Can be a complicated, daunting Confusing exercise If you do not know its purpose in the research process

The purpose To make you understand your study area Identify the research gaps and omissions Brings clarity and focus to your research problem Shows us whether our research problem has not been addressed before

Yields the importance of the study Provides new ideas/insights Enhance our own knowledge base Helps to position our findings Have we made a contribution?

Enables you to position your study Synthesises the main debates/propositions Through it we become familiar of the existing boundaries of knowledge

Identify and comment on the shortcomings of the existing literature Identify and evaluate methodological approaches Facilitate your choice of a methodology

Establish the theoretical roots of the study Increase your understanding Note: You are expected to be an expert in your area of research for Masters/PhD degrees

One needs to know the breath and depth of the existing lit. If one writes, there is limited information on SMEs…. The assertion should not arise out of limited efforts on your part or Lack of access to current journals

It is recommended to review peer- reviewed material Review current material (2005 onwards) Consult the most cited at first Classify material into themes that correspond with your study objectives Group authors who share the same thoughts/approaches/conclusions

Review should not make an author the centre Instead, ideas/debates should be the pivot Review is an on-going process till? If your proposition is published before you submit?

Structure your review write-up The subtopics are informed by research questions Arrange topics in a logical and sequential manner You are not merely cataloguing others ideas

Instead, you should be present in the lit. review Assessing the main findings/ approaches of prior research Comment on the quality and quantity of existing research Identify research gaps that your research fills

Paraphrase Use direct quotes sparingly Avoid lengthy quotations of five or more lines Acknowledge all the ideas and information Avoid over-relying on a limited range of sources

Produce a table showing the state of the existing literature Weave examples and case studies Avoiding cutting and pasting case studies The length is determined by evidence that the topic has been investigated thoroughly

Identify the main lessons Identify the research priorities suggested Identify and point out your view towards perspectives given What are the implications in terms of methodology?

Ask: Did I include and assess all the available and relevant literature? Is my review relevant? Did I identify research gaps? Have these gaps not been filled already by other researchers?

Did I make reference to the most current literature in my review? Did I position the research correctly in relation to others? What did I say my study will add to the existing knowledge? Is the study worthwhile or I will just recycle old arguments/answers are already known How different is my study in terms of methodology?

Takes time and effort but includes: Critically assessing submitted dissertations (structure, contents and writing styles) Critically assessing the literature review section of peer-reviewed papers

Learn ‘tools of the trade’ e.g. the phraseology used It is against this theoretical backdrop that this study is positioned to examine the interactions of curio traders with… the dominant themes emerging from the small but growing literature around homelessness are.. Remember, dissertation writing is both an art and a science