The Writing Development Centre Contact: wdc@ncl.ac.uk The Literature Review The Writing Development Centre Contact: wdc@ncl.ac.uk @ncl_wdc Writing Development Centre Explore the possibilities

Today’s session Writing as product Writing as process

The Literature Review: what are we aiming for? Read the Literature Review extract. Does it meet your own expectations of what a Literature Review should do and how it should be written? Why/why not?

Key aspects of the Literature Review Your focus/agenda What is the aim of your Literature Review? Mapping existing knowledge Key themes, patterns, issues Debates and controversies Key theories/definitions Evaluating existing knowledge Your viewpoint/stance How does the literature relate to your project Gaps

Foregrounding your authorial voice Paragraph structure – where to put your point Tense: present tense = current, past tense = no longer current Reporting verbs: neutral vs ‘loaded’ Signpost words: however, therefore, in contrast, moreover, indeed etc Placing of reference: integral vs non-integral Use of quotation Hedging: ‘it could be argued’

Product to process: critical reading List the questions it is useful to ask of sources. Use the abstract as an example if you wish.

Three Domains of Critical Reading Validity: On its own terms Synthesis: In relation to others Relevance: Usefulness to you Context: discipline/profession, authors, currency, bias     What are they doing? Research Question/Aims/Hypothesis  How did they do it? Methods, Models and Materials   How do they know? Argument, evidence, logic and reasoning What do they say? Findings and conclusions

Gaining and Maintaining an Overview Strategies: Note-taking strategies: note not just the content but your reaction to it, links with other texts, and your potential use for it Map the literature: mindmaps, digital tagging, categorise Writing prompts: (Rowena Murray) The main debates in my field are: The main schools of thought are: The main problems are: What’s already known about this is: The way thinking has changed is: The areas that need more research are:

Planning and structuring your review Establish your own agenda What will your Literature Review do? What moves does it need to make? There may be more than one function/purpose

Structural principles Chronological Schools of thought Sides of a debate Methods, theories, approaches Development of a field Themes THE GAP Aspects of a whole Theory to practice Macro to micro Different contexts General to specific

The Writing Development Centre Level 2, Philip Robinson Library Undergraduate - Masters - PhD Our team of expert tutors offers: - One to one tutorials - Online resources including our Blog - Activities including Write Here, Write Now Visit us online: http://www.ncl.ac.uk/students/wdc/ HASS – SAgE - FMS We work with all levels, and across all subjects. Our role is not to be subject experts, but experts in learning and academic skills. Our provision is non-judgmental and confidential. You might also see us delivering sessions as part of your course. We are based in the Robinson Library level 2, and work mon-fri 9-5 (vacations too) but tutorials are by appointment only. Tutorials and workshops are booked online. Seriously, no proofreading.

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