1. Writing a Literature Review Assignment
This workshop will… 
Provide information on how to handle content and structure of a literature review assignment.
Offer tips on how to assemble findings from the literature into an essay-style format.
Introduce you to basic elements of good practice when drafting the finished paper.
Louise Livesey
Academic Skills Adviser
20/11/2018
Academic Skills Advice

2. Academic Skills Advice
The Plan…
What is a literature review assignment?
What is in a literature review assignment
Structuring literature reviews
Moving from analytical notes to written work
Maintaining academic style
20/11/2018
Academic Skills Advice

3. It is not “a furniture sale catalogue”
1.What is a literature
review assignment?
It is not “a furniture sale catalogue”
(Haywood & Wragg, 1982: 2).
20/11/2018
Academic Skills Advice

4. Academic Skills Advice
1.What is a literature
review assignment?
What is it, then?
Answer appears on click
20/11/2018
Academic Skills Advice

5. Activity 1: What does a review achieve?
1.What is a literature
review assignment?
Activity 1: What does a review achieve?
Aims of the research: ‘To establish a taxonomy of the student peer mentor by seeking, from the research, a list of mentor characteristics most often associated with positive outcomes from the mentoring relationship for both mentor and mentee.’ Briefly described in abstract and then more fully in penultimate paragraph.
Click for aims
Click for answer
20/11/2018
Academic Skills Advice

6. Academic Skills Advice
1.What is a literature
review assignment?
Main aim: should demonstrate a sound understanding of work done previously in the topic area.
Identify research possibilities and tailor a possible research project
Locate or develop a research methodology appropriate to a future project
Justify a choice of area for further investigation.
20/11/2018
Academic Skills Advice

7. Academic Skills Advice
1.What is a literature
review assignment?
It’s not just about collection, it’s about showing you can “select, organize and classify findings into a coherent [account]” (Bell, 2005: 110).
The written up review is deliberately succinct and gives the key research/knowledge/issues in the field.
It is not descriptive – sources need to be engaged with critically before they make the final cut. Finding the literature may be about fact-finding but the written up version rarely is.
It aims for academic critical objectivity – it is not a good idea to leave out a key study/finding because it disagrees with a position or hypothesis you are arguing...
20/11/2018
Academic Skills Advice

8. Academic Skills Advice
2.What is in a literature
review assignment
Degree/level:
Overall content is determined by what you’ve found when reviewing literature.
BA, BSc, BEng
Topic focused to answer a question or justify further research so…
- Key (current) sources
- Seminal (definitive) sources
MA, MSc
Summarise field’s knowledge so far
Analyse both the topic and the body of work found within it inc. theoretical underpinning of the topic/key issues
May analyse the methodology literature.
Seminal work is included but new research that is highly relevant is foregrounded.
(adapted from Hart, 1998: 15)
20/11/2018
Academic Skills Advice

9. A written up literature review might include…
2.What is in a literature
review assignment
A written up literature review might include…
Historical background
Justification of the relevance of a future research project by showing the body of knowledge it would contribute to
An overview of current research context
Identification & analysis of key evidence, concepts and theories which underpin a given topic within a discipline.
Current gaps in the field where new research could extend or complete missing aspects of what has been researched before.
Debate about key assumptions or findings that a discipline relies upon
20/11/2018
Academic Skills Advice

10. 3.Structuring literature reviews
The expectations around basic structure apply:
Introduction
(Headings/sections)
Conclusion
References
(Appendices)
Thematic
Pros and cons
Chronologically
Theoretical
‘Fors’ and ‘againsts’
Historical to present
Methodological
Strengths and weaknesses
Era by era
(Hart, 1998; Ridley, 2012)
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Academic Skills Advice

11. 3.Structuring literature reviews
3 potential structures at text level:
Distant to close
Comparative/
contrasting
Chronological
(Weissberg & Buker, 1990: 45-6)
Most distantly related to your question/hypothesis/topic
Most closely related to your question/hypothesis/topic
One approach or perspective
An alternative approach or perspective
Another approach or perspective
Earliest/oldest related work to
Most recent related work
20/11/2018
Academic Skills Advice

12. Lead-in/introductory Explanation or outlining
3.Structuring literature reviews
Lead-in/introductory
Explanation or outlining
The critical point
Evidence
Lead-out/conclusory
Managing a point at sentence level
20/11/2018
Academic Skills Advice

13. 4.Moving from analytical notes to written work
Analysing
sources
Writing draft
Thinking,
planning,
mapping
Click for top line inc x
Click for bottom line inc tick
20/11/2018
Academic Skills Advice

14. Academic Skills Advice
4.Moving from analytical notes to written work
Keep the aims/questions/hypotheses of the assignment firmly in mind when beginning to assemble the material.
Remember it is a ‘circular’ not a linear process.
Bear in mind the potential overlaps between the sub-topics within the topic you are reviewing.
Create a line of reasoning that leads a reader to your conclusion/position.
20/11/2018
Academic Skills Advice

15. Academic Skills Advice
4.Moving from analytical notes to written work
TALKING POINT
Using the notes function of Endnote
Using MS Office OneNote to create a notebook
Using sticky notes
Creating a database of findings in access or excel
Code up handwritten or typed notes using a personalised colour code or alpha-numeric code
Use the back of a roll of wallpaper to brainstorm and link findings in your notes
Use mind-mapping or concept mapping, either by hand or using university software
Click for answers
20/11/2018
Academic Skills Advice

16. 5.Maintaining academic style
Avoid over personalisation unless a lecturer suggests they want a ‘personal take’ – 3rd person sentences and pronouns.
Scrutiny of recent data reveals… vs I looked at some recent information…
You are criticising theories/evidence/studies – not people.
Potential deficiencies of Smith’s study are… vs Smith is clearly not a reliable researcher…
Your review is not journalism, make sure all of your observations have evidence to back them up and don’t be ‘chatty’.
This review’s findings would suggest… vs what I found was…
Use ‘cautious’ phrasing more than definitive statements
Potential issues within Prasan’s study are… vs This study is poor
Avoid overly-complex sentences – 7-15 words per sentence are enough.
20/11/2018
Academic Skills Advice

17. 5.Maintaining academic style
Consider using a phrasebank during the editing and re-drafting phase of writing to help you to improve on your style.
Morley’s Phrasebank:
20/11/2018
Academic Skills Advice

18. 5.Maintaining academic style
Text
Do I sum up my central position in a sentence or two?
Do my conclusions follow logically from my evidence?
Do I link one discussion point to the next?
Sentence
Do my subjects and verbs agree?
Do I use colons & semi-colons accurately?
Have I made sure that there are no overly long sentences?
Word
Have I run the spell check?
Have I used formal English vocabulary or resorted to ‘chatty’ language?
Have I any typographical errors?
20/11/2018
Academic Skills Advice

19. Academic Skills Advice
References
Bell, J. (2005) Doing your research project. 4th ed. Maidenhead, Open University Press. Hart, C. (1998) Doing a literature review: releasing the social science research imagination. London, SAGE Publications Ltd. Haywood, P. & Wragg, E.D. (1982) Evaluating the literature. Rediguide 2, Nottingham, University of Nottingham School of Education. Oliver, P. (2012) Succeeding with your literature review. Maidenhead, Open University Press. Ridley, D. (2012) The literature review. 2nd edition. London, Sage Publications Ltd. Terrion, J.L. & Leonard, D. (2007) A taxonomy of the characteristics of student peer mentors in higher education: findings from a literature review. Mentoring & Tutoring, 15 (2), Weissberg, R. & Buker, S. (1990) Writing up research: experimental research report writing for students of English. Englewood Cliffs, Prentice Hall.
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Academic Skills Advice

20. Academic Skills Advice Service
Where are we? Chesham Building B0.23. Give us a call or come speak to us Monday-Thursday 10am-12pm and 1pm-4pm
Who am I? Louise, the dedicated workshop adviser.
Who can help me with study and writing skills? Lucy and Russell run Instant Study Skills Advice sessions Monday-Thursday and Writing Skills Clinics twice a week. You can also access self-help resources on our webpage.
Who can give me maths advice? Helen and Michael specialise in Maths support for students though clinics and pre-booked appointments.
How do I get in touch? Telephone:
20/11/2018
Academic Skills Advice

21. Academic Skills Advice
Any questions?
20/11/2018
Academic Skills Advice

22. International Student Barometer (ISB)
Launches Monday 26 October 2015
Eligible students have been sent an with a survey link from
ISB helps the University to:
understand the international student experience;
make improvements for you as students and;
understand what we are doing well.
But! We need students to fill out the survey:
more students = better data = better experience
You could win an iPad Mini 2 or a year’s gym membership with Unique Fitness for filling it out.