Here are 16 useful tips for writing a great literature review. Use it as a kind of checklist. The tips are divided into three sections; selection of sources, critical evaluation and interpretation. For help writing your literature review click here.
On the selection of sources:-
1. Have you indicated the purpose of the review?
2. Are the parameters of the review reasonable?
3. Why did you include some of the literature and exclude others?
4. Which years did you exclude?
5. Have you emphasised recent developments?
6. Have you focussed on primary sources with only selective use of secondary sources?
7. Is the literature you have selected relevant?
8. Is your bibliographic data complete?
On critical evaluation:-
9. Have you organised your material according to issues?
10. Is there a logic to the way you organised the material?
11. Does the amount of detail included on an issue relate to its importance?
12. Have you been sufficiently critical of design and methodological issues?
13. Have you indicated when results were conflicting or inconclusive and discussed possible reasons?
14. Have you indicated the relevance of each reference to your research?
On interpretation
15. Has your summary of the current literature contributed to the reader’s understanding of the problems?
16. Does the design of your research reflect the methodological implications of the literature review?
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