Literature Review.ppt

What is a Review of the Literature?

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A literature review is an account of what has been published on a topic by

accredited scholars and researchers.

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Often it is part of the introduction to an essay, research report, or thesis.

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In writing the literature review, your purpose is to convey to your reader w

eview lets you gain and demonstrate skills in two areas:

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information seeking: the ability to scan the literature

efficiently, using manual or computerized methods, to identify

a set of useful articles and books

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critical appraisal: the ability to apply principles of analysis to

identify unbiased and valid studies.

A literature review should:

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show that you're aware of important developments in your

area

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identify different viewpoints and/or highlight areas of

controversy

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critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of previous

research