The primary goal of a literature review is to discuss the gap in existing research or to provide an overview of the topic you are exploring. The literature review summarises previous studies and their arguments about the topic. A literature review can be a standalone or form part of a research paper. Here are a few steps in writing a concise and informative literature review:
- Explore your chosen topic and ensure it is not too broad or too narrow. This will allow you to have numerous sources to discuss.
- Gather your relevant sources and identify the key findings which will assist you in sharpening your focus on the topic. Ensure that your sources align with your topic.
- Identify emerging themes from the literature. Combine arguments from different sources and draw all relevant findings to identify gaps or new knowledge related to your topic.
- Form a structure and write your literature review chronologically to establish coherence. Arrange your paragraphs, accordingly, focusing on each aspect and being specific.
- Now, you can write your literature review. Maintain a formal tone and cite your sources thoroughly. Finally, maintain the focus of the research you mentioned in Step 1.
- Review and edit your work. Ensure that you have cited the relevant sources correctly and that the overall organization of your review makes sense and flows logically.
Use these steps as a guideline, and they will assist you in writing a comprehensive and well-structured research proposal.
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