Writing a Literature Reviewppt课件

1、.1Writing a Literature Review？/ Theoretic Basis/conceptual BasisWhat is a Literature Review?lA literature review is a survey and discussion of the literature in a given area of study. lIt is a concise overview of what has been studied, argued, and established about a topic, and it is usually organiz

2、ed chronologically or thematically.l A literature review is written in essay format. It is not an annotated bibliography, because it groups related works together and discusses trends and developments rather than focusing on one item at a time. lIt is not a summary; rather, it evaluates previous and

3、 current research in regard to how relevant and/or useful it is and how it relates to your own research.2PurposelA literature review is written to highlight specific arguments and ideas in a field of study. lBy highlighting these arguments, the writer attempts to show what has been studied in the fi

4、eld, and also where the weaknesses, gaps, or areas needing further study are. lThe review should therefore also demonstrate to the reader why the writers research is useful, necessary, important, and valid.3AudiencelLiterature reviews can have different types of audiences, so consider why and for wh

5、om you are writing your review. l Highlighting the gap in knowledge which your research aims to fill is particularly important in this instance because you need to convince the reader that there is an opening in the area of study. .4AudiencelA literature review in a proposal will similarly try to co

6、nvince the audience of the significance and worthiness of the proposed project. lIn contrast, when you are writing a literature review for a course, just show your professor that you understand what research has been done, giving you a base of knowledge. lIn this case, you may not need to focus as m

7、uch on proving where the gaps in knowledge lie, but rather, that you know what the major areas of study and key ideas are.5Questions a Literature Review Should Answer:lAsking questions such as the following will help you sift through your sources and organize your literature review. lRemember, the l

8、iterature review organizes the previous research in the light of what you are planning to do in your own project. .6Questions a Literature Review Should Answer:lWhats been done in this topic area to date? What are the significant discoveries, key concepts, arguments, and/or theories that scholars ha

9、ve put forward? Which are the important works? lOn which particular areas of the topic has previous research concentrated? Have there been developments over time? What methodologies have been used? lAre there any gaps in the research? Are there areas that havent been looked at closely yet, but which

10、 should be? Are there new ways of looking at the topic? lAre there improved methodologies for researching this subject? lWhat future directions should research in this subject take? lHow will your research build on or depart from current and previous research on the topic? What contribution will you

11、r research make to the field? .7USING AND CITING SOURCESlIn academic writing, show that you are able to take part in a “conversation” with others who have researched and written about the same issues. When you draw on the words and ideas of other people in this academic conversation, you cite them i

12、n order to give them credit for what they contributed to your argument, as well as to help others reading your work locate your source material if they would like to learn more.lTry to integrate this information from others into your own writing. Remember that, ultimately, you want your reader to fo

13、cus on your ideas and arguments rather than feel as if theyre reading a summary of things other people have said. .8INTEGRATING SOURCE MATERIAL INTO YOUR WRITINGDirect Quotations lFirst, use direct quotations sparingly. Adding long (or even short) word-for-word passages from other peoples writing di

14、lutes the impact of your own ideas, and the interruption of these quotations almost always makes writing seem choppy.lUse direct quotations only when-The original language is particularly creative or vivid-The terminology used must be exact and accurate -The person quoted must explain his or her pos

15、ition in his or her own words-The person quoted is an authority on the subject and is using vivid or technical language.9ParaphraselPutting others ideas and direct quotations into your own wordsis often preferable to quoting directly.lWhen you can paraphrase, you show that you are able to understand

16、 and synthesize what others have said without merely parroting it. lParaphrase also helps your writing read more smoothly, as you can combine ideas from several different sentences (rather than interrupt your work with a lengthy quotation) and can choose shorter words or more streamlined phrases.10C

17、itinglYou must cite all information that came from another source, even paraphrases or facts and figures. lAlthough different disciplines follow different conventions (MLA, APA, etc.), most of them currently recommend in-text citations.11CitinglInclude the author or sources name in the context of th

18、e sentence, while citing the page number parenthetically Ex. Robert Strong (1998, p 134 ) writes that American literature today still cannot escape the influences of our Puritan ancestors.lOmit direct reference to the authors name but cite both name and page number parenthetically Ex. Even today, Am

19、erican literature cannot escape the influence of the Puritans (Strong,1998, p134 ).12LengthlThe length of a literature review varies depending on its purpose and audience.l In a thesis or dissertation, the review is usually a full chapter(1/5 of your thesis) but for an assignment it may only be a fe

20、w pageslFor a mini-research paper, 1-2 pages are fine.13StructurelThere are several ways to organize and structure a literature review. lTwo common ways are chronologically and thematically.14Chronological:lIn a chronological review, you will group and discuss your sources in order of their appearan

21、ce (usually publication), highlighting the changes in research in the field and your specific topic over time. lThis method is useful for papers focusing on research methodology, or other writing where time becomes an important element. lFor example, a literature review on theories of learning strat

22、egies might present how the understanding of learning strategies have changed through the centuries, by giving a series of examples of key developments and ending with current theories and the direction your research will take.15Thematic:lIn a thematic review, you will group and discuss your sources

23、 in terms of the themes or topics they cover. lThis method is often a stronger one organizationally, and it can help you resist the urge to summarize your sources.l By grouping themes or topics of research together, you will be able to demonstrate the types of topics that are important to your resea

24、rch. lFor example, if the topic of the literature review is changes in learning strategies, then there might be separate sections on research involving the definitions or types, research on the interpretation of learning strategies, and Chinese or western studies on learning strategies.lSamples.16No matter which method you choose, remember:lWithin each section of a literature review, it is important to discuss how the research relates to other studies (how is it similar or different, what other studies have been done, etc.) l Demonstrate how it relates to your own work.lThis is what t