Before Writing your Literature Review
When your paper is not very specific, you should seek explanation from your instructor:
1. Approximately how many sources can you include in your literature review?
2. What kinds of sources (books, websites, journal articles)?
3. Should you summarize, analyze, or synthesize your sources by debating a common issue or theme?
4. Should you access your sources?
5. Should you give subtitles and other backdrop information like definitions or a history?
Seek for another literature review in your interest area or discipline and read it to get an idea of the kinds of themes you could wish to search for in your research or means to arrange your final review. You may just put the “review” into your search field with other topic definitions to locate articles of this kind online or in any electronic database. The reference or bibliography section of sources that you have already read is perfect entry points to your research.
There are numerous books and articles on most branches of study. The narrower your theme, the easier it will be for you to restrict the amount of sources that you have to read to get a great survey of the material. Probably, your instructor will not anticipate you to read all about the topic, but you will make your work easier when you limit your scope.
Some disciplines need the use of current information. You should attempt to sort through some current bibliography or literature review in the area to obtain an idea of what your discipline needs.
