Literature Review

1. Review of Literature
DR. SHIVAJI VISHWAS SHINDE
Department of Accountancy
D.A.V.Velankar College of
Commerce, Solapur.

2. Review of Literature

Some concerns about literature review

Meaning,Scope and Nature of Literature Review

Purposes of Literature Review

3. The questions/concerns that research
students raise about literature review

Literature is not avialable in the area of research
interest(what to do?).

So much literature is available, how to review all?

How many studies to review?

Whether to review direct studies only or indirect studies
can also be reviewed?

Is there a time line cut off for inclusion of studies in the
review?

Where to find the literature?

4. The questions that are not asked by
research students about literature review

In what way literature review is different from annotated
bibliography?

Why literature review is done?

When to do review of literature?

How to review literature?

Where to use literature review?

How to present/organise literature review?

5. What research students need to know
about literature review?
Where to find literature?
(Searching)
How to review it?
(Reviewing)
Where to place it in the thesis?
(Using)

6. What is literature review?

Literature review is not summarizing the studies and
reporting them neutrally.

It underscore three important aspects: analysis,
evalaution and synthesis
Literature Review
Analysis:focusing
on contents of the study
Evaluation: focusing
on critical reading of
the study
Synthesis:focusing
on relating reviews to
the study in hand.

7. Methods of Writing Review of Literature:
Basically,there are three broad styles of writing review of
literature in research report:
Review of literature as separate section: This is mostly
adopted in the quantitative research. The purpose of
having it as a separate section is to (a) have rigours
theoretical explorations to build up the perspective of
the research study in hand (b) evolve a conceptual
mapping/framework of the study in hand and (c)
formulate research questions, hypotheses for the study
in hand
Review of literature at the end of the study: This is mostly
followed in the qualitative research such as studies

8. Purposes of Literature review:
Intellectual aspects literature review:
• It provides background and context to the study in hand
• It provides the theoretical perspective and conceptual
map of the study in hand
• It helps to identify the gaps in the exisiting literature
• It helps to formulate research questions/hypotheses
• It facilitates the comparision of the findings of the study in
hand with other studies and hence enhances the validity
of the findings

9. Pragmatic aspects of the literature review:
• It provides rationale/justification for the study in
hand(Helps researcher to know whether the study is out
dated, over researched)
• It provides operationalization concepts and variables
• It provides scales (such as psychometric scales) to collect
data
• It provides insights about strengths and weaknesses of
different studies and thereby act as measure of quality
control

10. Some considerations in writing review of
literature:
• Usally written as second chapter – happens to be one of
the longest chapters in the thesis.
• Primarily concerned with the writings connected with the
main subject matter of the research study and does not
concern the literature connected with research
methodology. The review of methodology can be discussed
in the methodology chapter.
• Review is not the detailed analysis and discussion of book
or a research article (it is neither like book review nor like
review article)
• It should have a structure and order: (a) Chronological (b)
Source of literature – books,articles, web material etc., (c)
thematic order – history/orgin, conceptual issues, different
aspects; main debates etc.,

11. Basic Reading List:
• Doing Research in the Real World – by David E.Gray
• A student's guide to Methodology – by Peter Clough and
Cathy Nutbrown
• Writing Your Thesis – by Paul Oliver