How to Write a Literature Review for a Dissertation

How to Write a Literature Review for a Dissertation

Undergraduates necessitate referring to scholarly articles, study materials, scientific publications in their academic papers. They have to explore many different sources and pick the best ones that deliver the most relevant data to fulfill a research topic.  Composing a dissertation, learners are obliged to specify all the materials used for their investigation and know when to use APA or MLA formatting style. The purpose of a literature review is to present the writer's proficiency in a topic. In addition, it showcases that a student can find the required sources, evaluate them, and conduct a comprehensive analysis. 

Therefore, undergraduates need to overview the sources used for analysis briefly. Besides, they need to note the importance of the picked publications for finding answers to an investigation question. Even though it seems like a simple task that doesn't need any particular skills, a lot of students face issues trying to get this part of the dissertation completed. If you're one of them, there is nothing to be worried about. Below, you will find a comprehensive guide on writing a literature review for a dissertation fast.

Form a Problem and Collect Information

Indeed, a dissertation should be based on data from credible sources. Therefore, you have to hunt for materials that will help you. For starters, you ought to generate a straightforward research question not to waste your time and find the most reliable data fast.

After this, start looking for the publications that will be helpful in finding outcomes and supporting your arguments. If you're not good at finding appropriate references, feel free to start by creating a list of keywords that reflect your topic. They will help you find the best publications fast. It's recommended to use databases with scholarly materials and search engines for students. The most popular are the following:

  • Google Scholar;
  • ResearchGate;
  • Semantic Scholar;
  • Microsoft Academic;
  • Refseek.

Analyze and Evaluate Gathered Sources

After gathering a list of research materials, you need to take a deep dive and immerse yourself in the literature. This step may require a sustainable amount of time. Therefore, it would be better to get rid of distractions to explore and grasp the data fast. It's also not recommended to multitask.

For starters, you need to evaluate every source from your list. Feel free to set particular criteria and make sure that they match them. You have to verify that the source used is credible. They should be written by reputable authors and published not more than ten years ago. Research articles, scholarly publications, and government websites can be good sources of reliable data. However, according to the best dissertation literature review help guidance, it's recommended to avoid referring to blog articles on the Internet in your research.

A good dissertation doesn't merely restate facts that other researchers have already discovered. Instead, analyzing your sources, you have to find the gaps in the materials to discover unanswered questions. Then, using the information from the gathered data, you will be obliged to form outcomes that will benefit the industry.

Outline Your Literature Review Dissertation

It's vital to produce a comprehensive plan on paper or in a document on your computer if you want to make your sources review well-structured. Even if you have a stunning memory and can keep a lot of data in your head, you should create a physical plan for this section. Note, there is no need to follow your outline strictly, composing a dissertation. 

Notwithstanding, it will help you not write a story that has nothing in common with your dissertation subject. A good outline will assist you in keeping the understandable flow of your paper. The plan should consist of three major parts: the introduction, the body section, and the conclusion. Besides, you will be required to arrange all the materials in the body to present the publications professionally.

Start Writing a Literature Review for a Dissertation

After performing all the crucial stages, you have to start composing a review. Note, it affects the grade you will receive significantly. Therefore, it's vital to be attentive to every detail. Also, it's recommended to discover how to write a literature review for a dissertation in advance if you don't have comprehensive writing experience. 

Don't be shy about updating the developed structure of your review if you consider that it needs improvements. Begin by writing the introduction, which is the simplest part of this academic task. It has to be clear and brief. It would help if you focused the attention of readers on the research question, writing the introduction. Eventually, you need to help readers understand what they have to expect, exploring the body paragraph. Also, you can share the purpose of your research and let readers know your standpoint.

The body paragraph is the main section that needs you to present the sources used for research by summarizing them. Note, it's also needed to evaluate the used materials by highlighting their strengths and weaknesses. It will showcase your analytical skills. Also, feel free to help readers understand the information provided in picked sources. You can rephrase and interpret the meaning of complicated terms and briefly describe the outcomes achieved by other researchers. Also, you have to group the material used for research. You can arrange them in chronological order, by theme, or according to your methodology used. 

In the end, you need to write the conclusion. It is the final chapter that has to clear any misunderstandings. Then, finally, you have to recap all your findings and write them using simple language so that readers will grasp all the key points of your literature review.