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Tips For Research || Writing a literature review

Written By Kanwal Jabeen on Tuesday, January 17, 2023 | January 17, 2023

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Citation styles

Information prominent citation

  Example:

For viscoelastic fluids, the behaviour of the time-dependent stresses in the transient shear flows is also very important (Boger et al., 1974).

Author prominent citation

  Examples:

Close (1983) developed a simplified theory using an analogy between heat and mass transfer and the equivalent heat transfer only case.

Several authors have suggested that automated testing should be more readily accepted (Balcer, 1989; Stahl, 1989; Carver & Tai, 1991).


Active or passive voice

  • You should use, where appropriate, both active and passive voice
  • As a general rule, use active voice unless there is a good reason not to 

Reporting verbs

    • Argue                                    
    • Assert
    • Assume
    • Challenge
    • Claim
    • Content
    • Contradict
    • Describe
    • Dispute
    • Emphasize
    • Establish
    • Examine
    • Find
    • Maintain 
    • Note 
    • Object 
    • Observe 
    • Persuade 
    • Propose
    • Prove
    • Purport
    • Recommend
    • Refute
    • Reject
    • Remark
    • Suggest
    • Support

Verb tenses – Present

  • A statement about what the thesis, chapter, or section does

Examples:

This thesis presents a report of an investigation into …….

This chapter thus provides a basis for the next.

In this section, the results from the first set of experiments are reported.

  • A statement of generally accepted scientific fact

Examples:

There are three factors that control the concentration of aluminum in seawater.

The finite rate coefficients have an effect on heat transfer through a horizontal porous layer.

  • A review of current research work, or research work of immediate relevance to your study.

Example:

Schulze (2002) concludes that hydraulic rate has a significant effect on future performance.

  • Comments, explanations, and evaluative statements made by you when you are reviewing previous studies.

Examples:

As a result, in the real world, where projects are typically large and activities from one stage may be carried out in parallel with activities from another stage, this sequential approach is impractical.

The reason for this anomalous result is that the tests were done at low hydraulic rates at which the plastic packing was not completely wetted. 


Verb tenses – Past

  • Report the contents, findings, or conclusions of past research

Examples:

Haberfield (1998) showed that the velocity of many enzyme reactions was slowed down if the end product had increased paramagnetism.

Allington (1999) found that temperatures varied significantly over time. 

Verb tenses – Present perfect

  • In citations where the focus is on the research area of several authors

Examples:

Several studies have provided support for the suggestion that the amount of phonological recoding that is carried out depends on orthographic depth (Frost, 1994; Smart et al, 1997; Katz & Feldman, 2001, 2002).

Joint roughness has been characterized by a number of authors (Renger, 1990; Feker & Rengers, 1997; Wu & Ali, 2000).

  • To generalize about the extent of the previous research

Examples:

Many studies have been conducted in this field.

Few researchers have examined this technique.

There has been extensive research into......... 

The Writing Process

  • Rough Draft
  • Final Draft
  • Edit
  • Edit Again

Show others

Have someone else look at your literature review for
  • Clarity:

 Can they understand what you're trying to say?

  • Flow:

 Does the organization make sense?

  • Completeness: 

Are there areas left out?

Questions left unanswered?

Statements without citations?

Gap Analysis

 It sets a direction for you.

It shows your standing in the existing work.

 

 Also Read: Tips For Research || Critical Reading || Critique

 

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