When it comes to English Literature, there's no end to the topics that you can research on that novel or other piece that you've been reading. Were the results effectively interpreted and reported? The topic should bring out your understanding of the world and of people. Your professor will probably not expect you to read everything that's available about the topic, but you'll make your job easier if you first limit scope of the research problem. The secret is to look for a topic that is best to increase both your understanding of life and those of your readers. Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social Science Research Imagination. Don't be afraid of setbacks or having to start over.
Like the forlorn tin man from The Wizard of Oz, Rufus' statement argues that Sheppard is just as hollow as that empty, heartless shell of a man, regardless of his outwardly good deeds. Methodological A methodological approach focuses on the methods utilized by the researcher. Types of Literature Reviews Argumentative Review This form examines literature selectively in order to support or refute an argument, deeply imbedded assumption, or philosophical problem already established in the literature. Challenging the literal paradigm of light and darkness, O'Connor weaves together well crafted characterization, cryptic dialogue, and both biblical and literary allusion in this paradoxical plot and, by way of Sheppard and the antithetical Rufus, blends the black and white of Christian dogma into an ironic grey. You need to give a summary of the observations and interpretations.
Roughly how many sources should I include? Analyze instead of reporting Your literature review should not just cover a collection of studies. If your research program is well constructed, a less-than-perfect literature review will not affect the results. Conducting Research Literature Reviews: From the Internet to Paper. In other words, a chronological review would have subsections for each vital time period; a thematic review would have subtopics based upon factors that relate to the theme or issue. It was found that physical structures, such as standardized furniture, heating that could not be individually regulated, and no possession of a house key for residents limited their feelings of independence. We also looked at literary techniques such as psychological realism and the differing roles of men and women in the formation of this most popular form of writing.
Should I summarize, synthesize, or critique sources by discussing a common theme or issue? Overall, the paper summarizes the current state of knowledge of the topic. When you write your review, you should address these relationships and different categories and discuss relevant studies using this as a framework. . Narrow the Topic The narrower your topic, the easier it will be to limit the number of sources you need to read in order to obtain a good survey of relevant resources. Tip: as you skim the articles, you may want to record the notes that you take on each directly into RefWorks in the box for User 1.
Here again, if the same authors are being cited again and again, this may indicate no new literature has been written on the topic. In the case of a literature review, you are really creating a new forest, which you will build by using the trees you found in the literature you read. It may provide background or history. Conducting a Literature Review Evaluating the credibility of sources is one of the most difficult aspects of a literature review, especially with the ease of finding information on the internet. Have no fear; although it is time consuming and stressful work, it is possible to turn all that work into something fun, as long as you choose the right topic in English literature to write about. Make the next step by detachedly evaluating them.
Good research should have been replicated by other independent researchers, with similar results, showing that the information is fairly safe to use. Research topics on English Literature initially start off broad and then narrow down and you come up with your thesis. Literature review gives you the chance to learn more about the topic you are exploring. Try to narrow it to a specific area of interest within the broad area that you have chosen remember: this is merely an introductory literature review for Educ 7001. Jones and Johnstone make the claim that the need to control one's environment is a fundamental need of life 2001 , and suggest that the approach of most institutions, which is to provide total care, may be as bad as no care at all.
University of North Carolina; Onwuegbuzie, Anthony J. Explain how your evidence supports the conclusion you draw from it, if that is not self-evident. Nine Steps To Writing A Literature Review 1. You can also do this using a Word Processor, or a concept mapping program like Inspiration , a data base program e. Sometimes you may need to quote certain terminology that was coined by the author, not common knowledge, or taken directly from the study.
Don't write a thesis that puts off getting to the main point. If the review is preliminary to your own thesis or research project, its purpose is to make an argument that will justify your proposed research. The advantage of using Excel is that it enables you to sort your findings according to a variety of factors e. Create an outline on how the ideas should flow in the entire literature review and make sure to also take note of the sources and the authors. For sometime now, I hardly read, just scan, but this one I did. Now you have to develop the argument in an intelligible way.
Note however that more authentic thematic reviews tend to break away from chronological order. Is he using other studies or is he offering his own approach? Thus, your readers will have a sense of familiarity examining the body of the article, which opens their reading appetite. Next to each point, make a note of where textual evidence for it can be found. Think if you can approach the topic in another perspective. Often this form is used to help establish a lack of appropriate theories or reveal that current theories are inadequate for explaining new or emerging research problems. If you noticed that there was a lot of religious references and ideas in the novel, maybe you'd be curious to know the author's biography and see how that plays a significant role in the piece. You can also enter references manually into RefWorks if you need to.
It is important to really understand what you are reading. What exactly does this mean? As you write your paper, you also get yourself entertained. Systematic Reviews in the Social Sciences: A Practical Guide. Be Selective Select only the most important points in each source to highlight in the review. It is not merely a report on some references you found. Introduction State your subject right away; don't begin with generalities.