Chapter 3: Critically Reviewing the Literature
This chapter is a comprehensive guide to one of the most crucial parts of your research project:
the literature review. It moves beyond simply finding and listing sources to show you how to engage
with them critically, synthesize ideas, and build a compelling argument that justifies your own
research.
3.1 Introduction
The literature review is more than just a summary; it's a critical analysis that forms the
foundation of your research. It's used in three key ways:
1. To generate and refine your initial research ideas (Chapter 2).
2. To provide the context and theoretical framework for your study (the focus of this chapter).
3. To discuss your findings in the context of existing knowledge later in your project.
A good review demonstrates your understanding of the field, its key debates, and how your
work contributes to it. It's a time-consuming but essential process.
3.2 Being ‘Critical’ and the Purposes and Forms of Review
Being ‘Critical’: This doesn't mean being negative. It means making reasoned judgements about the
value of the literature you read. It involves:
Critique of rhetoric: Using language effectively to argue your point.
Critique of tradition & authority: Questioning established wisdom and dominant views where
justified.
Critique of objectivity: Recognizing that knowledge is not value-free.
It requires you to be sceptical, to identify strengths and weaknesses, and to compare and
contrast different authors' ideas to form your own justified argument.
Purposes of a Critical Review: A literature review serves to:
* Provide historical background and contemporary context.
* Resolve conflicts in previous research.
* Discuss relevant theories and concepts.
* Define key terms.
* Justify why your research questions are significant and worth studying.
Forms of Critical Review: Your review can take different shapes depending on your research
question:
Integrative: The most common form; analyzes and synthesizes key ideas and relationships in the
literature.
Theoretical: Examines the body of theory on a topic.
Historical: Traces the evolution of ideas over time.
Methodological: Focuses on the methods used in previous research.
Argumentative: Selectively supports or refutes an established position.
Systematic: A comprehensive, pre-planned strategy to answer a specific question (see Section
3.9).
3.3 The Content and Structure of a Critical Review
Content: Your review should evaluate previous research, show relationships between findings, and
highlight key trends, omissions, and biases. It must include key theories, be up-to-date, and provide
accurate references.
Structure: Avoid the "supermarket list" approach (describing one author after another). Instead, use
a thematic approach, grouping literature by key themes or debates relevant to your research
question. Think of the review as a funnel:
1. Start with a broad overview of the topic.
2. Summarize key ideas and themes.
3. Compare and contrast the work of key authors on each theme.
4. Narrow down to highlight what is most relevant to your specific research.
5. Provide a detailed account of these key theories/findings.
6. Highlight the gaps your research will fill.
7. Lead the reader into the next section of your project.
3.4 Literature Sources
You will use two main types of literature:
White Literature: Formally published and peer-reviewed (e.g., academic journals, books).
Grey Literature: Not peer-reviewed (e.g., reports, theses, conference proceedings). Easier to find
digitally but must be evaluated carefully for credibility.
The most important sources are peer-reviewed academic journals. Other sources include
professional journals, books, news media, reports, and conference proceedings. Use your university's
library databases and single search interface to access them.
3.5 Planning Your Literature Search
A planned search saves time. Your strategy should include:
Parameters: Define the scope of your search (e.g., language, subject area, publication period, type
of literature).
Search Terms: These are the keywords that describe your research. Generate them using:
Discussion with tutors and peers.
Brainstorming
Initial reading of key articles and textbooks.
Relevance Trees: A hierarchical diagram that breaks your main question into themes and sub-
themes, helping to identify key search terms.
3.6 Conducting Your Literature Search
Use a variety of methods:
Tertiary Literature/Databases: Start with academic databases (e.g., Business Source Complete,
Google Scholar) rather than general search engines. Use Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) to
combine search terms effectively.
Snowballing: Check the reference lists of useful articles to find older, relevant sources ("going
backwards").
Browsing: Regularly check the tables of contents of key journals for the very latest publications.
Institutional Repositories & Social Networks: Sites like your university's repository, Academia.edu,
or ResearchGate can provide access to research, often for free.
Keep a precise record of every search you perform (terms used, databases, dates, number of
results).
3.7 Reading Critically and Evaluating the Literature
Critical Reading: Don't just passively absorb information. Engage with the text by:
Previewing the item first.
Annotating and making notes in the margins.
Summarizing and analyzing the arguments in your own words.
Asking critical questions: Why am I reading this? What is the author trying to do? How convincing
is their argument?
Evaluating Literature: Assess each source for:
Relevance: How closely does it relate to your research question?
Credibility: Is it from a reputable, peer-reviewed source? Is the methodology sound? Could there
be bias?
Sufficiency: Have you read enough? You know you have when new searches mainly find sources
you've already read and you can confidently discuss the key debates in your field.
3.8 Note-Taking and Referencing
Note-Taking: Don't just highlight text. Make notes that focus on how the source contributes to your
research. Always note down the page number for direct quotes to avoid plagiarism.
Referencing: From the very beginning, use software like Zotero, Mendeley, or EndNote to
meticulously record:
Bibliographic details (author, date, title, etc.) for everything you read.
A brief summary of the content.
Supplementary information (e.g., your own evaluative comments, quotes, DOI).
This will save you an enormous amount of time when writing your reference list.
3.9 Using Systematic Review
A systematic review is a highly rigorous method used to answer specific, often practice-
focused, questions. It involves a strict, replicable process:
1. Defining a clear review question (often using the CIMO framework: Context, Intervention,
Mechanisms, Outcomes).
2. Conducting a comprehensive search to find all relevant studies.
3. Selecting and evaluating studies using pre-defined criteria.
4. Analyzing and synthesizing the findings from the selected studies.
5. Reporting the results transparently, often using a flow diagram to show how studies were selected.
It is very time-consuming and is not the standard approach for most student projects.
3.10 Drafting Your Critical Review
Start writing early. Use a Thematic Analysis Grid to organize your notes:
* List articles in rows (in date order).
* Use themes as columns.
* Make notes in each cell about what each article says on each theme.
This visual tool helps you identify patterns, consensus, contradictions, and gaps in the
literature, providing a clear structure for your written review. Ensure your draft has a logical flow, uses
subheadings, and clearly links back to your research objectives.
3.11 A Note About Plagiarism
Plagiarism is presenting someone else's work or ideas as your own without full
acknowledgement. It is a serious academic offense with severe consequences. It includes:
* Copying text directly without quotation marks and a citation.
* Paraphrasing too closely to the original source.
* Submitting work written by someone else (e.g., from an essay mill).
* Self-plagiarism: Submitting work you have already submitted for another assessment.
Always err on the side of caution and cite your sources. Your university has resources and
software (like Turnitin) to help you understand and avoid plagiarism.
3.12 Summary
* The literature review is a critical analysis, not a descriptive list.
* It sets your research in context and justifies your project.
* Plan your search strategy carefully using parameters and search terms.
* Use academic databases and a variety of search techniques.
* Read critically and evaluate each source for relevance and credibility.
* Take systematic notes and use reference management software.
* Structure your review thematically, like a funnel, leading to your research.
* Avoid plagiarism at all costs by meticulously acknowledging all sources.
