Tips on Writing a Dissertation Literature Review

The literature review appears near the start of your paper. Are you struggling with writing this aspect of your paper? What you are about to read will give you all that is required to make the best out of the dissertation literature review.

  • Research questions: There should be a basis for your paper. The starting point is to formulate the research question in your heart. Never make the mistake of starting without clearing the issue of the research question in your heart. 
  • Your Search: We are in the age of the internet. There are several sources online and around you that you can look up to get the materials that are required. Carry out extensive research into the materials that you are going to need for the successful execution of your paper.
  • The significance: Students make the mistake of dwelling too much on the content of the materials that they used in their research. The focus should be on the significant aspects that will add quality to your paper and value to the readers. 
  • Key Themes: There are key themes that you wanted to bring out of your paper. It will be best to identify, draw out, explain, and interpret these key themes that you are including in your paper.
  • The critical attitude: You must be sure of anything that will find its way into your literature review section. It should be scrutinized and dissected by you. The reasons for every argument and assumptions should be properly dissected and explained.
  • The findings: It is expected that you go further to seek more proofs aside from what you stated in your theme. This will bring out originality in your literature review and will make it stand out.
  • Your source: This is an academic paper; you are not expected to rely on social media for your inputs. Your source should be viable; it should be from reputable sources that can be trusted. 
  • Categorization: It will be of great value if you categorize all the reviewed materials. One of the useful ways to present your findings is to categorize your reviewed materials into sections. This is more useful for some controversies. 
  • Theory: There should be a clear explanation of the rationale of your findings. The position that you have come to in the literature review should be clearly explained.
  • Authority of the writer: How authoritative are you? Have you quoted your sources enough? The best efforts should be put in here to ensure that the best quality is included in your literature review section.

Final thought

The eleven tips above will help in resolving all the issues that you might be over getting the best out of the review section of your dissertation. When you put everything discussed above into considerations, you are going to achieve the best results in this section of your paper which will earn you the high grades that you never imagined.

#