Master the Literature Review Dissertation: Guide for Success

1. Define the Scope of Your Review

Before you begin writing, it’s essential to define the scope of your literature review. Consider the following questions:

• What is the focus of your research?
• What are the main themes and issues you aim to address?
• What is the timeline of research you are focusing on?

By establishing the boundaries of your review, you will ensure your work is relevant and comprehensive.

2. Research and Gather Sources

The next step is to gather academic sources that are relevant to your topic. These can include peer-reviewed journal articles, books, conference papers, and more. Make sure you select sources that are credible, recent, and peer-reviewed. The key here is quality over quantity. Utilize databases such as JSTOR, Google Scholar, or university libraries to find reliable and influential sources in your field.

3. Organize Your Sources

Once you have your sources, it’s time to organize them in a coherent manner. This could be by themes, methodologies, or chronological order. For instance, you could categorize sources based on whether they support or contradict your research hypothesis. Using citation management tools like EndNote or Zotero can help you organize your references effectively.

4. Writing the Literature Review Dissertation

The actual writing process can seem daunting, but it becomes manageable once you break it down. Here is a general structure for a dissertation literature review example:

• Introduction: This section introduces the purpose of the review and the key themes and questions that will be discussed.
• Main Body: This is where you analyze the existing literature, organize your sources logically, and critically assess each one. You will identify gaps in research, methodologies, and findings that align with your own research question.
• Conclusion: Summarize the key findings from the literature, identify research gaps, and explain how your dissertation will fill these gaps or address the challenges posed in the existing literature.

5. Be Critical in Your Evaluation

A common mistake when writing a literature review dissertation is to simply summarize studies without providing analysis. A good literature review must be critical, pointing out not only the strengths but also the limitations of each source. This shows that you have thought deeply about the research and helps establish the necessity for your study.

6. Cite Your Sources Properly

Correct citation is vital in any academic work. Follow your institution’s guidelines regarding citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.). Proper citation not only gives credit to the authors of your sources but also allows others to trace your references and verify your claims.