Everything You Need to Know About Writing A Literature Review

Before you start off with the literature review that you have been assigned, remember that there is appreciable polarity between an academic paper and a literature review. The standard formulaic line of action that you are used to following might not work for this one. You may feel pushed outside your comfort zone because writing a literature review can feel arduous, especially for a freshman. However, with a little bit of extra deliberation, research, and some literature review assignment help, you can ace that review and your program with top grades.

It is often said in literary circles that a piece of literature never has just one meaning. There can be wide connotations of literature. Literary works can have markedly different deductions depending upon the critics or commentators reviewing it. Different critics can add varying perspectives. Thus a literary review is a critical evaluation of the literature in the light of the central idea that it puts forth as well as the explanations that it provides of the discipline in question. Further on in this blog, we shall discuss how a literary review delves into the merits and demerits of scholarly works of literature. At My Assignment Services, we can provide the students with a complete guide on how to write a literature review outline that can help them secure their desired grades.

What is a literature review?

Although in essence, a literature review is not very different from a dissertation, the two forms of research writing attempt to address different ideas. Whereas a dissertation is an intent evaluation of all aspects of a discipline, a literature review is a critical commentary on the gaps in the literary recitals in any scholarly work.

In a literature review, a scholar is expected to perform painstaking research to understand the meaning and scope of the subject that his topic falls within the purview of. Gaining an advanced knowledge of the central subject will put the reviewer in a better position to understand and identify the literary crevices. 

A literature review is a detailed critique of a piece of scholarly writing. It is written from a very personal frame of reference and thus the writer of a literature review is expected to ardently engage with the literature.

Difference between a dissertation and a literature review

Whereas in a dissertation, a reviewer takes up the task of conducting research to aid to his understanding about a literary topic, in case of a literature review, the reviewer performs research and fact-finding only to be able to identify literary crevices or gaps in the literary recitals. 

A literature review, therefore, takes a critical approach to assessing a scholarly piece of work.

A literature review is also a much more opinionated piece of writing. A dissertation strives to present a balanced equilibrium of opinions and varying schools of thought. A literature review, on the other hand, goes on to highlight the shortcomings of the text, composition, style of writing, expression, prose and meaning.

The biggest difference between a literature review and an academic paper or a research paper is that a research paper strives to corroborate the essential argument with new facts and statements whereas a literature review simply provides a critical perspective of the work in question.

Scope and application

A literature review may entail a thoroughgoing explanation of the central subject in question. Additionally, it may also put forth the fault lines in a research paper or scholarly work.

A research paper may also be written to comment on the developments in any academic, scholarly, scientific, artistic, creative or intellectual domain.

In fact, literature reviews also find application in academic papers, dissertations and research papers. Since a literature review provides a critical assessment on a subject, it is also written to provide a unique frame of reference in a dissertation. 

How to write an impressive literature review?

To be able to write an impressive and noteworthy literature review, the student must attain a nuanced comprehension of a subject. Your grading faculty will mark your paper on the basis of the depth of your analysis and the clarity of your expression. 

The arguments that you choose to present must sharp, concise and succinct. There is no scope for ambiguity in a literature review. A student must write with conviction or the arguments will fail to create a persuasive pitch for the focal point that you wish to put forth.

Here’s a step by step method of writing a profound literature review:

1. Collation: Start by collating a list of sources that you have referred for your study. Research is the predominant aspect of a literature review. The students have to take a conscious approach to fact-finding. They have to find the facts that help them corroborate or negate an opinion that they want to put forth.

2. Identify the literary crevices: Understanding the pitfalls in the rationale of literature is not easy. It requires the students to read and re-read the literature until they attain complete knowledge of it. 

3. High brow sources of knowledge: The student must ensure that he has drawn the inference from high brow pieces of writing rather than random internet pages.  The student must read from books, research papers, journals and the works of reputable scholars.

4. Adherence to guidelines: The students must comply with the guidelines that they have been provided by their universities. Taking care of the Harvard or APA style of writing and other specifications are important if you want to ace your program.

5. Take the help of a mentor: It may be wise and sensible to get the feedback of a mentor, senior or professor before your final submission. Getting the opinion of another person can be fruitful. It can help you review your work from a truly distinct focal point. 

Focus on your strengths and start working a few weeks in advance and there should be no reason why you won’t score that top grade. If you need some dissertation literature review help, then do contact us by filling up the form with your query. One of our customer care representatives will reach out to you in the shortest time.