How to conduct a literature review for a thesis
A literature review isn't a series of book summaries, but it's about showing what's known about the problem, where the authors agree, what's different, and what hasn't been explained yet, so it requires a search plan and a synthesis, not just gathering multiple PDFs.
Key information
- ✓Make a review question and a list of keywords.
- ✓Write down the search method and source selection criteria.
- ✓Compare results, methods and publication restrictions.
- ✓Finish the synthesis by pointing to a gap relevant to your work.
Define the scope of the review
Identify the problem, the time frame, the geographic area, the language of the publication, and the types of sources. Too wide a question leads to random selection, and too narrow a question may miss an important context.
Search and selection of sources
Create a set of synonyms in Polish and English, combining them with logical operators. After the first selection of titles and abstracts, read the full text and note down the reason for including or rejecting the publication. Avoid relying on the search results on the first page of the search engine.
Table of literary analysis
For each source, write down the purpose, the test, the method, the most important results, the limitations and the relationship to your subject.
From description to synthesis
Group your publications by problems, approaches, or results, not by authors' names. Show similarities, discrepancies, and possible causes of differences in each section. The last part of the review should lead directly to the goal and questions of your own research.
Summary
An honest review leads from a well-defined question to a well-documented search to a critical synthesis, so that the theoretical part justifies its own investigation rather than remaining a loose catalogue of definitions.
Frequently asked questions
Is Google Scholar enough to search the literature?
It may be a good place to start, but it is also worthwhile to use the databases available in the university library and to check the bibliographies of valuable publications.
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