How to write a good literature review?
A lit. review is not a summary. It's a conversation w/ other scholars. It's an unfinished product & you should never fall in love w/ it. Valuable lessons from @sergioverdugor @ielawschool #iconswritingschool. A 🧵 (I)
A lit. review is not a summary. It's a conversation w/ other scholars. It's an unfinished product & you should never fall in love w/ it. Valuable lessons from @sergioverdugor @ielawschool #iconswritingschool. A 🧵 (I)
(II) When writing the literature review of an article, never copy paste it from your PhD thesis. Don't summarize it or recycle it to fit a new article. Each article is a new scholarly engagement and the literature review is a conversation between you & other scholars.
(III) The lit review--its extension, content, and limits--are defined by the research question of yr article. If you find yourself struggling w/ the length of the lit. review, perhaps you should revisit your research question. It may be too broad.
(IV) When drafting a lit. review, you should identify the leading voices in the field, identify the gaps in the literature, and identify your own contribution to scholarship. Don't think short-term. What would you like to be your contribution in the long run?
(V) Check other lit. reviews from peer-reviewed journals. Don't copy them but use them as starting points or to double check the quality of your lit. review. You should tailor your lit review to your aimed contribution.
(VI) A lit review is not about primary sources. It is an engagement with secondary sources. You may include it in the introd or a separate section.
(VII) A literature review is work in progress. Don't fall in love w/ it. Remain critical. Add nuances. Allow it to change if the conversation has changed in the meantime.
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