Table of Contents
A literature review is rightfully considered the most important section of a research paper. The critical process of the literature review entails the need for comprehensive research. A literature review is the part of the paper that is developed first. It indicates the opinions of the researcher based on the previous studies. This article by Affordable Dissertation UK discusses 10 mistakes that can cost you marks while writing a literature review.
Clarity:
The main idea behind the research is vital. While writing a literature review, most researcher lacks a solid idea. A researcher must bring clarity to the main idea of the research. It entails a catalogue of previous studies on a particular subject. So, the researcher should think about how the current study will become an essential part. The role of the current study for the existing knowledge system should be determined ahead. So, the researcher should bring clarity to its ideas before starting to write a literature review. Once the research question is clear in the mind of the researcher, it can be helpful.
Research Needs:
It is always important to determine the need for research for you. For this, the researcher should be familiar with the idea very well. The main theme of the literature review must depict the need for research. Your research must identify the key issue which requires attention. It should mention the studies which have identified the need. The need for research should be promising and relevant to the literature review.
Structure:
Another important aspect of the literature review is the structure. it should be a well-structured literature review. Besides, a clear structure depicts the perception behind the idea. It improves the subjective perception of work as well. Sometimes, students don’t focus on the chronological order of the studies. Thus, choosing the correct form of presentation can be crucial (Hayward, 2017).
Also Read This: What is a Systematic Literature Review?
Writing Style:
The writing style of literature is vital. A literature review involves all the studies that performed the research on related fields. It is, therefore, important to choose the correct writing style. With an incorrect writing style, the message of the literature review does not come across. It is the identification of issues by other studies as well. So, it deserves to have a writing style that can justify the need. It is a scientific work; therefore, it should be written in that style. Using colloquial words in the review can cost you significantly.
Topic Related:
A review should be able to relate to the topic of research. A good literature review should provide relevant and accurate information. It should correspond to the topic of research. It should be able to convey an in-depth and complete idea of the study topic. Relevance of the content is important for a teacher. Supervisors prefer this part of the research to be comprehensive. Lack of providing relevant content can reduce the quality of the literature review. Hence, it can cost the researcher some marks for the irrelevancy of material.
Gathering Data:
As the researcher develops an idea, it looks forward to gathering existing knowledge on the topic. For each study, the supervisor or the university decides on the volume of literature. Though, a student must get an idea about the literature review from its supervisor. This issue requires the student to discuss it with the supervisor. So, there is no ambiguity about the volume and length of the literature. It will not only cost the student some marks. Also, it can be difficult to revise later (BM. 2020).
In-Text Citations:
It is about cataloguing the existing knowledge on a particular topic. A researcher cannot forget about the due credits. It means that the research studies which are included in the review should be acknowledged. Thus, in a review, in-text citations are important. The format of in-text citation should be discussed with the supervisor beforehand. It can cost a student a severe penalty. Incorrect formatting of in-text citations is not taken lightly in the research.
Bibliography:
As much as the in-text citation is important, the bibliography is vital as well. When a teacher evaluates your piece of research, he usually pays attention to this. Many students do not consider it essential. Therefore, they do not give attention to the list of references. Bibliography allows the teachers to get informed about several aspects.
Submission:
Once the literature review is complete, you should pay attention to its submission. Untimely submission of work can cost marks without any valid reason. As teachers usually have more than one piece of work to consider, the timing is important to them.
Understanding with Supervisor:
Getting to know the requirements of the supervisor is important. As the supervisor is responsible to evaluate your literature review, try to get an idea about the standard of supervisor as early as possible. It will avoid any situation with the supervisor. The content of the literature should be to the supervisor’s satisfaction.
The mistakes which are highlighted in this article are common to students. However, these mistakes can be easily avoided. It should be paid enough attention so that it can satisfy the supervisor. Once a good literature review is set up, it helps in setting up the rest of the research study. Thus, a student must be well-aware of the official requirements of their piece of work in terms of formatting and content.
