How Do You Make the Small Numbers Appear in a Literature Review

The Purpose of a Literature Review

The fundamental to whatsoever research study is the research question itself. A poorly written question that is too wide will generate questionable hypotheses, and if your supervisor fails to take hold of information technology in fourth dimension, even more than questionable results. Developing the right question requires a rock solid literature review that establishes your expertise as having been so immersed in the topic that you lot can rightfully vouch for the need for this enquiry question to exist asked.

That all sounds not bad on paper, but as the volume of bookish inquiry being published continues to rising year-on-twelvemonth, the amount of searching that needs to be achieved finer to establish your expertise too increases. This, in turn, raises the question as to how much is enough?

Most supervisors volition tell you that quality is measured in terms of relevance to your topic, and that your choice should always exist quality over quantity. However, that guidance, valuable though it may be, however leaves you with the question equally to how much relevant fabric is enough?

Chasing a Moving Target

Virtually researchers struggling to survive in the center of a literature review tend to worry more about the currency of their data more than than the quantity of information technology. They become paranoid at the prospect of missing the latest paper or opinion piece that an examiner will spring on them at their oral defenses and destroy their academic careers in 1 roughshod swoop.

That'due south a valid, albeit a little emotional, business organization and tin be hands managed through a well-planned selection of RSS feeds and journal alerts based on advisable keywords. What should have more thought and careful planning is developing the depth and breadth of your review—how broad, how deep (as in detailed), and how far back should you be looking?

The Importance of Structure

Many of the variables are going to be topic specific, but information technology will autumn to you lot, your supervisor, and the help of an academic librarian who, hopefully, has some noesis of your field, to establish those limits. Information technology helps to call up in terms of the manageable library of data that you are advisedly building, as opposed to the vast body of water of data in which it will probably feel like you're drowning. At that place are some uncomplicated rules that tin can be practical:

In academia, the size of the study is expected to correlate with the bachelor resource. If you are a Ph.D. candidate pursuing a solo written report, y'all are non expected to deliver the workload of an entire team of researchers.
The breadth and depth of your literature review are connected. If you cull a relatively new surface area that has a limited history, you will be expected to "deep swoop" in what has been published. If you lot choose to claiming or aggrandize upon a well-established theory, you'll have to go dorsum to the point of origin and perhaps even further.
Every theory or question has opposing arguments—each of those opposing positions will need to be clearly delineated.
The chronology of your review will lead upwardly to the justification for your inquiry question. At that place shouldn't exist any gaps or leaps in that chronology.

Sink or Swim on Search

The quality of your review will sink or swim on the efficacy with which y'all select your search keywords. Too many and you'll be buried under results for months. Too few and yous'll run the take a chance of missing a classic paper, a relevant theory, or the latest groundbreaking paper on the topic.

It'south never a good idea to build the list quickly or on your own. Look at other dissertations for their keywords, and accomplish out to colleagues, departmental kinesthesia, your supervisor, and several librarians (even if they work at other institutions). Your level of confidence in your search strings will contribute significantly to the gut reaction y'all will feel that y'all take "enough."