A few small issues research methodology, clearly state the research philosophy, approach and method. https://onion.derby.ac.uk/ With the roadmap, identify the chapters by number. OK, lets move ahead – A literature review typically outlines all the previous studies that have discussed aspects of the dissertation project. It places particular attention on those accounts that are the most significant and/or relevant to your chosen topic. Why do I need a literature review? When readers come to your dissertation they will not just assume that your research or analysis is a good idea; they will want to be persuaded that it is relevant and that it was worth doing. They will ask questions such as: What research question(s) are you asking? Why are you asking it/them? Has anyone else done anything similar? Is your research relevant to research/practice/theory in your field? What is already known or understood about this topic? How might your research add to this understanding, or challenge existing theories and beliefs? These are questions that you will already probably be asking yourself! A theoretical framework often features as an early section in a dissertation. In a theoretical framework you would include an outline of existing theories which are closely related to your research topic. You should make clear how your research relates to existing theories. Who are regarded as the key theorists in the field on the central issues involved? You should find some names coming up repeatedly. Justify your choices. If you can’t identify key theorists this suggests that your topic lacks theoretical interest. What are the key debates and what arguments and evidence have the key theorists put forward? What questions remain unresolved? How are ‘research questions’ in the field framed? How does your own research relate to such framings? You should make your own theoretical assumptions and allegiances as explicit as possible. Structure As with any piece of extended writing, structure is crucial. There is usually not one right way to do this, but examples of ways you might structure your literature review are: chronologically; although be careful not just to list items; you need to write critically, not just descriptively; by theme; this is useful if there are several strands within your topic that can logically be considered separately before being brought together; by sector e.g.: political background, practice background, methodological background, geographical background, literary background; by development of ideas; this could be useful if there are identifiable stages of idea development that can be looked at in turn; by some combination of the above, or by another structure you create. There are many possible structures, and you need to establish one that will best fit the story you are telling of the reason for your study. Once you have established your structure you need to outline it for your reader. The ‘critical’ review The use of the term critical is not usually meant to suggest that you should focus on criticising the work of established researchers. It is primarily meant to indicate that: the review should not be merely a descriptive list of a number of research projects related to the topic; you are capable of thinking critically and with insight about the issues raised by previous research. What is a literature review for? The review can serve many functions, some of which are as follows: ? to indicate what researchers in the field already know about the topic; ? to indicate what those in the field do not yet know about the topic – the ‘gaps’; ? to indicate major questions in the topic area; ? to provide background information for the non-specialist reader seeking to gain an overview of the field; ? to demonstrate your grasp of the topic. Well done. Lets make sure that this is clear and focussed, at the end of the chapter please include a critical reflection of the findings of the chapter set against the aim and the objectives of the study. This shows that you have isolated the gaps and that you are collecting the correct data. It also helps in a discussion you will need at the conclusion to the full dissertation where you show whether or not you have achieved the objectives (and as they support the achievement of the aim the aim itself).
