LITERATURE REVIEW SECTION

This section is part of the Legal Research,

Writing and Information Communication
Technology Module.
 LEARNING OUTCOMES

We should be able to

Summarise, synthesise and interpret information from different

sources.
Evaluate the scholarly works of others
Make logical and balanced arguments based on the review of
related literature
Present work in a concise, accurate and engaging manner, clearly
reporting the results of the research findings to a given audience.
 GENERIC SKILLS

The ability to investigate previous research and find out how researchers have dealt with a particular area of focus.
The ability to prepare work independently and to research tasks in depth.
The ability to think and write critically.
The ability to identify gaps in existing knowledge and establish what is worth doing.
The ability to summarise, paraphrase and synthesise a large body of work to produce a concise summary.
The ability to present work orally to a group of people.
Time management.
 WHAT IS LITERATURE REVIEW?


1. Literature Review is fundamentally an issue of summarizing and synthesizing ideas of other
researchers, scholars etc. A review combines both summary (recap, synopsis) and synthesis (mixture,
fusion, amalgamation) of information.

 2. Literature Review is a critical and in-depth evaluation of a previous research.

 3. Literature Review consists of reading the existing knowledge in the field you are researching on. The
goal should be to investigate the available information on a subject of choice and how other authors have
investigated the topic.

 4. Literature Review does not simply regurgitate (repeat, rehearse) quotes, citations, paraphrases from
other sources but it provides for the critical evaluation (valuation) of sources. Critical thinking and
problem-solving skills are embedded in LR and this stems from the fact that in the compilation of
information from various sources the researcher employs ‘detective work’ which allows him/her to pick
instances of bias, inconsistencies etc. in texts.
 CONTINUATION


5. When reviewing related literature there is need to read and elicit relevant points from what others
have written. The literature review should show that you have read and have a grasp of some key
research contributions concerning a particular topic in your field.

 6. Critical thinking and problem-solving skills are embedded in LR and this stems from the fact that in
the compilation of information from various sources the researcher employs ‘detective work’ which allows
him/her to pick instances of bias, inconsistencies etc. in texts. The researcher will also grapple with
theories, opinions, facts and faith-based issues which provides for distinctions that significantly speak to
‘problem’ identification and solving skills

 7. Literature Review does not entail presentation of a simple chronological catalogue of sources but an
evaluation and explanation of how the current paper connects to the research done by others.
 CONTINUATION
8. There should be some form of objectivity and provision of the researcher’s/writer’s voice. The

voice is discernible in comments, discussion achievable through various discourses e.g., be that
as it may, albeit, despite, inspite of, notwithstanding etc.

9 Chris Hart defines literature review as “the selection of available documents (both published
and unpublished) on the topic which contain information, ideas, data and evidence written from
a particular standpoint to fulfil certain aims or express certain views on the nature of the topic
and how it is to be investigated and the effective evaluation of these documents in relation to
the research being proposed.
 PURPOSE OF LITERATURE REVIEW
Bhatia and Srivastava (2013, 9) aver that:
 LR greatly assists in topic focusing.
 It is meant to set the foundation of for the research questions. It helps the researcher to understand the research problem
conceived in terms of historical background, theoretical framework, and current research developments or trends.
 Literature review introduces the researcher to the key concepts which form the basis of the study of a particular subject.
Each distinguished area of a subject has its own range of concepts which are used to express ideas. Understanding the
concepts used to discuss and investigate a subject is central to having a full understanding of the subject (Kumar, 2011).

 Literature review facilitates interpretation of one’s study results. The results can be discussed in terms of whether and how

they agree with the previous findings. One can describe the differences between his/her study and others providing

rationale for the discrepancies if the results are consistent (Gay et al 2006).

 The review of the literature provides the background and context for the research problem.

 It should establish the need for the research and indicate that the writer is knowledgeable about the area (Wiersma,

1995, p. 406).
 CONTINUE
 Literature Review helps the researcher to learn what aspects of the subject area have been examined by
others, what they have found out about these aspects what gaps they have identified as well as the
suggestions they have made for further research. It is the gap that the former researchers left that helps
one to identify an area of research to focus on. It shares with the reader the results of other studies that are
closely related to the study being reported (Fraenkel & Wallen, 1990).

 It “frames” the problem earlier identified.

 It relates a study to the larger, on-going dialogue in the literature about a topic, filling in gaps and extending prior
studies (Marshall & Rossman, 1989).

 It provides a framework for establishing the importance of the study, as well as a benchmark(basis) for comparing
the results of a study with other findings.

 Demonstrate to the reader that you have a comprehensive grasp of the field and are aware of important recent
substantive and methodological developments.
CONTINUATION

 Literature review helps the researcher to synthesise and gain a new

perspective.
 It establishes the context of a topic for problem.
 Literature review helps the researcher to discover important variables
that are relevant to a problem.
 TYPES OF LITERATURE REVIEWS

Literature reviews differ in terms of structure, length, amount and breath of content
included. They can range from a very narrow area of research of possibly a single
work to a comprehensive range which covers a large amount or range of works.

The variations from selective (narrow) to comprehensive (broad) perspectives can be

illustrated graphically as follows:
CONTINUATION
 PITFALLS.
Plagiarism

 The Concise English Dictionary defines plagiarism as “appropriation and giving out as one’s
own the writings, inventions and ideas of another”. The Collins Dictionary defines it as
“stealing ideas or passages from another’s work and present them as one’s own”. The Writing
Centre at Colorado State defines plagiarism as “Cheating”, and it varies “from submitting
someone else’s paper as your own to ‘borrowing’ a nice sounding phrase, to using a source
without citing it correctly, to ‘padding’ a bibliography by making up sources or including
sources you didn’t use in your research” (See “What is plagiarism?”, accessible at,
http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/sources/plagiarism/pop2.cfm ).
 Plagiarism occurs when one copies another student’s work.
 You may also have done the Copyright law and you have been acquainted to the idea of
infringement in one of the section of the course.
 CITED SOURCES.
 Bhatia, K. L. and S. C. (2013) Legal Method, Reasoning and Research Methodology. Delhi: Regal
Publications.

 Makins, M (1986) Collins Paperback English Dictionary, Glasgow: HarperCollins Publishers, rpt, 1999.

 Gay, L. R. Mills, G. E. & Airasion, P. W. (2009) Educational Research, Competencies for Analysis and
Applications. Pearson Education, Upper saddle river, NJ.

 Hayward, A. L, and Sparkes, J. J. (ed) (1962) The Concise English Dictionary. London. Omega Books, rpt
1987.

 Kumar, R. (2011) Research Methodology: A-Step-by-Step for Beginners. London: Sage publications.