A literature review examines academic and scholarly writings. These writings include essays, articles and books on a particular topic of interest. The areas of interest include research, theories and events. The person developing the literature review can also reference conferences and dissertations conducted by a professional in the subject area.
Each review document is organized to serve as an overview of important writings and speeches that have been published on a particular subject. The document contains a description of the work that is being reviewed, a summary of the work and a critical assessment of the work (or works) being reviewed. There are four stages in developing a literature review. First of all, the researcher needs to decide which topic will be the area of interest in the document. The topic can be a targeted subject like the use of sensory integration in the treatment of autism. The topic can also be a field as well. For example, autism spectrum disorders would be the field of interest.
Research comes next. This will involve finding relevant information about the area of interest. Once you have collected enough sources, you want to evaluate those sources. This is the third step in the development of the document. This third step involves narrowing down the literature you use. The most useful and informative information will come forward and the less useful items can be moved aside.
The fourth step to the initial development of the literature review involves your interpretation of the information. You need to use your analytical skills and your ability to discuss theories and ideas in a coherent manner. It also requires the writer to convey information that is clear, concise and directly to the point.
There are important elements in a literature review. The document should include a general overview of the topic. The purpose of the document you are creating is relevant, here as well. You want to clearly state the goal of your assignment. What exactly are you trying to communicate?
Another element is comparisons. There are, without a doubt, different pieces of information that take similar positions while others take contradictory perspectives. Explaining the similarities and differences of each work is helpful to the reader.
Finally, the conclusion should direct the reader of your document as to which works are most compelling in their arguments. The reader can make a well-informed judgment based on your literature review or he can choose to complete a little further reading independently.
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