Chapter 2 - Literature Review

Question 1

What should your Literature review entail and what not?

Answer 1

• yes: showcase a clear argument about what the published literature indicates is known and not known about your research question (significant or not? decide whether to include or not)
• not: its not a series of paragraphs or each summarising a book or journal article

Question 2

What is needed when considering the content of your critical review?

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2.
3.

Answer 2

• include key academic theories of chosen area of research, to contextualise research question
• demonstrate that your knowledge of your chosen area is up to date
• those who read the project should be able to find original publications that you cite

Question 3

What types of literature sources are there?

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2.
3.

Answer 3

• primary literature
• secondary
• tertiary

Question 4

What is primary literature?

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4.

Answer 4

• original research or scientifc discoveries
• immediate results of research activities
• often includes analysis of data collected in the field or laboratory
• e.g. dissertations, original research published articles in peer-reviewed journals, technical reports
• conference proceedings

Question 5

What is secondary literature?
What can especially they be useful for?

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4.

Answer 5

• summarizes and synthesizes primary literature
• usually broader and less current than primary literature
• e.g. literature review articles, books
• most information sources here contain extensive bibliographies, and they are useful for finding more information on a topic

Question 6

What is tertiary literature?

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3.
4.

Answer 6

• summaries or condensed versions of materials
• usually with references to primary or secondary sources
• good place to look up facts or get a general overview of a subject
• e.g. textbooks, dictionaries, handbooks, encyclopedias

Question 7

What are five questions one needs to employ in critical reading?

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5.

Answer 7

1. why am i reading this?
2. what is the author trying to do in writing this?
3. what is the writer saying that is relevant to what I want to find out?
4. how convincing is what the author is saying?
5. what use can i make of the reading?

Question 8

What are the three reasons we use/ provide references?

Answer 8

• identification of authorities on the subject
• to allow the reader to find the source
• to avoid plagiarism

Question 9

In which way to we presentate sources?

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Answer 9

• either as a summary / paraphrase
• quotation
• use both
• in each case, include citation and provide a link to the list of references

Question 10

Which is each?

1. Friedman (1974) pointed out that….
2. As Friedman stated: “Inflation…. is xy” (1974:93)

Answer 10

1. Summary -> very flexible, flows
2. Citation -> original words from an authority

Question 11

What does the tense of the reference verb point out?

Answer 11

• present: source still present and valid
• past: source is older and/ or out of date

Question 12

In which cases are quotations valuable?

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Answer 12

• original words express idea in distinctive way
• when original is more concise than your summary
• well known original version
• bringing original words of writer in your work
• no overuse!!!

Question 13

Which abbrevations do exist and what do they mean?

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2.
3.

Answer 13

• et al. - used when three or more authors are given (full list of names given in reference list)
• ibid. - taken from same source (i.e. same page) as the previous citation
• op. cit. - taken from the same source as previously, but a different page

Question 14

What are references? How are they written and what is a reference list?

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Answer 14

• list of all sources cited in writing
• organised alphabetically by family authors name
• title pages: first name, then family name is used
• in citations, only family name is used: Burfird (2001)
• in reference list, use family name and first inital: Burford, S., Gonzales, J.