The Literature Review makes the case for your research. To do so effectively, follow these steps:
- Identify what you already know in the research - What existing studies and papers led you to start this project? Take a look at the works cited on these studies since it will lead you to other research.
- Create an annotated bibliography - It will help you remember the key points of the information you are reading.
- Map key studies and researchers in your field - What is the most significant work? Who are the key researchers? What questions do they ask in their research? How has the research grown, and what obstacles still remain in the field? If you are uncertain about the prominent thinkers and what the key issues are in your field, you can sometimes reverse engineer based on your known studies. Ask yourself as you read, who are the authors and works I'm seeing cited frequently? Add those to your bibliography.
- Ask experts in the field - Faculty members, subject librarians, or even people you follow on social media, who and what they see as integral to the field?