| List of tables and figures | p. ix |
| Acknowledgements | p. x |
| About the author | p. xi |
| Introduction | p. 1 |
| What is a literature review? | p. 2 |
| The literature review at different degree levels | p. 4 |
| Why is it important to undertake a literature review as part of your research? | p. 6 |
| Where do we find the literature review in a dissertation or thesis? | p. 6 |
| Structuring your literature review | p. 20 |
| Task 1.1 Choosing a literature review approach | p. 20 |
| Summary | p. 21 |
| Overview | p. 21 |
| The multiple purposes of a literature review | p. 23 |
| The multiple purposes | p. 23 |
| Historical background | p. 25 |
| Contemporary context | p. 28 |
| Theoretical underpinnings | p. 30 |
| Definitions and discussion of terminology used in the research | p. 33 |
| Signalling a gap in previous research and using this to justify your own | p. 35 |
| The significance of a problem for research | p. 36 |
| Task 2.1 Reflecting on your own research | p. 39 |
| Summary | p. 40 |
| Sources of information and conducting searches | p. 41 |
| What is a literature search? | p. 41 |
| What are the purposes of a literature search? | p. 42 |
| Sources of information | p. 43 |
| Evaluating online sources of information | p. 47 |
| Different types of research | p. 48 |
| Tools for finding relevant sources | p. 49 |
| The process of conducting a literature search | p. 53 |
| The use of key words and Boolean logic | p. 57 |
| Keeping up to date: ESS feeds and email alerts | p. 58 |
| Social bookmarking | p. 59 |
| Task 3.1 Tracking and recording your search | p. 60 |
| Summary | p. 61 |
| Reading and note-taking strategies | p. 62 |
| Techniques for reading efficiently | p. 63 |
| Critical reading | p. 65 |
| Increasing your reading speed | p. 66 |
| Reasons for note taking | p. 67 |
| Techniques for note taking | p. 67 |
| Three main formats for note taking | p. 69 |
| Your own comments | p. 69 |
| Handwritten notes vs computer notes | p. 70 |
| Making connections between different texts: using key words | p. 70 |
| Making connections between different texts: a tabular comparison | p. 72 |
| Techniques for writing a summary | p. 73 |
| Task 4.1 Applying the principles to your field | p. 78 |
| Summary | p. 78 |
| Reference management: keeping records and organising information | p. 79 |
| Managing the process | p. 79 |
| A record of key word searches | p. 80 |
| A record of bibliographic details | p. 81 |
| A personal library | p. 84 |
| Copyright legislation | p. 84 |
| Bibliographical software packages | p. 86 |
| Task 5.1 Record keeping for your own research | p. 96 |
| Summary | p. 96 |
| Structuring the literature review | p. 98 |
| The processes involved in the creation of a literature review | p. 98 |
| Beginning to write | p. 99 |
| The structure of the literature review | p. 100 |
| Developing the structure of your review | p. 104 |
| Task 6.1 Structuring your own literature review | p. 106 |
| The relationship between the introduction and the literature review | p. 107 |
| Task 6.2 Reflecting on your own research field | p. 116 |
| Summary | p. 117 |
| In-text citations | p. 118 |
| Why do we reference? | p. 119 |
| What is plagiarism? | p. 119 |
| What type of information requires a reference? | p. 122 |
| Referencing systems | p. 123 |
| Integral and non-integral references | p. 124 |
| Disciplinary difference in reference type | p. 127 |
| Types of citation | p. 128 |
| Disciplinary difference in citation type | p. 131 |
| Choice of reporting verb | p. 132 |
| Disciplinary difference in reporting verbs | p. 132 |
| Tense of reporting verb | p. 133 |
| Choice of tense in the clause or sentence where the information is reported | p. 135 |
| Effective and unacceptable citations | p. 136 |
| Text matching software: Turnitin | p. 139 |
| Task 7.1 Analysing reference techniques in your own research field | p. 140 |
| Summary | p. 140 |
| Being critical | p. 141 |
| The difference between critical reading and critical writing | p. 141 |
| Being critical in writing | p. 142 |
| How different researchers adopt a critical approach in their writing | p. 144 |
| Task 8.1 Critical writing in your own research field | p. 156 |
| Summary | p. 156 |
| Foregrounding writer voice | p. 157 |
| What is writer voice? | p. 157 |
| The organisation of the text | p. 159 |
| Unattributed assertions followed by support from citations | p. 159 |
| Making explicit connections between citations | p. 160 |
| Summary and evaluation of source material | p. 160 |
| Overall summary at end of section or chapter | p. 162 |
| The use of personal pronouns | p. 162 |
| The choice of citation pattern | p. 167 |
| The evaluative potential of different reporting verbs | p. 169 |
| Evaluative adjectives, adverbs and phrases | p. 171 |
| A mixture of evaluative strategies | p. 172 |
| Task 9.1 Reflecting on the writer's voice in your own research | p. 174 |
| Summary | p. 174 |
| The continuing process | p. 175 |
| The literature review process | p. 175 |
| Referring to the literature in your discussion chapter | p. 177 |
| Task 10.1 Reflecting on making the connections in your own research | p. 187 |
| Findings support an existing theory | p. 178 |
| Comparing a new model and an existing theory | p. 179 |
| Explaining a finding using the literature | p. 180 |
| Contribution of current research to existing theory | p. 181 |
| Interpreting the data using the literature | p. 183 |
| Application of theory to the findings | p. 184 |
| Summary | p. 187 |
| A systematic literature review | p. 188 |
| What is a systematic literature review? | p. 188 |
| The process of conducting a systematic literature review | p. 190 |
| What is a meta-analysis? | p. 192 |
| Narrative synthesis | p. 195 |
| An example of a systematic review | p. 198 |
| Appraisal of a systematic literature review | p. 200 |
| Task 11.1 Searching for and critiquing a systematic literature review in your field | p. 201 |
| Summary | p. 201 |
| Further reading | p. 202 |
| Conclusion | p. 203 |
| Electronic guides | p. 204 |
| References | p. 207 |
| Index | p. 211 |
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