PY2018: Intercultural Psychology Guide: Writing Literature Reviews

A literature review examines the scholarly literature around your particular thesis or hypothesis.  It is not a review of the entire field, but of fields related directly to your study.  A literature review is a critical survey and assessment of the existing research on a particular topic.  The emphasis here is on the word “critical” – showcasing your critical thinking skills in this document is part of the reason for doing it.

A literature review should systematically describe, summarise, evaluate and clarify current thinking in the field, then synthesise what you have found to create a justification for your own project.

Use the techniques of active reading when preparing your literature review, posing questions as you go.  Your approach will also involve organised reading, creating a growing and dynamic document or series of documents that accumulate your raw materials and deepen your understanding.