Approaching literature review for academic purposes: The Literature Review Checklist

1. What is the primary purpose of conducting a literature review (LR) in a dissertation/thesis?

To summarize and analyze the research findings of the dissertation/thesis.

To identify significant aspects of the topic and offer an alternative perspective.

To discuss and interpret the research results within the LR.

To provide a comprehensive overview of the historical context of the topic.

2. Which of the following is NOT one of the three domains in which a postgraduate student's progress is evaluated while conducting a literature review (LR)?

Effective literature search

Experimental research skills

3. What level of Bloom's cognitive skills should the postgraduate student aim for while writing a literature review (LR)?

4. What are the generally accepted steps for developing a literature review?

Defining the main topic, searching the literature, analyzing the results, and writing

Planning, conducting interviews, collecting data, and writing

Reviewing previous studies, developing a research question, conducting experiments, and analyzing data

Brainstorming ideas, creating an outline, conducting surveys, and presenting findings

5. What is the purpose of reflecting on the information written in previous publications during the literature review process?

To find additional sources to include in the review

To evaluate the quality and credibility of the sources

To identify gaps in the existing research and propose further investigation

To summarize the main findings of the previous publications

6. What is the role of librarian support in the literature review process?

Conducting the entire literature search on behalf of the student

Providing guidance on effective literature search techniques

Writing the literature review section of the thesis

Evaluating the credibility of the sources included in the review

7. What should students consider when selecting documents for inclusion in the literature review?

Only include the most recently published peer-reviewed papers

Exclude any unpublished material or conference abstracts

Carefully evaluate the relevance and credibility of each document

Rely solely on books as primary sources for the review

8. What is an important component of the analyzing the results step in the literature review process?

Reading documents superficially without taking any notes

Assessing the popularity and impact factor of the journals in which the documents are published

Asking critical questions about the research objectives, methodology, and findings of each document

Skimming through the full text without thoroughly understanding the content

9. What is the significance of reflecting on the writing in the literature review process?

To identify areas of improvement and refine the written material

To eliminate any repeated ideas or ambiguities in the review

To determine the appropriate citation and referencing style for the review

To finalize the writing and consider the review as a completed work

10. What does a critical examination in the field involve in an LR?

Presenting a negative critique of previous studies

Expressing the writer's personal bias and beliefs

Contextualizing contradictory statements

Analyzing the historical context of the field

11. In the LR, how should the topic or problem be placed in relation to the broader scholarly literature?

By citing and referencing previous publications extensively

By presenting a linear timeline of theories and statements

By offering a new perspective and relating to the chosen main topic

By synthesizing all theories and concepts simultaneously

12. What does the LR checklist suggest about resolving ambiguities in definitions?

Addressing and contemplating different theories and concepts

Synthesizing all theories and concepts at the same time

Avoiding in-depth reading on a particular topic

Focusing on the student's research problem only