📚 What Makes a Good Literature Review? – Purpose, Structure & Common Mistakes

#LiteratureReview | #AcademicWriting | #ResearchMitraDay12 | #ResearchDesign

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🧭 What is a Literature Review?

A Literature Review is more than just a summary of books, articles, and research papers. It is a critical evaluation of existing knowledge related to your research topic.

Think of it as the foundation of your research — it tells readers what’s already known, where the gaps are, and how your study fits in.

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🎯 Key Purposes of a Literature Review

🔍 Situates your study within existing research

📚 Identifies gaps, inconsistencies, and debates

🧠 Demonstrates your understanding of key theories and concepts

🛠️ Helps refine research questions, objectives, and hypotheses

📈 Avoids duplication by showing what’s already been done

🧩 Helps build a strong theoretical or conceptual framework

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🧱 Structure of a Strong Literature Review

Here’s a basic but effective structure:

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1. Introduction

Define the topic

Explain the scope of the review (timeframe, geography, key concepts)

State the organization method (chronological, thematic, methodological, etc.)

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2. Body (Organized either by theme, method, or chronology)

Group studies that discuss similar issues

Compare and contrast different viewpoints

Identify strengths, limitations, and methodological flaws

Highlight trends, patterns, and gaps

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3. Conclusion

Summarize key findings from the literature

Discuss unresolved issues or controversies

State how your research will contribute to filling the gap

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🧠 Thematic vs. Chronological vs. Methodological Review

Type	Focus	When to Use
Thematic	By topic or theme	Most common and useful
Chronological	By timeline of publication	To show evolution over time
Methodological	By research methods used	For studies with mixed approaches

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❌ Common Mistakes to Avoid

🚫 Listing studies without analyzing or comparing them

🚫 Ignoring contradictory evidence

🚫 Citing outdated or irrelevant sources

🚫 Failing to connect review to your research question

🚫 Overusing direct quotations rather than paraphrasing

🚫 Not using proper citation styles (APA, MLA, etc.)

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🛠️ Tips for Writing an Effective Literature Review

✅ Use recent and peer-reviewed sources

✅ Organize literature logically

✅ Use linking sentences to build flow

✅ Maintain a critical tone (not just descriptive)

✅ Highlight how your study will add value

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🔍 Example from Business Research

Topic: Impact of influencer marketing on consumer behavior

Identify key theories (e.g., Source Credibility Theory)

Discuss different findings across countries/demographics

Highlight a gap (e.g., lack of studies in rural markets)

Conclude how your research addresses that gap

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✍️ Practice Prompt

Choose a research topic you're working on and try outlining:

3 key themes you will review

1 major gap you’ve identified

How your study contributes

Feel free to share in the comments for feedback!

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🔔 Coming Up Tomorrow:

Day 13:

👉 “Citation & Referencing Styles: APA, MLA, Chicago, and When to Use Them”