The aim of a literature review is to show your reader (your tutor) that you have read, and have a good grasp of, the main published work concerning a particular topic or question in your field. This work may be in any format, including online sources. It may be a separate assignment, or one of the introductory sections of a report, dissertation or thesis. In the latter cases in particular, the review will be guided by your research objective or by the issue or thesis you are arguing and will provide the framework for your further work.
It is very important to note that your review should not be simply a description of what others have published in the form of a set of summaries, but should take the form of a critical discussion, showing insight and an awareness of differing arguments, theories and approaches. It should be a synthesis and analysis of the relevant published work, linked at all times to your own purpose and rationale.
According to Caulley (1992) of La Trobe University, the literature review should:
根據La Trobe 大學的Caulley (1992)文獻綜述應該:
compare and contrast different authors" views on an issue
比較和對比不同作者對同一個問題的看法
group authors who draw similar conclusions
將得出相似結論的作者分組
criticise aspects of methodology
在方法論層面進行評論
note areas in which authors are in disagreement
注意文章作者有不同觀點的地方
highlight exemplary studies
突出具有示範性的研究
highlight gaps in research
突出研究中的缺陷或空白
show how your study relates to previous studies
說明前人的研究如何與你的研究相關聯
show how your study relates to the literature in general
說明你的研究如何與所看文獻的相關聯（不準確）
conclude by summarising what the literature says
總結文獻內容
The purposes of the review are:
文獻綜述的目的：
to define and limit the problem you are working on
定義並將正在研究的問題限制在一個合理的範圍
to place your study in an historical perspective
將你的研究放於歷史的視角
to avoid unnecessary duplication
避免沒有必要的重複工作
to evaluate promising research methods
評估有前景的研究方法（找到我們能用的好的方法，或者給我們提供思路）
to relate your findings to previous knowledge and suggest further research
將你的發現與之前的知識聯繫起來，指導進一步的研究
A good literature review, therefore, is critical of what has been written, identifies areas of controversy, raises questions and identifies areas which need further research.
好的文獻綜述對所寫內容至關重要，會確定爭論所在的地方，提出問題並確定需進一步研究的領域。
Structure of the literature review
文獻綜述結構
The overall structure of your review will depend largely on your own thesis or research area. What you will need to do is to group together and compare and contrast the varying opinions of different writers on certain topics. What you must not do is just describe what one writer says, and then go on to give a general overview of another writer, and then another, and so on. Your structure should be dictated instead by topic areas, controversial issues or by questions to which there are varying approaches and theories. Within each of these sections, you would then discuss what the different literature argues, remembering to link this to your own purpose.
Linking words are important. If you are grouping together writers with similar opinions, you would use words or phrases such as:
similarly, in addition, also, again
連接詞很重要。在分類有相似觀點的作者時，你可使用下面這些單詞或短語：
類似地，除了…之外，也，同樣
More importantly, if there is disagreement, you need to indicate clearly that you are aware of this by the use of linkers such as:
however, on the other hand, conversely, nevertheless
更重要的是，如果存在不同觀點，你需要用下面這些連接詞清楚的表明你意識到了這些分歧：
但是，另一方面，相反地，然而
At the end of the review you should include a summary of what the literature implies, which again links to your hypothesis or main question.
綜述的最後應該包括對文獻暗示的總結，該總結同樣與你的假設和主要問題相關。
Writing the review
文獻綜述寫作
You first need to decide what you need to read. In many cases you will be given a booklist or directed towards areas of useful published work. Make sure you use this help. With dissertations, and particularly theses, it will be more down to you to decide. It is important, therefore, to try and decide on the parameters of your research. What exactly are your objectives and what do you need to find out? In your review, are you looking at issues of theory, methodology, policy, quantitive research, or what? Before you start reading it may be useful to compile a list of the main areas and questions involved, and then read with the purpose of finding out about or answering these. Unless something comes up which is particularly important, stick to this list, as it is very easy to get sidetracked, particularly on the internet.
A good literature review needs a clear line of argument. You therefore need to use the critical notes and comments you made whilst doing your reading to express an academic opinion. Make sure that:
you include a clear, short introduction which gives an outline of the review, including the main topics covered and the order of the arguments, with a brief rationale for this.
用清晰、簡短的引言，說明綜述的大綱，包括所綜述的主題、論點的安排順序，並作出簡要說明。
there is always a clear link between your own arguments and the evidence uncovered in your reading. Include a short summary at the end of each section.
在你的論點和閱讀時沒有覆蓋到的論據之間要有清晰的聯繫，在每一部分結尾要有一個簡短的總結。
you always acknowledge opinions which do not agree with your thesis. If you ignore opposing viewpoints, your argument will in fact be weaker.
在閱讀文獻是你總會遇到和你的論文有分歧的觀點，如果你忽視不同觀點，你的論據將是不充分的。
Your review must be written in a formal, academic style. Keep your writing clear and concise, avoiding colloquialisms and personal language. You should always aim to be objective and respectful of others" opinions; this is not the place for emotive language or strong personal opinions. If you thought something was rubbish, use words such as "inconsistent", "lacking in certain areas" or "based on false assumptions"! (See Guide 1.21)
When introducing someone"s opinion, don"t use "says", but instead an appropriate verb which more accurately reflects this viewpoint, such as "argues", "claims" or "states". Use the present tense for general opinions and theories, or the past when referring to specific research or experiments:
Although Trescovick (2001) argues that attack is the best form of defence, Boycott (1969) claims that ... 雖然Trescovick (2001)認為進攻是最好的防守，但Boycott (1969)宣稱…
In a field study carried out amongst the homeless of Sydney, Warne (1999) found that ... 對悉尼無家可歸者的實地調查中，Warne (1999)發現…
And remember at all times to avoid plagiarising your sources. Always separate your source opinions from your own hypothesis. making sure you consistently reference the literature you are referring to. When you are doing your reading and making notes, it might be an idea to use different colours to distinguish between your ideas and those of others. (See Guide 1.13).
2文章下下來是要看的！ 當然一口氣下了幾百篇，不可能每篇都全文閱讀，當然全部全文閱讀也沒多大用。相關的綜述是一定要讀的而且要多次讀很熟悉，該方向的名家和著名文獻也是要讀的，這些文章頂多十幾篇，至於剩下的文章，看看abstract，introduction，conclusion明白大概差不多了。discussion可以不看，material and method看都不要看。 每一篇至少都要入眼，知道是幹什麼的！要不然沒法分類。
這樣全篇過上兩三遍文章就可以看了，想寫得好的不妨自己多修改修改，該變成自己的意思的變成自己的話，表格該做的做，圖該放的放，內容盡量豐富起來。想交個差的，拼湊多點就多點。
文獻綜述不是一兩句話可以解決的，需要長時間的積累，可以參見以下書籍，我個人覺得寫的比較優秀的： Babbie: The Practice of Social Research（清華出了影印版和翻譯版） Cooper: 研究文獻之回顧與整合（台灣國立編譯館）
文獻綜述，它是對選題閱讀工作進行進一步整理： 技巧一：瞄準主流。主流文獻，如該領域的核心期刊、經典著作、專職部門的研究報告、重要的觀點和論述等，是做文獻綜述的「必修課」。而多數大眾媒體上的相關報道或言論，雖然多少有點價值，但時間精力所限，可以從簡。 技巧二：隨時整理，如對文獻進行分類，記錄文獻信息和藏書地點。做論文的時間很長，有的文獻看過了當時不一定有用，事後想起來卻找不著了，所以有時記錄是很有必要的。對於特別重要的文獻，不妨做一個讀書筆記，摘錄其中的重要觀點和論述。這樣一步一個腳印，到真正開始寫論文時就積累了大量「乾貨」，可以隨時享用。 技巧三：要按照問題來組織文獻綜述。 有學者說：「文獻綜述就像是在文獻的叢林中開闢道路，這條道路本來就是要指向我們所要解決的問題，當然是直線距離最短、最省事，但是一路上風景頗多，迷戀風景的人便往往繞行於迤邐的叢林中，反而「亂花漸欲迷人眼」，找不到問題主線了。因此，在做文獻綜述時，頭腦時刻要清醒：我要解決什麼問題，人家是怎麼解決問題的，說的有沒有道理，就行了」。
Not to be confused with a book review, a literature review surveys scholarly articles, books and other sources (e.g. dissertations, conference proceedings) relevant to a particular issue, area of research, or theory, providing a description, summary, and critical evaluation of each work. The purpose is to offer an overview of significant literature published on a topic.
2. Components
Similar to primary research, development of the literature review requires four stages:
Problem formulation—which topic or field is being examined and what are its component issues?
Literature search—finding materials relevant to the subject being explored
Data evaluation—determining which literature makes a significant contribution to the understanding of the topic
Analysis and interpretation—discussing the findings and conclusions of pertinent literature
Literature reviews should comprise the following elements:
An overview of the subject, issue or theory under consideration, along with the objectives of the literature review
Division of works under review into categories (e.g. those in support of a particular position, those against, and those offering alternative theses entirely)
Explanation of how each work is similar to and how it varies from the others
Conclusions as to which pieces are best considered in their argument, are most convincing of their opinions, and make the greatest contribution to the understanding and development of their area of research
In assessing each piece, consideration should be given to:
Provenance—What are the author"s credentials? Are the author"s arguments supported by evidence (e.g. primary historical material, case studies, narratives, statistics, recent scientific findings)?
Objectivity—Is the author"s perspective even-handed or prejudicial? Is contrary data considered or is certain pertinent information ignored to prove the author"s point?
Persuasiveness—Which of the author"s theses are most/least convincing?
Value—Are the author"s arguments and conclusions convincing? Does the work ultimately contribute in any significant way to an understanding of the subject?
3. Definition and Use/Purpose
A literature review may constitute an essential chapter of a thesis or dissertation, or may be a self-contained review of writings on a subject. In either case, its purpose is to:
Place each work in the context of its contribution to the understanding of the subject under review
Describe the relationship of each work to the others under consideration
Identify new ways to interpret, and shed light on any gaps in, previous research
Find a published, peer-reviewed literature review by searching the JSTOR database for the following:
Allen, R.C. (1996). Socioeconomic Conditions and Property Crime: A Comprehensive Review and Test of the Professional Literature. The American Journal of Economics and Sociology, 55, 293.
Further information on the literature review may be found in:
Cooper, H. (2010). Research Synthesis and Meta-Analysis: A Step-By-Step Approach. Los Angeles: Sage. (call number McHenry Stacks H62 C5859)
Machi, L.A. (2009). The Literature Review: Six Steps to Success. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press. (call number McHenry Stacks LB1047.3 M33)
Deakin University. (2009). The Literature Review. Geelong, Victoria, Australia: Author. Retrieved 4th September 2009 from the World Wide Web: http://www.deakin.edu.au/library/findout/research/litrev.php
The University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center. (2009). Writer"s Handbook: Common Writing Assignments: Review of Literature. Madison, Wisconsin: Author. Retrieved 4th September 2009 from the World Wide Web: http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/ReviewofLiterature.html
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2. Creswell, J. W. (2005). Educational research: Planning,conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (2nd ed.).Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
3. Creswell, J. W. (2009). Research design: Qualitative,quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SagePublications.
4. Leedy, P. D., Ormrod, J. E. (2005). Practicalresearch: Planning and design (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: MerrillPrentice Hall.
5. Pedhauzer, E. J., Schmelkin, L. P. (1991).Measurement, design and analysis: An integrated approach. Hillsdale, NJ:Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
