Mistakes to Avoid while Writing a Literature Review

 

The most typical errors made when reviewing social science research material are listed below.

i. Your literature review sources have nothing to do with the study problem

ii. Rather than relying on primary research, the review depends solely on secondary research.

data or primary research studies

iii. As a researcher, you accept the findings of other researchers without question (i.e. rather than critically considering all facets of the studies, we accept their interpretations as valid.)

iv. The results have not been synthesized thoroughly.

v. The review only considers researches that support a researcher's  assumptions and excludes researches that contradict them.

vi. Requirements of a certain citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.) have not been fulfilled.

References & Further Readings: 

Gay, L.R, Mills, G, & Airasian P. (2012). Educational Research: Competencies for Analysis and Applications. Pearson: New Jersey. 

Literature review (2018, Aug, 26). Retrieved from https://guides.library.bloomu.edu/litreview 

Merriam, S. B. (1998). Qualitative research and case study applications in education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 

Sally, D. (2003, September 9). The Structure of your Literature Review. Retrieved from https://academiccoachingandwriting.org/dissertation-doctor/dissertation-doctor-blog/ivthe-structure-of-your- literature-review/