What Should a Literature Review Do? (Module 1)

Session Summary:

Every thesis must include a review of relevant literature. Indeed, conducting a literature review is often the first thing a PGR student is asked to do. This session discusses the purpose of this literature review and the importance of summarising, analysing and synthesising the arguments of others as a means of providing a context for your own research. It also considers some alternative models for writing and structuring a literature review chapter. Understanding your research ‘field’, and being able to guide your reader around it, are very important first steps on the road to doctoral success. This session is designed to facilitate that process.

Indicative Feedback for this Session:

Many thanks for the very useful and informative sessions. After the literature review session, I decided I need to do more to my literature review chapter. It looks much better now ....my supervisor is SO impressed! It is all down to your way of presenting things in an easy and clear way. The session was brilliant and very useful (Cumbria).

Thank you for this very useful session! As a PhD student in her first year, this session has helped me… in terms of how to manage my readings systematically and effectively, to set up a literature review with a very clear purpose and research rationale, to generally develop a PhD project that is positioned and has sufficient command, and to be able to justify my decisions and simply be confident as well as effective in my research. Thanks again, one of the best sessions I have attended so far during my PhD (St Mary’s).

Thanks Simon! The session was brilliant in terms of focusing my attention on engaging with the relevant literature in a structured and critical way, and also how to position my review in terms of my research, rather than being governed by the literature (Staffordshire).

Thank you so much. Just spoken to my colleague, who was listening to the webinar in her room, and she said 'wasn't that the best thing ever??!' I know – brilliant!!! Insight into the need for an original perspective and ‘where does the knowledge run out?’ [It] really helped - fantastic, no-nonsense, sensible, practical, immensely useful advice (Huddersfield).