Reviewing Literature

The goal of this chapter is to provide guidance for students on how to get started on their research project. Once you have identifi ed your research questions (see Chapter 3), the next step in any research project is to search the existing literature and write a literature review. The principal task at this early stage involves reviewing the main ideas and research relating to your chosen area of interest. This provides the basis for the writing of a literature review, which forms an important part of the dissertation. The chapter explores: • how to go about searching the literature and engaging critically with the ideas of other writers; • what is expected in a literature review and the criteria that are used to evaluate it; • how to assess the quality of existing research in your subject area; • the role of the bibliography and the importance of referencing the work of others; • the importance of understanding what constitutes plagiarism and the penalties that are associated with it.