Reference no: EM133180256

Literature Review Assignment

The following section discusses the final assignment of the consultancy experience project, the literature review. By reading through the following 4 steps, you will be able to:

Understand the literature review assignment
Find your literature review focus
Know what makes a good literature review?
Examine the RQ1 form and its importance.

Step 1: Understanding the Literature Review Assignment
The literature review is the final assignment for the consultancy experience project. The review is an individual piece of work and requires you to develop the focus and question of your review.

It is vital that you discuss your initial ideas and agree your final choice with your supervisor.

Your supervisor needs to sign your RQ1 form to approve your literature review question before you start working on your literature review (see Step 4 below).

Your work will be based on reviewing the published literature in a defined area and applying this to a research question which you will decide. Each member of the group needs to develop their own review question and focus. Whilst there might be some overlap in focus, everyone's questions should be different.

This piece does not require primary research and data collection, it is for you to show how well you can analyse existing information. The review is not to be descriptive but critical and must involve comparing and contrasting different theories.

The word count for the review is 3,000 words.

Step 2: Finding your Literature Review focus
The literature review requires you to produce a critical review of the literature that will enable you to define and individually investigate a focused area that relates directly to your programme, route or pathway. Your choice of topic will be generally driven by either an issue encountered during the process of undertaking the consultancy project, or an aspect of theory related to the sector or industry within which your project was located.

TASK: Review the library literature search action plan document. Use the document to help you focus your ideas by brainstorming keywords, potential research questions for your literature review, and develop a literature review strategy.

What is your question?
The literature review should be focused around a research question. Identifying the research question at an early stage will help form the boundaries of your literature review. It is important therefore that you generate a question that is not too wide in scope (i.e. is feasible in the time available) and not just theory based (but about how theory has been or may be applied).

Step 3: What makes a good literature review?
A good literature review critically evaluates the relevant literature and provides a comprehensive review of the relevant area. Key trends in the literature of highlighted and the review demonstrates that you have engaged with and understood the relevant literature (referenced in Harvard format). The review shows critical analysis (e.g. compares, contrasts, and applies theory) and is clearly linked to the consultancy project. It is good practice to briefly explain how the literature review links to the project when setting the context of the review.

When writing your literature review, the reader should know what you are writing about and the direction of your review. Ideas should be linked together in a sequence and show a sense or purpose, with a definite central idea with reasons for it and evidence to back it up.

The review should have a clear beginning and end, and should have a sense of completion - what is the conclusion of your analysis of the literature?
It should NOT:
Be based on the first 5 articles that you found in 3 minutes using two key words and an advertising based search engine.
Be merely descriptive
Lack application of theory to practice

Layout of your literature review
The review should be structured as an 'academic paper' and you may use section headings to organise main themes and ideas. You should include an introduction, the literature review itself, a concluding paragraph and a list of references. If there are any appropriate diagrams or figures, these should be included in the text. Referencing must be to Harvard Standard.

Step 4: Introduction to RQ1 form
Before you start your literature review, you MUST have your research question approved by your supervisor. You need to complete the RQ1 form and send it to your supervisor to be signed.

Many students often feel hesitant or unsure how to develop their research question, or whether the focus and direction of their literature review is right. By completing the RQ1 form, your supervisor will be able to reflect on your thoughts and ideas and give you suggestions on areas or wording that might need to be changed/adapted. It is easier for your supervisor to give you advice on your literature review and research question when they can read your ideas on paper.

The literature review is due on the 6th September, however, it is important that you begin gathering the literature and writing your review in plenty of time for the deadline. Do not underestimate the amount of time a literature review can take to complete. It is also very important to note that you will be completing your literature review over the summer, and it is likely that your supervisor will be taking annual leave during this time. It is therefore vital that you have your RQ1 form completed and signed by your supervisor in plenty of time. It is highly recommended that this happens during July.