What it means to conduct a Dissertation Literature Review

Dissertation work calls into students a different level of research work.  At this rate, students get to distinguish a dissertation structure from any other coursework structure.  Students concomitantly learn to adapt and integrate their writing styles to such established structure.

And while there’s this structure, there’s also this dissertation component that needs to be taken care of.  One of the firsts in every dissertation piece, this component is identified by the name, “dissertation literature review.”

A review, it could only mean a look at something that’s pre-existing.  That something is none other than dissertation and research pieces that were made prior to the students’ own work.  Now, what type of pieces could be distinguished as part of the dissertation literature review?

Firstly, the material has to be connected to students’ planned work.  Either it carries portions, bits or big chunks of findings or insights that holds relevant to the students’ dissertation piece, assumptions for that piece, et cetera.

Another criterion is if the material contains a methodology of which could be applicable to students’ planned methodology.  Of course, a dissertation literature review is not meant to help students devise a sort of plagiarism or copying of methodology.  Instead, it permits students to survey effective methods and applicable insights and use it for integration with different approaches – the approach of which now has to be out of students’ own imagery or skill.

In a macro’s view, to conduct a review means to map the past up to the present, tracing the dissertation study’s roots from the existing literature, and having it link back to the intended destination – students’ dissertation piece.  With such a function, it becomes necessary to make the review as organise as possible.

Content organisation in a review could happen through various ways.  For one, it may follow a period-orientation.  Under this orientation, dates are noticeably in order.  Another orientation is through the development of concepts, or what is commonly called a concept map.  At this rate, dates aren’t necessarily in order because the organisation’s focus is that of the concept.  Lastly, organisation entails correct application of referencing styles.

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