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Category: Review Paper Writing

Thesis writing, although is an arduous and time-consuming task, is definitely an important aspect in a PhD journey. This is because a thesis demonstrates the understanding and involvement of the scholar in the specific research.

A widely accepted layout of a thesis consists of chapters such as introduction, methodology, data analysis, results, conclusion, reference list, etc. Although every section is important in a thesis, the most significant among them is the literature review chapter. However, not all scholars are aware of the importance of this chapter.

Majority of the time, scholars consider performing and writing a literature review chapter as a formality. I.e, they simply figure out & list studies vaguely relevant to their study. But in reality, literature review is more than merely listing the studies. It is a standalone investigation of how you a scholar developed the specific idea and provides background against which the study is performed.

Some of the added advantages of performing a literature review are:

• Demonstrates understanding –  This chapter exhibits a scholar’s understanding of the chosen subject. It identifies, summarises and critically evaluates previous researches that are relevant to the current work.
• Justifies the research – Literature review plays a key role in setting up the research question and justifying the study. This is so because evaluating previous studies enables a scholar to identify the existing gaps in the literature which can then be filled with the present study.
• Setting up a theoretical framework – Literature review can be regarded as a foundation of a study. This is because the rest of the work will be built upon the concepts/ideas of the existing research. Formulate a theoretical framework comprising of the concepts or theories on which the present study is based upon and against which its results will be judged.
• Narrow downs the research focus – Collecting sources, evaluating and synthesising them will enable a scholar to place the relevance of the study in the larger context of the previous research on the same topic. Performing a literature review will let a scholar compare and find out how his/her research is different from other research.
• Avoids plagiarism – During the compilation of the review, one can figure out the research that was already conducted on the same topic. This lets a scholar tailor his/her research in a unique way and avoid rehashing with the existing research.

Different domain demands a specific type of literature review. While medical literature review includes cohort study, lab studies, case control studies, etc. social science include systematic review and manu more. Although there are various types of literature reviews, today, the most popular kinds of literature review used in business studies are:

1. Narrative literature review – This kind of literature review not just summarises the body of the literature and critiques the literature but also identifies the gap in the body of knowledge and draws conclusions about the chosen topic. However, to perform this type of review, one requires a focused research topic. While performing this type of literature is strenuous, penning down is easier said than done. Hence it is wise to take help from writers offering PhD thesis writing services.
2. Integrative literature review – This type of literature review synthesises the secondary sources/data and critiques the research topic in an integrated manner. This results in the development of novel frameworks and perspectives on the research topic. If a research does not include primary data collection & data analysis, then integrative literature review must be used.
3. Argumentative literature review –  As the name implies, argumentative literature review evaluates literature selectively either to support or refute an argument ( imbedded assumption or philosophical problem). However, incorporating argumentative literature review within the thesis is not as easy as pie. One must avoid using terms that hurt readers sentiment or has the potential to create a controversy. This is when the professional assistance comes into the picture. If you need any help in penning down an argumentative review take help from the writers providing thesis writers in India.
4. Theoretical literature review – This form of literature review focuses on set of theory that is relevant to an issue, theory, concept, or phenomena. Theoretical literature reviews establishes a relationship between the existing theories and assists in developing a new hypothesis to be tested.

At the beginning of a literature review chapter, one must mention the kind of literature review that has been chosen and the reason behind selecting the same. If you need any help in crafting a literature review section, consider taking help from PhD writers in India.