literature review on my final year project

How To Write An A-Grade Literature Review

3 straightforward steps (with examples) + free template.

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Expert Reviewed By: Dr. Eunice Rautenbach | October 2019

Quality research is about building onto the existing work of others , “standing on the shoulders of giants”, as Newton put it. The literature review chapter of your dissertation, thesis or research project is where you synthesise this prior work and lay the theoretical foundation for your own research.

Long story short, this chapter is a pretty big deal, which is why you want to make sure you get it right . In this post, I’ll show you exactly how to write a literature review in three straightforward steps, so you can conquer this vital chapter (the smart way).

Overview: The Literature Review Process

Understanding the “ why “
Finding the relevant literature
Cataloguing and synthesising the information
Outlining & writing up your literature review
Example of a literature review

But first, the “why”…

Before we unpack how to write the literature review chapter, we’ve got to look at the why . To put it bluntly, if you don’t understand the function and purpose of the literature review process, there’s no way you can pull it off well. So, what exactly is the purpose of the literature review?

Well, there are (at least) four core functions:

For you to gain an understanding (and demonstrate this understanding) of where the research is at currently, what the key arguments and disagreements are.
For you to identify the gap(s) in the literature and then use this as justification for your own research topic.
To help you build a conceptual framework for empirical testing (if applicable to your research topic).
To inform your methodological choices and help you source tried and tested questionnaires (for interviews ) and measurement instruments (for surveys ).

Most students understand the first point but don’t give any thought to the rest. To get the most from the literature review process, you must keep all four points front of mind as you review the literature (more on this shortly), or you’ll land up with a wonky foundation.

Okay – with the why out the way, let’s move on to the how . As mentioned above, writing your literature review is a process, which I’ll break down into three steps:

Finding the most suitable literature
Understanding , distilling and organising the literature
Planning and writing up your literature review chapter

Importantly, you must complete steps one and two before you start writing up your chapter. I know it’s very tempting, but don’t try to kill two birds with one stone and write as you read. You’ll invariably end up wasting huge amounts of time re-writing and re-shaping, or you’ll just land up with a disjointed, hard-to-digest mess . Instead, you need to read first and distil the information, then plan and execute the writing.

Step 1: Find the relevant literature

Naturally, the first step in the literature review journey is to hunt down the existing research that’s relevant to your topic. While you probably already have a decent base of this from your research proposal , you need to expand on this substantially in the dissertation or thesis itself.

Essentially, you need to be looking for any existing literature that potentially helps you answer your research question (or develop it, if that’s not yet pinned down). There are numerous ways to find relevant literature, but I’ll cover my top four tactics here. I’d suggest combining all four methods to ensure that nothing slips past you:

Method 1 – Google Scholar Scrubbing

Google’s academic search engine, Google Scholar , is a great starting point as it provides a good high-level view of the relevant journal articles for whatever keyword you throw at it. Most valuably, it tells you how many times each article has been cited, which gives you an idea of how credible (or at least, popular) it is. Some articles will be free to access, while others will require an account, which brings us to the next method.

Method 2 – University Database Scrounging

Generally, universities provide students with access to an online library, which provides access to many (but not all) of the major journals.

So, if you find an article using Google Scholar that requires paid access (which is quite likely), search for that article in your university’s database – if it’s listed there, you’ll have access. Note that, generally, the search engine capabilities of these databases are poor, so make sure you search for the exact article name, or you might not find it.

Method 3 – Journal Article Snowballing

At the end of every academic journal article, you’ll find a list of references. As with any academic writing, these references are the building blocks of the article, so if the article is relevant to your topic, there’s a good chance a portion of the referenced works will be too. Do a quick scan of the titles and see what seems relevant, then search for the relevant ones in your university’s database.

Method 4 – Dissertation Scavenging

Similar to Method 3 above, you can leverage other students’ dissertations. All you have to do is skim through literature review chapters of existing dissertations related to your topic and you’ll find a gold mine of potential literature. Usually, your university will provide you with access to previous students’ dissertations, but you can also find a much larger selection in the following databases:

Open Access Theses & Dissertations
Stanford SearchWorks

Keep in mind that dissertations and theses are not as academically sound as published, peer-reviewed journal articles (because they’re written by students, not professionals), so be sure to check the credibility of any sources you find using this method. You can do this by assessing the citation count of any given article in Google Scholar. If you need help with assessing the credibility of any article, or with finding relevant research in general, you can chat with one of our Research Specialists .

Alright – with a good base of literature firmly under your belt, it’s time to move onto the next step.

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literature review on my final year project

Step 2: Log, catalogue and synthesise

Once you’ve built a little treasure trove of articles, it’s time to get reading and start digesting the information – what does it all mean?

While I present steps one and two (hunting and digesting) as sequential, in reality, it’s more of a back-and-forth tango – you’ll read a little , then have an idea, spot a new citation, or a new potential variable, and then go back to searching for articles. This is perfectly natural – through the reading process, your thoughts will develop , new avenues might crop up, and directional adjustments might arise. This is, after all, one of the main purposes of the literature review process (i.e. to familiarise yourself with the current state of research in your field).

As you’re working through your treasure chest, it’s essential that you simultaneously start organising the information. There are three aspects to this:

Logging reference information
Building an organised catalogue
Distilling and synthesising the information

I’ll discuss each of these below:

2.1 – Log the reference information

As you read each article, you should add it to your reference management software. I usually recommend Mendeley for this purpose (see the Mendeley 101 video below), but you can use whichever software you’re comfortable with. Most importantly, make sure you load EVERY article you read into your reference manager, even if it doesn’t seem very relevant at the time.

2.2 – Build an organised catalogue

In the beginning, you might feel confident that you can remember who said what, where, and what their main arguments were. Trust me, you won’t. If you do a thorough review of the relevant literature (as you must!), you’re going to read many, many articles, and it’s simply impossible to remember who said what, when, and in what context . Also, without the bird’s eye view that a catalogue provides, you’ll miss connections between various articles, and have no view of how the research developed over time. Simply put, it’s essential to build your own catalogue of the literature.

I would suggest using Excel to build your catalogue, as it allows you to run filters, colour code and sort – all very useful when your list grows large (which it will). How you lay your spreadsheet out is up to you, but I’d suggest you have the following columns (at minimum):

Author, date, title – Start with three columns containing this core information. This will make it easy for you to search for titles with certain words, order research by date, or group by author.
Categories or keywords – You can either create multiple columns, one for each category/theme and then tick the relevant categories, or you can have one column with keywords.
Key arguments/points – Use this column to succinctly convey the essence of the article, the key arguments and implications thereof for your research.
Context – Note the socioeconomic context in which the research was undertaken. For example, US-based, respondents aged 25-35, lower- income, etc. This will be useful for making an argument about gaps in the research.
Methodology – Note which methodology was used and why. Also, note any issues you feel arise due to the methodology. Again, you can use this to make an argument about gaps in the research.
Quotations – Note down any quoteworthy lines you feel might be useful later.
Notes – Make notes about anything not already covered. For example, linkages to or disagreements with other theories, questions raised but unanswered, shortcomings or limitations, and so forth.

If you’d like, you can try out our free catalog template here (see screenshot below).

2.3 – Digest and synthesise

Most importantly, as you work through the literature and build your catalogue, you need to synthesise all the information in your own mind – how does it all fit together? Look for links between the various articles and try to develop a bigger picture view of the state of the research. Some important questions to ask yourself are:

What answers does the existing research provide to my own research questions ?
Which points do the researchers agree (and disagree) on?
How has the research developed over time?
Where do the gaps in the current research lie?

To help you develop a big-picture view and synthesise all the information, you might find mind mapping software such as Freemind useful. Alternatively, if you’re a fan of physical note-taking, investing in a large whiteboard might work for you.

Mind mapping is a useful way to plan your literature review.

Step 3: Outline and write it up!

Once you’re satisfied that you have digested and distilled all the relevant literature in your mind, it’s time to put pen to paper (or rather, fingers to keyboard). There are two steps here – outlining and writing:

3.1 – Draw up your outline

Having spent so much time reading, it might be tempting to just start writing up without a clear structure in mind. However, it’s critically important to decide on your structure and develop a detailed outline before you write anything. Your literature review chapter needs to present a clear, logical and an easy to follow narrative – and that requires some planning. Don’t try to wing it!

Naturally, you won’t always follow the plan to the letter, but without a detailed outline, you’re more than likely going to end up with a disjointed pile of waffle , and then you’re going to spend a far greater amount of time re-writing, hacking and patching. The adage, “measure twice, cut once” is very suitable here.

In terms of structure, the first decision you’ll have to make is whether you’ll lay out your review thematically (into themes) or chronologically (by date/period). The right choice depends on your topic, research objectives and research questions, which we discuss in this article .

Once that’s decided, you need to draw up an outline of your entire chapter in bullet point format. Try to get as detailed as possible, so that you know exactly what you’ll cover where, how each section will connect to the next, and how your entire argument will develop throughout the chapter. Also, at this stage, it’s a good idea to allocate rough word count limits for each section, so that you can identify word count problems before you’ve spent weeks or months writing!

PS – check out our free literature review chapter template…

3.2 – Get writing

With a detailed outline at your side, it’s time to start writing up (finally!). At this stage, it’s common to feel a bit of writer’s block and find yourself procrastinating under the pressure of finally having to put something on paper. To help with this, remember that the objective of the first draft is not perfection – it’s simply to get your thoughts out of your head and onto paper, after which you can refine them. The structure might change a little, the word count allocations might shift and shuffle, and you might add or remove a section – that’s all okay. Don’t worry about all this on your first draft – just get your thoughts down on paper.

Once you’ve got a full first draft (however rough it may be), step away from it for a day or two (longer if you can) and then come back at it with fresh eyes. Pay particular attention to the flow and narrative – does it fall fit together and flow from one section to another smoothly? Now’s the time to try to improve the linkage from each section to the next, tighten up the writing to be more concise, trim down word count and sand it down into a more digestible read.

Once you’ve done that, give your writing to a friend or colleague who is not a subject matter expert and ask them if they understand the overall discussion. The best way to assess this is to ask them to explain the chapter back to you. This technique will give you a strong indication of which points were clearly communicated and which weren’t. If you’re working with Grad Coach, this is a good time to have your Research Specialist review your chapter.

Finally, tighten it up and send it off to your supervisor for comment. Some might argue that you should be sending your work to your supervisor sooner than this (indeed your university might formally require this), but in my experience, supervisors are extremely short on time (and often patience), so, the more refined your chapter is, the less time they’ll waste on addressing basic issues (which you know about already) and the more time they’ll spend on valuable feedback that will increase your mark-earning potential.

Literature Review Example

In the video below, we unpack an actual literature review so that you can see how all the core components come together in reality.

Let’s Recap

In this post, we’ve covered how to research and write up a high-quality literature review chapter. Let’s do a quick recap of the key takeaways:

It is essential to understand the WHY of the literature review before you read or write anything. Make sure you understand the 4 core functions of the process.
The first step is to hunt down the relevant literature . You can do this using Google Scholar, your university database, the snowballing technique and by reviewing other dissertations and theses.
Next, you need to log all the articles in your reference manager , build your own catalogue of literature and synthesise all the research.
Following that, you need to develop a detailed outline of your entire chapter – the more detail the better. Don’t start writing without a clear outline (on paper, not in your head!)
Write up your first draft in rough form – don’t aim for perfection. Remember, done beats perfect.
Refine your second draft and get a layman’s perspective on it . Then tighten it up and submit it to your supervisor.

Psst… there’s more!

This post is an extract from our bestselling short course, Literature Review Bootcamp . If you want to work smart, you don't want to miss this .

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38 Comments

Thank you very much. This page is an eye opener and easy to comprehend.

This is awesome!

I wish I come across GradCoach earlier enough.

But all the same I’ll make use of this opportunity to the fullest.

Thank you for this good job.

Keep it up!

You’re welcome, Yinka. Thank you for the kind words. All the best writing your literature review.

Thank you for a very useful literature review session. Although I am doing most of the steps…it being my first masters an Mphil is a self study and one not sure you are on the right track. I have an amazing supervisor but one also knows they are super busy. So not wanting to bother on the minutae. Thank you.

You’re most welcome, Renee. Good luck with your literature review 🙂

This has been really helpful. Will make full use of it. 🙂

Thank you Gradcoach.

Really agreed. Admirable effort

thank you for this beautiful well explained recap.

Thank you so much for your guide of video and other instructions for the dissertation writing.

It is instrumental. It encouraged me to write a dissertation now.

Thank you the video was great – from someone that knows nothing thankyou

an amazing and very constructive way of presetting a topic, very useful, thanks for the effort,

It is timely

It is very good video of guidance for writing a research proposal and a dissertation. Since I have been watching and reading instructions, I have started my research proposal to write. I appreciate to Mr Jansen hugely.

I learn a lot from your videos. Very comprehensive and detailed.

Thank you for sharing your knowledge. As a research student, you learn better with your learning tips in research

I was really stuck in reading and gathering information but after watching these things are cleared thanks, it is so helpful.

Really helpful, Thank you for the effort in showing such information

This is super helpful thank you very much.

Thank you for this whole literature writing review.You have simplified the process.

I’m so glad I found GradCoach. Excellent information, Clear explanation, and Easy to follow, Many thanks Derek!

You’re welcome, Maithe. Good luck writing your literature review 🙂

Thank you Coach, you have greatly enriched and improved my knowledge

Great piece, so enriching and it is going to help me a great lot in my project and thesis, thanks so much

This is THE BEST site for ANYONE doing a masters or doctorate! Thank you for the sound advice and templates. You rock!

Thanks, Stephanie 🙂

This is mind blowing, the detailed explanation and simplicity is perfect.

I am doing two papers on my final year thesis, and I must stay I feel very confident to face both headlong after reading this article.

thank you so much.

if anyone is to get a paper done on time and in the best way possible, GRADCOACH is certainly the go to area!

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Thanks, it was useful

Thank you very much. the video and the information were very helpful.

Good morning scholar. I’m delighted coming to know you even before the commencement of my dissertation which hopefully is expected in not more than six months from now. I would love to engage my study under your guidance from the beginning to the end. I love to know how to do good job

Thank you so much Derek for such useful information on writing up a good literature review. I am at a stage where I need to start writing my one. My proposal was accepted late last year but I honestly did not know where to start

Like the name of your YouTube implies you are GRAD (great,resource person, about dissertation). In short you are smart enough in coaching research work.

This is a very well thought out webpage. Very informative and a great read.

Very timely.

I appreciate.

Very comprehensive and eye opener for me as beginner in postgraduate study. Well explained and easy to understand. Appreciate and good reference in guiding me in my research journey. Thank you

Thank you. I requested to download the free literature review template, however, your website wouldn’t allow me to complete the request or complete a download. May I request that you email me the free template? Thank you.

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How to Write a Literature Review for Your Final Year Project

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Writing a literature review for your final year project.

To have a great final year project, many things have to be carefully put in place; a literature review is one of those things. Aside from helping achieve the aim of your final year project , your literature review helps to provide ground information on your selected topic.

Let me explain, a literature review is a play by play analysis and evaluation of all resource materials used in your project. These works are explained, showing their support or opposition to your project topic stance, and how this particular material helps solidify your project topic. The strengths and weaknesses of these works of literature are also presented but, in a very objective manner.

These materials are usually presented in a summarized and linked form in the literature review so the meaning and connection between all the resource materials used as well as your background topic are not lost. The aim of the literature review and its direction will be lost on your reader and professors if you cannot connect seamlessly all facts and theories presented by the materials used in your literature review.

The idea is to present to your readers prior knowledge already established and shared by experts or more experienced researchers in your field regarding your project topic. Now review does not necessarily mean ‘ this is what I think ’ rather it is more of ‘ this is what the material is saying .’ You present it in a way that helps people understand their relationship to your research topic.

Why a Literature review?

It shows you have done ample research on your topic and have been brought up to speed (by yourself, of course) on the current happenings in the field you are carrying out your research.

It also helps in providing background knowledge on the topic your project aims to discuss. These materials help to either show the chronological development in the field of your project topic, the themes surrounding it, or research methods used by researchers to speak on the matter. A literature review works both ways.

So, how exactly does one write a literature review?

Have a chat with your Supervisor

The project is the whole and your literature review is just a part of it. If the topic for your project is not selected, you cannot create a table of content let alone a literature review. You need to sit with your supervisor to;

• Talk about your topic. You get to select one but he/she has to approve of it. Also, if you having a hard time getting a topic, your supervisor might be able to help with that.

• Talk about the scope of your literature review and how much freedom you have with it. Some boundaries are set by them or your academic institution concerning literature reviews and final year projects in general. These you need to know about as well as the existing restrictions;

for example, some do not permit students to review materials written less than five years ago from the date of your project or some do not appreciate the use of projects submitted by students of any level. So, you need to know the parameters of your literature review. That way, when you go researching, you do not select the wrong material and earn a minus in the process.

Research and Evaluate Your Selected Materials

There is a lot of information out there, trust me! It is very important that in the course of your research you, stick to your project topic and its requirements. Do not get carried away by the information that has no place in your project unless you realize it is going to be extremely useful.

When materials are selected, evaluate them. Ask yourself certain questions on them;

• Do they provide any valuable information for what I am trying to make in my project?

• What was the aim of the author when he/she was writing this?

• What are the strengths and weaknesses of this publication? Is this publication objective enough or is it bias?

• Is the material from a credible source and is this Author an expert or one with a considerable amount of knowledge in this field.

Do you have your resource materials, have you asked and answered all the questions concerning their validity and the direction of your project? Then, it is time to write! A literature review is best delivered in three parts;

Introduction: In introduction, you present your project topic, the objective of your literature review, its parameters, and the importance of your literature review and project as well.

Body: This is where the bulk of your work is. The review of these materials is done in this part and should be done with orderliness and abiding by a laid down structure. What do I mean? Your review of these materials will follow a pattern depending on the aim of your project as a whole; is it to show a progression, support a claim, or simply explore your topic.

If it is for progressive study, your review will most likely follow a chronological order. This will show how things have progressed in the said field, using the materials reviewed. If otherwise, you could decide to team the materials up by their shared theories or the similar research methodology used by the Authors.

Whichever structure you decide to use, make sure your ideas are not scattered all over the place and your review is presented in a connected manner that shows the connection between the materials selected, why you choose them and how they help you bring home the overall point of your final year project. These materials, their ideas, and stance must be linked back to your topic and the goal of your final project; whatever it may be.

Also, note that it is not a monotonous description of these works. You are not there to list stuff and jump to the next one or quote stuff and jump to the next one. Try as much as possible to summarize and evaluate every material referenced, showing their strength, weaknesses as well as their connection to your project topic and stance.

Conclusion: Summarize all that you have said from the beginning till the last idea shared in the last paragraph of your body (you know you are going to paragraph it, right?). Reiterate the stance or overall idea of your literature review here and close with a final tone.

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What is a Literature Review? How to Write It (with Examples)

A literature review is a critical analysis and synthesis of existing research on a particular topic. It provides an overview of the current state of knowledge, identifies gaps, and highlights key findings in the literature. 1 The purpose of a literature review is to situate your own research within the context of existing scholarship, demonstrating your understanding of the topic and showing how your work contributes to the ongoing conversation in the field. Learning how to write a literature review is a critical tool for successful research. Your ability to summarize and synthesize prior research pertaining to a certain topic demonstrates your grasp on the topic of study, and assists in the learning process.

What is the purpose of literature review?
a. Habitat Loss and Species Extinction:
b. Range Shifts and Phenological Changes:
c. Ocean Acidification and Coral Reefs:
d. Adaptive Strategies and Conservation Efforts:

How to write a good literature review

Choose a Topic and Define the Research Question:
Decide on the Scope of Your Review:
Select Databases for Searches:
Conduct Searches and Keep Track:
Review the Literature:
Organize and Write Your Literature Review:
How to write a literature review faster with Paperpal?
Frequently asked questions

What is a literature review?

A well-conducted literature review demonstrates the researcher’s familiarity with the existing literature, establishes the context for their own research, and contributes to scholarly conversations on the topic. One of the purposes of a literature review is also to help researchers avoid duplicating previous work and ensure that their research is informed by and builds upon the existing body of knowledge.

What is the purpose of literature review?

A literature review serves several important purposes within academic and research contexts. Here are some key objectives and functions of a literature review: 2

1. Contextualizing the Research Problem: The literature review provides a background and context for the research problem under investigation. It helps to situate the study within the existing body of knowledge.

2. Identifying Gaps in Knowledge: By identifying gaps, contradictions, or areas requiring further research, the researcher can shape the research question and justify the significance of the study. This is crucial for ensuring that the new research contributes something novel to the field.

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3. Understanding Theoretical and Conceptual Frameworks: Literature reviews help researchers gain an understanding of the theoretical and conceptual frameworks used in previous studies. This aids in the development of a theoretical framework for the current research.

4. Providing Methodological Insights: Another purpose of literature reviews is that it allows researchers to learn about the methodologies employed in previous studies. This can help in choosing appropriate research methods for the current study and avoiding pitfalls that others may have encountered.

5. Establishing Credibility: A well-conducted literature review demonstrates the researcher’s familiarity with existing scholarship, establishing their credibility and expertise in the field. It also helps in building a solid foundation for the new research.

6. Informing Hypotheses or Research Questions: The literature review guides the formulation of hypotheses or research questions by highlighting relevant findings and areas of uncertainty in existing literature.

Literature review example

Let’s delve deeper with a literature review example: Let’s say your literature review is about the impact of climate change on biodiversity. You might format your literature review into sections such as the effects of climate change on habitat loss and species extinction, phenological changes, and marine biodiversity. Each section would then summarize and analyze relevant studies in those areas, highlighting key findings and identifying gaps in the research. The review would conclude by emphasizing the need for further research on specific aspects of the relationship between climate change and biodiversity. The following literature review template provides a glimpse into the recommended literature review structure and content, demonstrating how research findings are organized around specific themes within a broader topic.

Literature Review on Climate Change Impacts on Biodiversity:

Climate change is a global phenomenon with far-reaching consequences, including significant impacts on biodiversity. This literature review synthesizes key findings from various studies:

a. Habitat Loss and Species Extinction:

Climate change-induced alterations in temperature and precipitation patterns contribute to habitat loss, affecting numerous species (Thomas et al., 2004). The review discusses how these changes increase the risk of extinction, particularly for species with specific habitat requirements.

b. Range Shifts and Phenological Changes:

Observations of range shifts and changes in the timing of biological events (phenology) are documented in response to changing climatic conditions (Parmesan & Yohe, 2003). These shifts affect ecosystems and may lead to mismatches between species and their resources.

c. Ocean Acidification and Coral Reefs:

The review explores the impact of climate change on marine biodiversity, emphasizing ocean acidification’s threat to coral reefs (Hoegh-Guldberg et al., 2007). Changes in pH levels negatively affect coral calcification, disrupting the delicate balance of marine ecosystems.

d. Adaptive Strategies and Conservation Efforts:

Recognizing the urgency of the situation, the literature review discusses various adaptive strategies adopted by species and conservation efforts aimed at mitigating the impacts of climate change on biodiversity (Hannah et al., 2007). It emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary approaches for effective conservation planning.

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Writing a literature review involves summarizing and synthesizing existing research on a particular topic. A good literature review format should include the following elements.

Introduction: The introduction sets the stage for your literature review, providing context and introducing the main focus of your review.

Opening Statement: Begin with a general statement about the broader topic and its significance in the field.
Scope and Purpose: Clearly define the scope of your literature review. Explain the specific research question or objective you aim to address.
Organizational Framework: Briefly outline the structure of your literature review, indicating how you will categorize and discuss the existing research.
Significance of the Study: Highlight why your literature review is important and how it contributes to the understanding of the chosen topic.
Thesis Statement: Conclude the introduction with a concise thesis statement that outlines the main argument or perspective you will develop in the body of the literature review.

Body: The body of the literature review is where you provide a comprehensive analysis of existing literature, grouping studies based on themes, methodologies, or other relevant criteria.

Organize by Theme or Concept: Group studies that share common themes, concepts, or methodologies. Discuss each theme or concept in detail, summarizing key findings and identifying gaps or areas of disagreement.
Critical Analysis: Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each study. Discuss the methodologies used, the quality of evidence, and the overall contribution of each work to the understanding of the topic.
Synthesis of Findings: Synthesize the information from different studies to highlight trends, patterns, or areas of consensus in the literature.
Identification of Gaps: Discuss any gaps or limitations in the existing research and explain how your review contributes to filling these gaps.
Transition between Sections: Provide smooth transitions between different themes or concepts to maintain the flow of your literature review.

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Conclusion: The conclusion of your literature review should summarize the main findings, highlight the contributions of the review, and suggest avenues for future research.

Summary of Key Findings: Recap the main findings from the literature and restate how they contribute to your research question or objective.
Contributions to the Field: Discuss the overall contribution of your literature review to the existing knowledge in the field.
Implications and Applications: Explore the practical implications of the findings and suggest how they might impact future research or practice.
Recommendations for Future Research: Identify areas that require further investigation and propose potential directions for future research in the field.
Final Thoughts: Conclude with a final reflection on the importance of your literature review and its relevance to the broader academic community.

Conducting a literature review

Conducting a literature review is an essential step in research that involves reviewing and analyzing existing literature on a specific topic. It’s important to know how to do a literature review effectively, so here are the steps to follow: 1

Choose a Topic and Define the Research Question:

Select a topic that is relevant to your field of study.
Clearly define your research question or objective. Determine what specific aspect of the topic do you want to explore?

Decide on the Scope of Your Review:

Determine the timeframe for your literature review. Are you focusing on recent developments, or do you want a historical overview?
Consider the geographical scope. Is your review global, or are you focusing on a specific region?
Define the inclusion and exclusion criteria. What types of sources will you include? Are there specific types of studies or publications you will exclude?

Select Databases for Searches:

Identify relevant databases for your field. Examples include PubMed, IEEE Xplore, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar.
Consider searching in library catalogs, institutional repositories, and specialized databases related to your topic.

Conduct Searches and Keep Track:

Develop a systematic search strategy using keywords, Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT), and other search techniques.
Record and document your search strategy for transparency and replicability.
Keep track of the articles, including publication details, abstracts, and links. Use citation management tools like EndNote, Zotero, or Mendeley to organize your references.

Review the Literature:

Evaluate the relevance and quality of each source. Consider the methodology, sample size, and results of studies.
Organize the literature by themes or key concepts. Identify patterns, trends, and gaps in the existing research.
Summarize key findings and arguments from each source. Compare and contrast different perspectives.
Identify areas where there is a consensus in the literature and where there are conflicting opinions.
Provide critical analysis and synthesis of the literature. What are the strengths and weaknesses of existing research?

Organize and Write Your Literature Review:

Literature review outline should be based on themes, chronological order, or methodological approaches.
Write a clear and coherent narrative that synthesizes the information gathered.
Use proper citations for each source and ensure consistency in your citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.).
Conclude your literature review by summarizing key findings, identifying gaps, and suggesting areas for future research.

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The literature review sample and detailed advice on writing and conducting a review will help you produce a well-structured report. But remember that a good literature review is an ongoing process, and it may be necessary to revisit and update it as your research progresses. By combining effortless research with an easy citation process, Paperpal Research streamlines the literature review process and empowers you to write faster and with more confidence. Try Paperpal Research now and see for yourself.

Frequently asked questions

A literature review is a critical and comprehensive analysis of existing literature (published and unpublished works) on a specific topic or research question and provides a synthesis of the current state of knowledge in a particular field. A well-conducted literature review is crucial for researchers to build upon existing knowledge, avoid duplication of efforts, and contribute to the advancement of their field. It also helps researchers situate their work within a broader context and facilitates the development of a sound theoretical and conceptual framework for their studies.

Literature review is a crucial component of research writing, providing a solid background for a research paper’s investigation. The aim is to keep professionals up to date by providing an understanding of ongoing developments within a specific field, including research methods, and experimental techniques used in that field, and present that knowledge in the form of a written report. Also, the depth and breadth of the literature review emphasizes the credibility of the scholar in his or her field.

Before writing a literature review, it’s essential to undertake several preparatory steps to ensure that your review is well-researched, organized, and focused. This includes choosing a topic of general interest to you and doing exploratory research on that topic, writing an annotated bibliography, and noting major points, especially those that relate to the position you have taken on the topic.

Literature reviews and academic research papers are essential components of scholarly work but serve different purposes within the academic realm. 3 A literature review aims to provide a foundation for understanding the current state of research on a particular topic, identify gaps or controversies, and lay the groundwork for future research. Therefore, it draws heavily from existing academic sources, including books, journal articles, and other scholarly publications. In contrast, an academic research paper aims to present new knowledge, contribute to the academic discourse, and advance the understanding of a specific research question. Therefore, it involves a mix of existing literature (in the introduction and literature review sections) and original data or findings obtained through research methods.

Literature reviews are essential components of academic and research papers, and various strategies can be employed to conduct them effectively. If you want to know how to write a literature review for a research paper, here are four common approaches that are often used by researchers. Chronological Review: This strategy involves organizing the literature based on the chronological order of publication. It helps to trace the development of a topic over time, showing how ideas, theories, and research have evolved. Thematic Review: Thematic reviews focus on identifying and analyzing themes or topics that cut across different studies. Instead of organizing the literature chronologically, it is grouped by key themes or concepts, allowing for a comprehensive exploration of various aspects of the topic. Methodological Review: This strategy involves organizing the literature based on the research methods employed in different studies. It helps to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of various methodologies and allows the reader to evaluate the reliability and validity of the research findings. Theoretical Review: A theoretical review examines the literature based on the theoretical frameworks used in different studies. This approach helps to identify the key theories that have been applied to the topic and assess their contributions to the understanding of the subject. It’s important to note that these strategies are not mutually exclusive, and a literature review may combine elements of more than one approach. The choice of strategy depends on the research question, the nature of the literature available, and the goals of the review. Additionally, other strategies, such as integrative reviews or systematic reviews, may be employed depending on the specific requirements of the research.

The literature review format can vary depending on the specific publication guidelines. However, there are some common elements and structures that are often followed. Here is a general guideline for the format of a literature review: Introduction: Provide an overview of the topic. Define the scope and purpose of the literature review. State the research question or objective. Body: Organize the literature by themes, concepts, or chronology. Critically analyze and evaluate each source. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the studies. Highlight any methodological limitations or biases. Identify patterns, connections, or contradictions in the existing research. Conclusion: Summarize the key points discussed in the literature review. Highlight the research gap. Address the research question or objective stated in the introduction. Highlight the contributions of the review and suggest directions for future research.

Both annotated bibliographies and literature reviews involve the examination of scholarly sources. While annotated bibliographies focus on individual sources with brief annotations, literature reviews provide a more in-depth, integrated, and comprehensive analysis of existing literature on a specific topic. The key differences are as follows:

References

Denney, A. S., & Tewksbury, R. (2013). How to write a literature review.  Journal of criminal justice education ,  24 (2), 218-234.
Pan, M. L. (2016).  Preparing literature reviews: Qualitative and quantitative approaches . Taylor & Francis.
Cantero, C. (2019). How to write a literature review.  San José State University Writing Center .

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Selecting a Topic
Searching Tools & Tips

Introduction

Accessing resources not found in ntu library, what a literature review is not, searching for resources, more readings and resources, getting started on your literature review, research mindset, purpose of a literature review.

Grey Literature
Evaluating Sources
Research Methods
Academic Integrity & Citations
Submitting FYP to DR-NTU

What is a Literature Review?

A literature review is a systematic analysis and summary of the published academic writings directly relating to your topic of research. It should provide the reader with background information on your topic, and explain the significance of your research, and how your research relates to the rest of the academic publications on the topic.

This section will guide you on what a literature review is and is not, why you need a literature review, and how you should go about getting started with your literature review.

Be sure to check out the below links with more details on how to evaluate the sources for your literature review as well as the usage of grey literature in your literature review!

Using Grey Literature
Document Delivery - For Journal Articles
Inter-library Loan - For Books

Take note that a literature review forms the basis and provides background information about your research - some common mistakes students make is when they write a literature review that fails to meet its purpose.

Your literature review should NOT be an annotated bibliography , where you list and summarize a number of articles or academic works about your research topic. The literature review should identify important academic developments of your topic, and analyze them, so as to situate your own research in this background.

Your literature review should also NOT provide only a biased view , where you only choose articles that support your findings. Remember that a literature review needs to provide a picture of how the academic debate surrounding your research topic as developed, as well as areas that are being debated, so that you can position your research within the context of the wider academic discussion.

Searching Tools and Tips For a more in-depth guide on how to search for resources you need for your literature review, refer to this section of the guide.
University of Wisconsin Guide on Literature Review
University of Pittsburgh Guide on Literature Review

Four major steps:

1.Problem definition

identify a research problem or idea
formulate research questions
identify relevant KEYWORDS

2.Search strategies

identify your information needs
develop information seeking strategies
identify relevant information sources
use KEYWORDS to conduct searches
retrieve relevant articles, books, etc.
review and summarise articles
take detailed notes
focus on identifying and comparing issues, variables, theories, methods and gaps
extract key information and tabulate key items in a matrix or summarised fashion
include pertinent variables, main issues and theories
analyse how your study relates to the available literature
highlight gaps in research works
compare and contrast studies and findings
create a list of references - a BIBLIOGRAPHY

Research is not done in a vacuum or in isolation. It has to be positioned into the existing scholarly work. The researcher needs to know what has already been covered in his/her field of research, like:

what variables were analysed?
what were the relationships amongst the variables?
what are the existing definitions, theories and findings?

Purpose of literature review

to explore the works of others
to look at existing relevant works in your research area
to identify important variables from other studies pertinent to your research
to identify gaps, misconceptions, contradictions in the issues relevant to your research
to assist in developing your research design

Literature review is an essential entity in research and is a part of:

dissertations
papers
<< Previous: Searching Tools & Tips
Next: Grey Literature >>
Last Updated: Mar 26, 2024 9:18 AM
URL: https://libguides.ntu.edu.sg/FYPguide

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Literature Review

Starting the literature review
Sources and strategy
Writing the review
Examples of dissertations
Helpful guides

Not just a list A literature review is more than just a list of sources.

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Introduction

A literature review is usually part of the process of writing a final year project, dissertation or long essay. It can also be set and assessed as a standalone assignment.

Students in the health sciences, maybe required to conduct a systematic review , which is not covered in this guide.

Why write a literature review?

A literature review is important, as it provides an overview and an analytical analysis of what is known about a particular topic. It establishes and identifies:

An understanding and knowledge of a topic.
The current research in this area.
Gaps in the literature that helps justify your research.
The context for your research and illustrates how it relates to the wider research landscape in this area.
The key authors writing in this field.

Developing a topic

Before you start, some faculties at USW assign topics to students and some allow students to pick their own area of interest. If you have not been assigned a topic, you will need to come up with an idea yourself.

Choosing a topic It is worth taking account the following:

It takes time to perform a literature review. Choosing a topic that interests you will help with the research process and make it easier to maintain a long term focus on the subject.

Is your project viable. Part of the purpose of the literature review is to assess if there is enough relevant and current material available. If there is not enough information available on your topic you may need to broaden it out.

New topics may have limited resources. You may want to focus on a new developing aspect of a subject or area of research, but you still need to make sure there is enough information available.

Expressing your topic as a question Once you have chosen this area of interest, you then need to reframe that as a question.

Examples Broad Topic: Film adaptation Additional topic: William Shakespeare Narrower focus: Film adaptation and William Shakespeare Research Question: How has Shakespearean drama been adapted in film?

Broad Topic: Fashion industry Additional topic: Streetwear Narrower Topic: Fashion industry and streetwear Research Question: What influence has streetwear had on the fashion industry in the 21 century?

Remember your topic / research question isn't set in stone in the early stages. As you gather the information and review it, you can use what you learn to adapt and refine your topic / research question.

How to approach the literature review

One way to approach a literature review is to start out broad and then become more specific . Think of it as an inverted triangle , or a funnel .

Using the funnel comparison, find:

The background information to your topic. This will identify the broader issues and research related to your topic and help you orient it, in the wider subject context.
Narrow down your focus and identify the research that is closer to your area of research.
Focus on specific research that is directly related to your topic.

Funnel approach to literature reviews

Go broad start by looking at the broader issues around your project. look at works that give a general overview of your topic and put it into the context of the bigger research landscape ..

This will show an awareness of the breadth of your subject.

Narrow down Then try and focus your research on issues that are more related to your topic.

Focus on the specific look at the most relevant research that relates to your topic and spend more time discussing these key studies that are directly related to your research. .

Next: Sources and strategy >>
Last Updated: May 1, 2024 3:13 PM
URL: https://libguides.southwales.ac.uk/literaturereview

Engineering: The Literature Review Process

How to Use This Guide

What is a literature review and why is it important?

How to Write Literature Review for your Final Year Project (Chapter 2)

Steps on How to Write Literature Review for Your Final Year Project

After writing the introduction , which is chapter one or section one, the next most critical part of thesis writing is the literature review, known as chapter two or section two. The literature review is critical of thesis writing since it reveals what has been done in the extant literature. A literature review examines publications , research papers , and any other source materials pertaining to a specific concern, the field of knowledge, or concept and formed the basis, overview, and analysis of a research subject concerning the research gap under consideration. A literature review gives a detailed or comprehensive summary of major works and other publications on a specific subject. Academic peer-reviewed journals , publications, government reports, internet sites, and other sources may be included in the review. Each source is described, summarized, and evaluated in the literature review.

A literature review is divided into three major parts: conceptual review, theoretical review, and empirical review. The following subheadings show a step-by-step analysis and provide a detailed understanding of how a literature review should be written.

The literature should be broad enough to cover all of the necessary knowledge on the topic.
It must locate research and concepts that bolster a research question.
it must be narrow enough to exclude unimportant information from the research topic
It must be carried out using credible sources.
The literature must also be relevant, recent and adequately referenced.

Step 1: Preambles

it is essential to state or give a little introduction in chapter two. This preamble introduces the reader to what should be expected in the chapter. A preamble is an opening summary, a foreword, an overview of the component of a statute, obligation, or the like that states the reasons for and the purpose of what following sections. A preamble is an introductory and expressive statement in a thesis that outlines the intent and underpinning concept of the research. When introduced to the first research paragraphs, it narrates essential evidence relevant to the researcher’s intention.

Step 2: Conceptual Review

A comprehensive and detailed conceptual review necessitates the author identifying all conceivably essential and relevant papers (both empirical and conceptual) applicable to the realm under consideration. Conceptual review is seen as a methodology in which research is carried out by studying and interpreting previously available information about a particular topic . Conceptual research does not include any practical experiments. It has something to do with abstract concepts or ideas. For instance, while writing on the topic “ Branding and Firm Performance “, the following steps should be taken:

Determine the specific variables identified in this study and how they are connected. Some academic papers include the variables, and the key points may therefore serve a purpose. If these aren’t available, look for a summary of the research paper . If the variables are not explicitly stated in summary, return to the research methods or findings and discussion of the study to accurately identify the variables in this study and needed information. Here, the key variables are “Branding” and “Firm Performance.”
Explain what branding is about by looking at what different authors have said. Discuss various scholars opinions on the concept of “branding.” The first step here is to look at the meaning. Make sure current and relevant literature are used. This is 2021. It is expected that 80% of your literature cited must be between 2015-2021.
The dimensions of branding. Here, the measurement of branding or the components of branding should be discussed. The author should state how the study intends to measure branding and why those measures were adopted.
Write on “Firm Performance”. Consider what different studies have said about firm performance. Look at the different measures of firm performance, explain the different factors affecting firm performance and indicate how performance is used in the study.
Provide a link between your independent variable (Branding) and dependent variable (firm performance)
Create your conceptualization by combining the variables from the research papers you’ve read. Your statement of the problem or purpose of the study provides a starting point for writing it. In essence, your investigation will be sought to address a query that other investigators have not yet addressed. Your study should fill a knowledge gap.

Step 3: Theoretical Review

The theoretical review examines theoretical models (philosophies or entire theories), their interactions, the extent to which the theories have been investigated, and the development of new assumptions. The theoretical review consists of theories and models appropriate to the knowledge being considered and how they relate to the broader areas of knowledge. In this section, it is expected that the researcher will reveal all the theories relating to Branding and Firm Performance. It is also imperative that the author reveal the theories or theory on which the study is anchored from all the examined theories. The underpinning theory should be relevant to the discussion and gap the author seeks to address.

The theoretical framework enhances the research in the following areas.

An affirmative statement of fundamental propositions evaluates a study’s overall review of them.
The theoretical framework links the researcher to previously known information. You are provided with a foundation for your research objective and methods based on an existing theoretical view.
Conveying a study’s underlying concepts compels you to answer how and why questions. It enables you to progress from merely stating an existing behaviour to making assumptions about various facets of that phenomenon.
I am having a theory aids in identifying the limitations of those assumptions. A theoretical review specifies which key variables influence an exciting phenomenon. It informs you to investigate under what and how conditions those critical points could deviate.

Step 4: Empirical Literature Review

An empirical literature review investigates previous studies to answer a specific research question. The empirical review simply discusses the various studies research and recommendations for the future on your topic or people’s relevant literature comparable to your research work . Various researchers’ identities must be connected to their observations or statements. An empirical literature review, also known as a literature review, explores previous studies to answer a specific research question. The goal of the empirical review is to identify gaps in the literature. The empirical review is divided into three.

Developed Economies (Advanced Economies). Here the author is expected to examine all the literature done in the advanced countries on the topic in focus. The advanced countries include Canada, France, U.S.A, Britain and Italy.
Emerging Economies (Developing Countries): The literature from developing countries such as Brazil, India, Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia, etc. should be considered in the study
The country where the study is carried out: For instance, Nigeria. Various studies carried out on the researches area of study in the country of origin should be considered.

It is critical to state here that the Literature review will provide the author and the reader with what variables and theories the author intends to use or has used. Hence, relevant literature should be considered and various arguments examined in this section.

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Instructions for writing the Literature Review of your Final year project

Kush Tripathi
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How to write a literature review for your final year thesis project

How many papers should I read?
How long should the literature review be?
Should I read books, articles, or …?
Is it OK to reference websites such as Wikipedia ?
Who will read my literature review and what can I assume about their knowledge of the area?
When should I start the literature review and when should it be finished?

These questions crop up frequently and will be familiar to any readers who are starting their own project. However, when you fully understand the purpose of the literature and how to go about writing one, you begin to realise that these questions are actually not that important. This post is designed to help students make that transition, from not yet understanding what the literature review is for, to having a thorough understanding of its purpose and a clear idea of how to write it up.

The meaning of a final year project

A lot of students starting off their projects talk about writing a “report” at the end of their “project” and doing some “research” as part of their literature review. This is where the subtleties of the English language tend to cause a lot of confusion. “Research” can have many different meanings, and to complete a really successful final year project the first thing to do it to understand fully what is expected of you in an academic context. Even if your final year at University is the last experience you have of academic work , remember that your work will be marked according to academic criteria, and academia has quite different aims to industry.

So, to be clear: research , in an academic context, means adding something new to the body of knowledge that humans have gathered in your area of interest. Your project as a whole will be a piece of research because you will be creating something new that has not been created before. What that is exactly will depend on the field you are studying. It might be a new perspective on a piece of literature, a new proof of a theorem, a new application of a particular technology, or something else. Since you are still an undergraduate it is likely (although not necessary) that your work will be a small step forward. It is unlikely that you will produce something completely ground breaking, so don’t be intimidated by fact that your work has to be novel. That said, it may be that you produce an excellent piece of work and your supervisor may want to turn that into a technical report or conference paper with you, which would be great for your CV (or resume).

A thesis is a statement of belief that is central to your research. Your dissertation will be a piece of writing that defends your thesis, based on your research. So, for example, if your thesis is regular, online tests help University students to learn new material then you will need to implement some sort of online tests for new material, design and run an experiment to test your thesis, and write it up in your dissertation. Equally, if your thesis is water causes cancer in mice then you will need to plan and run an experiment to determine whether or not this is true and write it up. Notice that you may disprove your thesis in your work. It may be that online tests do not help students learn, or that water doesn’t cause cancer in mice. This is absolutely fine, so long as your experiments give a clear answer to the question and you can show that your experiments were performed fairly it doesn’t matter whether your thesis turns out to be incorrect or correct (in so far as you have tested it). It may also be that your evaluation is inconclusive, which is also acceptable, so long as your experimental method is good and you can say exactly what further work is necessary to produce a definite result, you will be fine.

Alternatively, you might phrase your thesis as a research question . In which case, instead of having a thesis such as water causes cancer in mice you would ask the question does water cause cancer in mice and your dissertation would describe your efforts to answer that question.

The shape of your dissertation and where the literature fits in

Every dissertation is slightly different, but good dissertations will all contain the same elements. I should say that the advice given in this sections is likely only relevant to science based projects. If you are working in the arts or some areas in the humanities then the expectations of you may well be very different. Still, a good dissertation in the sciences will contain roughly the elements listed below. I say “roughly” because, depending on the exact nature of your work, it may be sensible to expand some sections into two chapters rather than one, or to coalesce some elements into a single chapter. Your supervisor can give you more specific advice on this.

Introduction: should introduce the reader to the broad context of the research and explain why this is an interesting area to work in. So, if your thesis is something to do with mobile computing, you might say something here about why mobile phones are important, why mobile computing is an interesting and important area, and broadly what other researchers are working on. At the end of the chapter you will want to introduce your specific research question, having said why the area you are working in (and therefore your question) is important.
Literature review: Now you have introduced the reader (who will likely not be an expert in your exact area) to the broad research agenda in the field, and your research question, you can start writing more specifically about your own project. In this chapter you will survey the work that other researchers have done to answer your research question, or related questions. At the end of the chapter you should briefly explain how your own work builds on and differs from the work that has gone before it.
Method: this chapter should describe what you did to answer your research question (or to support your thesis, if you think of it that way), and how you went about it. You should describe your work in sufficient detail that another researcher could recreate your work to check your results.
Evaluation: here, you should evaluate what you have done, and say what answer (to your research question) you have arrived at. It may be that in your method you describe some experiments, and this section records your results and analysis of those results. This is an important section — most students gain or lose marks in either their literature review or evaluation. Key to producing a convincing evaluation is to plan very early in the project what information you will need to write this section. More on that in another blog post.
Conclusions: should summarise what you have done and how you answered the research question. It may be that your work produced a very clear answer to the question, or it may be that your work points to a need for further research to clarify or confirm your answer. You should refer back to the literature review and summarise how your research differs from (hopefully improves on) the work described in the literature. Make sure you also say what research you would do if you were to continue working on your project.
References: a list of publications cited in the main text, in Harvard style or similar format.

It is likely that most chapters will be roughly the same size, although the introductory chapter and conclusions are usually slightly shorter than the others. Try to let the lengths of each chapter be guided by the amount of useful and important information you have to convey to the reader, don’t impose artificial word limits on yourself.

Practical matters: how to start, how to finish and how to do the bit in the middle

Reading and understanding the work of others is a lifetimes work for professional researchers, it is not something that starts and stops on particular dates, according to a Gantt chart. Your final year project will have a hand in deadline, so you need to be a little more circumscribed about how work.

Now you know what a literature review is for, how it fits into your dissertation and how to go about writing your own, it would probably be useful to see an example of (part of) an example review. The paragraphs below give such an example and the text [in italics] is some commentary to explain how each part of the writing contributes towards the start of a good thesis chapter. When you read this, don’t worry too much about the subject matter, just try to concentrate on the style of writing and the structure of the text.

The area of pervasive, or ubiquitous, computing was founded by Wieser (1991) [ referenced] who predicted that computers would one day be integrated into everyday objects and interact with people seamlessly. Although few such products are available today Weiser’s work has led to the creation of a number of research areas, including ambient intelligence (Eli and Epstein 1998), smart dust (Khan et al, 1999) and the Internet of Things (Brickley et al, 2001). [Sets the historical context of the area and defines related areas.]

An early application of pervasive computing was the active badge location system, described by Want et al (1992), in which users and objects were tagged with an “active” badge which could locate and identify them. This system was based on ultrasound locationing, whereas later systems might use RFID technology to achieve the same effect. [describes how the field has changed over time] Uses of the active badge system included routing phone calls, email alerts and so on to the physical location of the receiver. [contextualises the fundamental research]

The Secret of the Literature Review (teesdiary.wordpress.com)
How to review a research paper (cmeforum.wordpress.com)
Dissertation Literature Reviews (ukdissertations.wordpress.com)
Preparing For Your Dissertation (ihumanresources.wordpress.com)

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Thesis and Dissertation

Final Year Project Literature Review

This will reveal to you my awesome reader what supervisors’ look out for in your literature review. STRUCTURE OF AN AWESOME LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction
Theoretical Framework
Conceptual Review
Empirical Review
Summary of Chapter

N/B: The arrangement may vary considering different formats of some tertiary institutions. But for a well written review of related literature, these components are needed. Introduction A brief introduction in your literature review will enable readers know what the chapter is all about. Not just that, it will also earn you good points. The introduction in the literature review section should be concise and it should spell out or highlight items to be discussed. Ideally, it should not exceed a standard page. Example ‘’This chapter gives an insight into various studies conducted by outstanding researchers, as well as explained terminologies with regards to the Challenges of Income Taxation in Ghana. The chapter also gives a resume of the history and present status of the problem delineated by a concise review of previous studies into closely related problems.’’ Theoretical Framework This section of literature review is very important and should be included in order to earn good marks in your research project. To ace your research project, you must do some research to develop relevant contents here. Students are expected to capture theories related to their study. These theories will later form the basis in which you study is based on. For easy understanding, if a student is writing on the effect of motivation on employee productivity; the Abraham Maslow’s Theory of motivation, Expectancy theory, Herzberg two factor theory etc., should come to mind. Conceptual Framework Another necessary aspect of the Literature Review is the conceptual framework or review. The conceptual framework covers all terminologies associated with the variables in the research. At a higher level (especially at the Masters and PhD levels), conceptual framework comes in form of a diagram or a figure showing how various variables interplay in the achievement of the research objectives or constructed ideas to solve an identified research problem. As revealed above, a conceptual framework should define each variable present in the research. (click here to read more on variables). For example, using our topic ‘effects of motivation on employee productivity: two key-words stand out: Motivation Independent variable Employee productivity Dependent variables Picking out the independent variable (motivation), a good conceptual framework will encompass subject in form of sub-headings such as: Types of motivation Forms of motivation Factors of motivation Problems of Motivating Employees in an organization etc. Same should follow for the dependent variables Empirical Review What has others done concerning your study? What studies already conducted relate to your work? Ever been asked these questions? Yes! …this is where you write your answers. The empirical review section is basically where you bring into light previous research studies conducted on your field of research or studies. It could be a related study or exact previous study on your research area. Using our topic mentioned earlier, the empirical review will encompass the findings and recommendations on the effects of motivation on employee productivity probably in China, Germany, Ikeja, Agege, Uyo, Oshogbo, Hong Kong etc. Here you bring in a bit of empirical evidence, properly documenting the researcher (s), year, location, sample size, finding as well as recommendations. Example: ‘’Recent research has examined the motivational effects of redesigning jobs to connect employees to their impact on the beneficiaries of their work-the clients, customers, patients, and other end users who are affected by their efforts (Grant, 2007). Organization scholars also used self determination theory to explain the motivation effects of transformational values leadership to inspire employees, model important values, and provide and judge (2003) conducted a field study and a laboratory experiment showing that transformational leaders encourage employees to set autonomous and higher performance. Interestingly, their field study suggested that transformational leadership was associated positively with antonymous motivation but had no relationship with controlled motivation, while their lab experiment indicated that transformational leadership reduced controlled motivation more strongly than it increased antonymous motivation.’’ Summary of chapter This section showcases your opinion on various related literatures reviewed in the chapter. This is where you are at liberty to state gaps identified in the research, your opinion on empirical and theoretical facts established, as well as where your study fits in the theoretical framework. Where do I get material for my literature review? 1. For conceptual framework, students can get good information from textbooks; research journals and the Internet (e.g. search engines like google.com and bing, useful research site like researchclue.com) 2. For empirical review and theoretical framework, it is imperative to read research journals. Published research journal will provide a solid foundation to source for authentic facts that relates to your study. The methodology, findings and recommendation section of a research journal will enable the student to develop empirical facts for his/her study. Examples of research journal sites are: Management: http://jom.sagepub.com http://aom.org Science: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_scientific_journals Accounting: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_accounting_journals Economics: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_economics_journals Bonus marks Literature reviewed must be related or related to the variables present in the research. References must not be too old, ideally references should not be beyond a decade (i.e. beyond 2005) All headings, diagrams and tables should be neatly arranged. Journal, text books, magazines, etc used in developing contents for the literature review should be related to your study Copy and paste from the journal published, textbook, internet, etc must be minimized.

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Final Year Project (FYP) 101: Pre-FYP Preparation

Table of Contents

Introduction

Fyp1 vs. fyp2, ippi vs, conventional fyp, solo vs. duo vs. group: which is better, choosing your project title, proposing your own project title, choosing existing title vs. proposing your own: which is better, choosing your supervisor, choosing project title vs. supervisor: which to prioritise.

This blog post provides a comprehensive guide and walkthrough of my Final Year Project (FYP) experience for the past 2 semesters.

It is intended to not only serve as a reference for those who will embark on a similar journey but also act as proper documentation for archiving all my knowledge and experience before memory fades ( I have a memory of a goldfish ).

Before that, full disclaimers:

All views expressed in this post are my own . This article showcases my own subjective view and apart from the backing of my credibility, it does not represent the faculty's official recommendations or views whatsoever.
My sharing is grounded or limited on the context of FYP in FCSIT UM for the Software Engineering department only and may not be fully applicable to those from other institutions or even other disciplines of my faculty.
The focus of this blog is more about sharing the things that are often left out/only discovered after going through FYP that I felt everyone should know in advance/hindsight and less about the technical things that you will eventually be briefed by the faculty's FYP coordinator before the start of your FYP.
Please keep in mind that FYP like most subject matters can be incredibly nuanced and no single anecdote or guide including this one can be exhaustive and comprehensive enough to cover everything.
If there are any inaccuracies in the information that is provided in this post or any future posts in the article series, please do not hesitate to message me personally and correct me .

This article series will be divided into several parts for easy readability, starting with the first one regarding pre-FYP preparation .

Without further ado, let's get right into it!

Before we dive into the content of the blog itself, I feel obliged to first briefly introduce myself to prove my credibility. After all, why should you trust my opinion/judgement ?

I am a recent graduate (fresh from the oven) of FCSIT UM who currently works as a Software Engineer at Dell Technologies Malaysia , based in Cyberjaya.

When it comes to my Final Year Project (FYP), I managed to obtain an A+ for both my FYP1 and FYP2 .

On top of that, my project has also received multiple accolades including Gold Medal Winner (Young Ideation Category) for International Digital Innovation in Wellness (DInoWEx2021) and Champion (IET Innovation Award) & Second Runner Up (Young Innovator Award) for IEEE Malaysia Final Year Project (FYP) Competition 2021 .

So in some ways, I think I hold some degree of qualifications to provide some handy tips and tricks on how to survive your FYP which is undoubtedly going to be the hardest phase of your degree life (which is kind of expected). Of course, I'm not always right so reader's discretion is very much advised .

Part 1: Pre-FYP Preparation

In case you don't know, FYP (or officially called Academic Project in the course plan) in FCSIT UM is being divided into 2 parts : Academic Project I and Academic Project II . Throughout not only this blog post but also the entire article series, I will refer to these two with their colloquial terms FYP1 and FYP2 respectively.

I will not go too deep into the details of the difference between the two, as everyone will eventually be briefed by the faculty's FYP coordinator regarding this, via this PDF linked from the coordinator's site . Note that the contents of the slides are a bit outdated (it still uses screenshots of the old Ilmiah system) and therefore will be subjected to changes in the future.

The following is an excerpt of the slide showing an overview of the differences between FYP1 and FYP2:

As you can see, FYP2 is being allocated more credit hours (5) compared to FYP1 (3) . This is because most of the development of your system will occur during FYP2 instead of FYP1 , where you will mostly be dealing with literature review research and outlining your project proposal.

It is also expected for you to take FYP1 and FYP2 during your 6th and 7th (final) semester as outlined in the course plan, though this is not set in stone as others may either take these courses early (due to postponing their industrial training) or later (going for exchange). Please also note that FCSIT UM Data Science students will be taking their FYP first before undergoing their internship.

Finally, you can see the weightage for the evaluation for each course. Both FYP1 and FYP2 have the same assessment components , where 60% will be evaluated by the appointed panels by each department FYP coordinator through your final presentation and viva session while the remaining 40% will be assessed entirely by your own supervisor for the final report submission .

Although FYP1 and FYP2 are separate courses, it does not mean that you will conduct 2 separate projects . Instead, it is a continuous development of a single project across the span of 2 semesters with separate evaluations . If you screw up your FYP1, you still have a chance to redeem yourself in FYP2.

I will spare the in-depth details regarding FYP1 and FYP2 in later parts of this article series. As I mentioned in my disclaimer, they will be focusing more on my experience. I will not go through much of the stuff that I'm sure that the faculty's FYP coordinator will brief further in detail and with more updated information later on.

While almost everyone knows that FYP is divided into 2 separate courses, very few know that there are 2 types of FYP that FCSIT UM students can undertake in the faculty.

The first one is what I would call a conventional FYP (or sometimes just known as normal FYP). This is what ~99% of students including myself will most likely take.

The second type which is often unheard of until the day of the FYP1 briefing is Innovative Product Project Initiative (IPPI) , a special FYP programme proposed by the faculty. It is an initiative to produce final year projects that are focusing more towards product innovation , prioritising commercialisation and marketability through active involvement with the industry .

The following screenshots summarise IPPI. IPPI projects must be conducted in a group of usually 3-5 cross-majoring students unlike normal FYP. Cross-majoring means that all group members must come from different departments . Because of the involvement of students from different departments, there will be multiple supervisors in a team as each student will have their supervisor.

The project title will also come from industrial partners (usually big ones) , therefore your stakeholders will also come from the industry. That is not the case for conventional FYP as the title will first be proposed by the supervisor and students can choose to collaborate with not just industrial representatives but also individuals from other organisations or domains as long as they can aid you in acquiring requirements for the project.

The idea behind this implementation is that students from different disciplines can work together and combine their unique skill sets to come up with an innovative project that is ready for commercialisation.

For example, one of my friends from Software Engineering took IPPI as his FYP in collaboration with Malaysia Airports. In that project, he is in charge of developing the mobile application part of the system. The Artificial Intelligence department representative will develop a recommendation system while his teammate from Information Systems will handle the web application as well as data visualisation and analytics.

The following table shows the summary of the key differences between IPPI and conventional FYP:

As for which one is better, I cannot say for sure as I'm only limited to my experience in conducting my FYP conventionally. The biggest advantage of IPPI that I can see is the valuable experience that you can get from collaborating directly and more closely with the industry . Though, keep in mind that this is not unique to just IPPI per se as you can still collaborate with industrial representatives as your stakeholders for conventional FYP.

In my opinion, you should only take IPPI if you are the type that not only prefers to work in a group, but can handle the pressure of working alongside the industry.

If you want to know about IPPI from a student's perspective, feel free to contact me personally for me to provide you with my friend's contact number.

One of the initial dilemmas way before the FYP journey even began ( as early as during my second year ) was deciding on whether I wanted to do my FYP alone , together with a partner or in a group .

Some of my peers once remarked that they expected me to conduct my FYP solo because they felt that I seem to be the lone wolf type and I need not rely on anyone else since I'm fully capable of doing things on my own.

While their inference is incorrect; that my instinct is almost always to try and tackle things alone, I decided to go against my general preference for FYP and instead choose to do it with a partner for a few reasons:

" If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together "

Some of you might be familiar with this adage before. To me, it sums up perfectly the main reason why I decided not to do my FYP alone. Despite my personal preference to work alone, I can't refute the benefits of effective collaboration with others and how they can outweigh the advantages of working independently. The sharing of different ideas and perspectives can not only serve as a check-and-balance or quality control to your understanding and progress, but it can also indirectly bring out more of your inner potential. In software engineering specifically software testing, there is this popular technique known as rubber duck debugging . This debugging method asks you to explain your code in the simplest terms line by line as if you're speaking to a cute yet uninformed rubber duck (hence the name). When you present your work to others, they can help scrutinise and spot your misconceptions and biases , helping you get back on track more quickly. I can vouch for this from my personal experience. It’s a common misconception that software engineering is a solitary field. In one of the sharing sessions I attended during my 6th semester, I was informed that Dell employs pair programming culture among its employees ( which I’m truly relieved knowing ). I doubt that Dell is the only company practising this approach, and one can't help but wonder why software companies emphasise collaboration so much. Perhaps, some of the rationales include the ones I mentioned earlier. Of course, working alone has its perks. But, there's no denying that while you can do a lot by yourself, you can do the impossible with a great team . Simple arithmetic even proves that. Only amongst the many, can you achieve greater heights.

Found myself a reliable partner

The first point heavily relies on the assumption that whomever you teamed up with has synergy in working alongside you. There's always a risk that this person may drag you down instead of propelling you towards success. This leads to my circumstance where I found myself incredibly lucky to have a friend that is undoubtedly compatible with me in many ways, particularly towards my work ethic . As a self-proclaimed workaholic, I concede that my work regiment is not everyone's cup of tea. But after years of working together on group assignments since we were in the first year, I knew that I can place my trust in my friend Faidz Hazirah on nearly everything. That being said, not everyone has the privilege of having someone that they can rely on both work and personal matters . I'm sure we enjoy our friends' company for leisure purposes, but we wouldn’t necessarily want to work with them if given the chance. In other words, one can be a good friend but a terrible colleague (and vice versa). For me, I happened to strike gold by finding a person who can do both. Because of this, if you decide on doing your FYP with a partner or in a group, do take note of this human factor . Be sure that you can work well through thick and thin with whomever you will be teamed up with, which by the way you yourself get to decide; not your supervisor or anyone else. Remember that this arduous journey will last 2 semesters, so you will be stuck with whomever you chose for roughly 1 year. If someone pops up in mind that seems to check all the boxes, then good for you! Otherwise, you have to go back to the drawing board and think further.

Desire to challenge myself with more complex projects

At first glance, this point might be more suited towards convincing oneself to do your FYP alone but hear me out. Generally speaking, the complexity of a project title is directly proportional to how many students are required in undertaking said title. In other words, the more students are involved, the more difficult or the bigger the scope of the project title is expected to be. Therefore, if you decide to conduct your FYP either with a partner or in a group of 3/4 (the maximum that I heard of is 4 members per group), you have to justify the need for that many 'human resources' from the complexity of the project title that you either propose on your own or obtained from your chosen supervisor. This is a common issue encountered by many final year students including myself, where the panels will point out during viva session (usually in FYP1) that the project requirements or proposed modules are insufficient/not complex enough; that they don't make full use of the number of students involved and the project can easily be done by 1 person only. That is why, generally it's easier for the panels to appreciate a complex project achieved by a single student compared to the same project developed by a group of students, which is undoubtedly an advantage for lone rangers out there. Some supervisors went so far as to not recommend that students form a group for FYP and limit the number of students to a maximum of 2 (except for IPPI) out of concern that the students could not come up with a complex enough system, at least for the Software Engineering department in FCSIT UM. I was told that some universities even only allow their students to conduct FYP alone for CS/IT degrees. Despite the risk, I decided to go ahead anyway and try to find an existing title or propose my own that is as complex as possible as a starting point. Sure, I can do the same while doing my FYP independently, but working with a partner indirectly incentivises me to constantly figure out how else can this project be improved in terms of complexity.

FYP is a lonely journey

This last justification somewhat relates to my second point but focuses more on the personal side of things. Trust me when I say this; FYP can be a lonely journey if you don't have someone to talk to . Now that I've completed mine, I really cannot imagine going through all of the hurdles alone without having to occasionally rant about my struggles to my partner. Pair programming allows me to freely express my problems—both personal and work-related—to someone who can empathise and potentially help solve those problems so that I won't be stuck spinning my wheels all day. Of course, the astute of you might rebut by saying that the need to have someone to communicate your issues with and conduct your FYP alone are not mutually exclusive. Meaning, you can still work on your FYP solo and talk to your friends about it. While that is true, it is only so to a certain extent . There's only so much that your other friends can relate to and therefore help . For example, if they're not from CS/IT background, obviously they can't help you with your code. Even if they are your peers from the same discipline, keep in mind that they too have their FYPs to handle. It would be unwise to expect that they can help you with the same level of detail and granularity when seeking help from your teammate. Besides, I do not want to spend my final year mostly alone while staring at the pixels on my screen for hours on end. At the very least, by having a partner, the journey won't be as bleak and boring. After all, the more the merrier, am I right ?

These are my personal reasons for undergoing my FYP with a partner. This differs on an individual basis , and you may disagree with some of my rationales. It is not my intention in this post to claim that working with a partner will always be the best way forward. At the end of the day, what matters most is your own preference , and whatever floats your boat .

Another important step towards your FYP journey is... well, deciding what project you want to pursue.

At least in FCSIT UM, students are allowed to either choose an existing title provided by a supervisor, or propose their own to the supervisor of their choice.

Picking an existing title is the most popular among students and arguably the default option, which is what I will cover first. Generally, all lecturers or supervisors of each department in the faculty are required to supervise a certain number of students, and therefore will need to provide several titles for the students to choose from. This is to ensure that there are going to be enough titles available to cater for everyone, at least ideally speaking.

For FCSIT UM students, you can view the list of all published titles for each department from the recently revamped FCSIT UM Ilmiah site by clicking the Project link at the top navigation bar. And yes, you don't have to log in to do just that. Your login credentials will be given by the faculty's FYP coordinator during the briefing held before the start of FYP1, which is compulsory for all final-year students who will be taking FYP1 to attend. You mostly need to log in to submit your FYP deliverables notably the Google Drive links to your monitoring presentation, final presentation and final report.

Once you found a project title that piqued your interest, you can reserve/confirm the title by contacting the corresponding supervisor preferably via email (as of the time of writing, the Ilmiah system does not have a built-in reservation system).

I highly recommend that you set up a meeting with your potential supervisors first notifying them of your interest to know more about the titles before jumping straight to reserving a title so that you can discuss more in-depth regarding the corresponding project title. After all, there's only so much that an email conversation can carry before it becomes too bloated. Plus, it may also indirectly give off a good impression to them that you're enthusiastic in your pursuit of choosing your project title.

I do also need to emphasise that if you decide to back off and not proceed with a supervisor's project title after notifying them of your interest, you can do so as long as you haven't confirmed anything with them and your title has not been updated inside Ilmiah . Please do not hesitate to contact them and tell them the truth instead of leaving them in the dark, which is disrespectful. Don't worry about disheartening them as most of them will understand that you're just surveying around. It is your right to know the details of each project title and ultimately choose whichever one you prefer.

If however, you wish to change your project title after it has been confirmed with your supervisor and reflected inside Ilmiah, unfortunately, I believe you cannot do so . But, you can try out your luck by approaching the faculty's FYP coordinator and describing your situation.

Now, it goes without saying that a student can only secure 1 project title ( why on earth would anyone want more ) and a project title can have multiple students . But, one unspoken (and rather unpopular) fact is that not all project titles are the same . Meaning, some project titles are—at least on the surface—inherently better than others in many ways such as based on the following self-outlined criteria:

Originality
Commercial value
Gravity/strength of problem statements
Value of proposed product/solution.

Take the complexity of the project for example. Different project titles have different ways to justify their complexity . For instance, some may incorporate elements of data science and machine learning (e.g. developing their model, building a recommendation system), cloud computing (e.g. using technologies from AWS, Azure) or even developing both a web and mobile application of the same system (although this last example is a bit controversial; more on this later).

Because not all project titles are created equal, and the reservation of these titles comes on a first-come-first-serve basis, you have to move fast if you want to secure some of the best/most interesting ones. For your information, the titles will be published sometime around the first week of the semester and you're only given 3-4 weeks after the semester commences to select the title of your choice (the earlier, the better so that you can start your FYP1 literature review research early).

However, what most students are unaware of is that all project titles proposed by the supervisors have to be submitted, vetted and approved by the faculty's FYP coordinator first before being published in the Ilmiah system. Usually, the supervisors will have to submit their titles a few weeks before the semester begins. This means that you can scout for the titles early before the start of the semester to gain the first mover advantage, and hopefully, be able to get some titles reserved for you.

And that's precisely what my partner and I did before FYP1 started. Rather than wait for the titles of all supervisors to appear in Ilmiah, we took the liberty of emailing some of the supervisors that we know of (8 in total, as shown in the screenshot below).

Keep in mind that, not all lecturers may have their titles ready by the time you emailed them as they might have not been approved by the FYP coordinator yet and therefore may not even be willing to release their titles early. But from our experience, most if not all of the lecturers are fine with it. Some even commended our effort for approaching supervisors early! You can see from the screenshots below an excerpt of the email we sent as well as the replies we got from some of the supervisors.

It was through this approach that I managed to secure my FYP title. In case you're curious about what made me choose the title that I had, this is a summary of the key reasons why (related to the title itself):

It's not just pure web development I knew from the very beginning that I didn't want my FYP to merely be a CRUD-heavy web-based system (I mean no disrespect to my peers or seniors who developed such a system for their FYP). My rationale was that it'd be nothing but just an amplified version of my previous Web Programming course assignment. I felt that FYP is my final opportunity to diversify my skill set and branch out into other areas of computer science such as machine learning and cloud computing as it's highly unlikely that I would get such a chance when I'm working later.
'Wow' factor and originality According to my soon-to-be-supervisor during our short preliminary meeting before we confirmed our title with her, the research involved in our project title is novel and has never been done before (and this has been confirmed further in our FYP1 literature review). The idea that my partner and I will be bringing something new onto the table is deeply intriguing. In some weird way, we felt it in our guts at the time when we were surveying titles that this particular project can go far. That being said, please do not mistake my reasoning as implying that only fully original projects are good ones . That could not stray further from the truth. Just because your proposed system is new doesn't always mean that it's good . Similar systems related to your project could have already existed in the status quo (in fact, that's most likely the case ) and you can still add the 'wow' factor by improving it further. How to do that and what exactly defines a 'wow' factor depends a lot on the project that you will be doing and it's part of the challenge of doing your FYP.
Complexity in Scope As mentioned earlier, the complexity of your system also affects the evaluation of your FYP . Because our project involves both machine learning and the Internet of Things (IoT), my partner and I were confident that this alone will help in increasing the level of complexity of our project. Of course, that doesn't mean you have to incorporate ML or cloud technologies to make your project complex. For Software Engineering students, there is also a risk of adding elements which do not have much relation to our discipline. For instance, some panels in the SE department may not be able to fully comprehend and appreciate the machine learning work that you've done as it's mostly back-end work. To them, it's merely just importing existing libraries and making it work when in reality it's so, so much more than that. Furthermore, if let's say you're a Software Engineering student, bear in mind that ultimately you will be evaluated based on your SE skills, not AI. But as someone who did incorporate ML in his FYP, don't let that hinder you from stepping out of your comfort zone! If you want to explore ML in your FYP and your project necessitates using it, go ahead! Even adding more CRUD-based modules to your web application can help increase the complexity. Other strategies that I noticed from my peers include developing a mobile app counterpart , adding gamification elements and integrating payment gateways . Regardless of the method you choose to increase your system complexity, what you need to keep in mind is that you cannot simply increase your project complexity just for the sake of doing on e. Whatever elements or modules you plan to add have to make sense in terms of the overall picture of how your system works.

As I mentioned previously, you can also propose your project title to your preferred supervisor. Sometimes, they may require you to provide a simple proposal for them to review or even mandate you to submit said proposal to the faculty's FYP coordinator for approval first before proceeding further.

Such was the case for my partner and I during our search for our project title. We prepared our proposals for 3 different project titles that we brainstormed ourselves as a backup in case none of the existing project titles in Ilmiah are to our taste. I've included one of them as an example for your reference.

The format is somewhat arbitrary and you don't necessarily have to follow the exact format in the example (I based mine on this format in case you want to refer). What matters most is the problem statement , objectives and proposed modules of the system. You can go for more detail but I suggest to keep it brief and concise as to not burden the lecturer reading it.

For myself, I prioritise the supervisors' titles proposed in Ilmiah over my mostly on the basis that the supervisors most likely have given far more thought to their proposed titles than the ones we come up with ourselves (as amateurs, we lack insight). Proposing my own is more like a last resort , but it is all up to your preference .

Even if you have your ideas brewing inside your head since the very beginning, you can always try to choose the most relevant existing title as starting point and try to incorporate your ideas from there instead of starting from scratch. Perhaps some of those ideas can become additional modules and serve as extensions to the project instead of becoming its own project if that makes sense.

At the end of the day, you have to remember that the titles are not static in nature . Their brief descriptions are just initial impressions/plans and are intentionally not clearly defined . It is your job later especially during FYP1 to define the scope based on your literature review research , requirements elicited from your stakeholders and counsel from your supervisor .

So, don't judge them solely at face value and instead, think about their long-term potential . I've seen some of the titles taken by my peers that I initially passed on as boring that ended up becoming interesting when realised into a full-fledged system. You will almost definitely encounter some dilemmas in choosing your title, but I hope these tips and insight help to clear the doubt.

When you decide on your project title, you cannot exclude the person behind the proposal of the title itself which is the supervisor . Just like how you can be picky in selecting who gets to be in your group assignment, you too can do the same when determining your future supervisor.

Choosing the right supervisor plays an important role not just in your FYP journey, but also even for postgraduate and doctoral research. They will be in charge of not only guiding your throughout the process but also evaluating you in terms of your final report submission and soft skills.

I've outlined 3 main aspects that I considered sharing with everyone:

Active vs. Passive This first aspect depends a lot on one's preference. Active here refers to the type of supervision where the supervisor exerts a lot of control over your FYP . For example, the supervisor might have already secured and contacted stakeholders for you requires frequent meetings and updates and generally has pre-defined most of the scope and requirements of the project. The biggest pros of this supervision style are that you don't have to do much apart from developing the system . All you have to do is just follow the path and roadmap already laid upon you. There's no need to start from scratch and find stakeholders on your own for example (though you still be in charge of liaising with them). I noticed that supervisors who adopted this approach are usually the ones where the stakeholders of their proposed project titles are their friends or colleagues. The cons, however, is that you might have little say over how the project should chart its course . This type of supervision is what most students would say as 'strict'. Most of the requirements are already set in stone and aren't likely to change much if not at all, which makes these projects more suited towards the Waterfall SDLC model. They might also be critical towards the system design such as the diagrams (use case, class etc.), the wording of the individual requirements and the format and writing of the final report. If you wish to propose your changes or ideas, you will have to go through some level of scrutiny. There’s a higher tendency of the supervisor micro-managing your project. Passive supervision on the other hand is a bit laid-back . The supervisor will most likely only intervene if you ask them to do so . Lecturers who fit this description tend to be very busy and therefore won't have as much free time to organise frequent meetings and scrutinise the most minute of matters. This could be a good thing for those students (like myself) who prefer to be given as much room and freedom to develop the system and bring their ideas onto the table without much assistance from anyone else including your supervisor. It will feel more like your FYP will be your project rather than your supervisor's. Hence, if you're the independent type, then this supervision style might be for you. That being said, the biggest downside is that you cannot expect to get a lot of guidance from your supervisor . Even if you did approach them, they will sometimes give short, generic answers and let you figure out the details on your own . I say that this is a con because no matter how much you wanted to stay independent, ultimately you cannot avoid asking for your supervisor's input in the project development . Getting a slow or non-specific response can drag your project's progress. I've heard some of my peers complain about how they were lulled into a false sense of comfort when their supervisors seem to be fine with nearly everything that they did after asking them to check, only to find out that the panels criticised them for it. In reality, not all supervisors will fit this simplistic binary classification or characterisation of supervision style , which again is solely based on my observation. Ideally, the best type of supervision would be somewhere around the middle; they can give constructive feedback when asked and will not hesitate to entrust their students to develop the project. At the end of the day, it's up to you what fits your style best and that both your and your supervisor’s expectations match so that you can receive the best possible support.

Field of Expertise Every lecturer has their fields of expertise based on the research that they have done. For UM lecturers, we can easily see their research focus or even dive into their publications and CV by searching their names from UMExpert .

The reason why it's important to take into account a supervisor's experience and research interests is that you would want to ensure that your project title (especially if you propose your own) is aligned with their areas of expertise so that they can advise you better . For example, if your project involves machine learning, surely a supervisor with ample experience in said field can provide more specific advice that's tailored to what you're doing compared to someone who does not have the slightest idea about it. Trust me, the quality of your supervisor's counsel can sometimes make or break your FYP . Therefore, take some time to also consider a supervisor's expertise when scouting for one and don't just favour a supervisor simply because they're nice.

Number of students handled This last factor considers how many students a given supervisor expects to handle for FYP during that semester. As I mentioned previously, by right all lecturers are given a certain quota to propose several project titles for students to choose from. But in reality, not all lecturers will propose a title/supervise any student due to reasons such as sabbatical leave. Even if they do, different lecturers will handle a different number of students . Some lecturers may supervise up to 10 students (individual/pair/group) while others may only supervise 1 or 2. How does the number of students supervised by a lecturer affect your FYP experience? Well, if your supervisor only supervises you and a few students , then they can allocate more time and attention to advising you on your project. You can have the flexibility to organise more frequent meetings and gain specific/personalised advice on how to go forward with your project. Meanwhile, if your supervisor handles a lot of students, you cannot expect your supervisor to give 100% attention to your project alone . Meetings are also sometimes conducted together with students from other projects, where each project will take turns to report their progress which means you only have a small window of time to ask any questions. For my FYP experience, I belonged in the first case as my partner and I were the only students that my supervisor handled. She initially proposed 2 project titles but we were the only ones who took up one of them. Hence, I can vouch that having a supervisor that does not handle too many students makes for a better FYP experience in my opinion. I know that my supervisor can take time to go through all my work and questions and respond with a thorough answer instead of a half-assed one (no offence).

These are just some of the factors that I considered. Please note that just because your chosen supervisor doesn't agree with the criteria mentioned above doesn't mean it's game over . There's so much more about your FYP that's arguably more crucial than your supervisor as discussed in the next part.

While I was surveying for my project titles, I found myself in a somewhat unexpected predicament. I knew exactly what to consider for shortlisting a project title and supervisor, but I never thought about prioritising which one , especially if I'm stuck in choosing between the two: A really interesting project title but proposed by a supervisor in which supervision style is not my cup of tea, versus securing a supervisor whom I like working with but has decent project titles.

In this situation, it can be difficult to know at first which one is more important. But if you ask me, you should always prioritise the project title first before the supervisor . This includes factoring in whether the title suits your interest or passion.

From my experience, at some of the lowest moments of your FYP journey , sometimes the passion that you had when you chose the title is the main if not the only thing that can motivate you . Not whether or not your supervisor is nice to you or is lenient in giving marks. In other words, whether the project title resonates with your interest will carry you a long way .

So, it's fine if you chose a project title that you like, but your eventual supervisor may or may not be your first choice or ticks all of the factors that I mentioned previously. This was precisely the case for my FYP. I was fixated on the project title of my supervisor when I first heard of it, but there's a catch: I had never once been taught or even met this lecturer before. Therefore, it was a risk for me to take her as my supervisor and during FYP1 especially, we got off to a bit of a rough start at first. But eventually, things worked out in the end.

There are many ways to structure your research project. You may be given an exact structure to follow from your supervisor or you may have to decide on the structure that most suits your project. You should always consult your module handbook and your supervisor when deciding on the structure of your project .

In this section you will find some general advice about creating a coherent structure, some examples of common structures and some guidance to the type of content that is usually included in the different sections of a research project. You will not need to include all of the sections covered below; instead choose the parts relevant for your specific project.

Click below to see some example structures for different types of project:

Literature-based structure

If you are using a literature-based structure, you might look at:

Introduction

Themed Chapters
Reference List/Bibliography

Research report structure

If you are writing a research report, you might look at:

Literature Review
Methodology/Methods
Findings/Results and Discussion

Business report structure

If you are writing a business report, you might look at:

Executive Summary

Technical report structure

If you are writing a technical report, you might look at:

There are different chapter combinations depending on your type of project – consult your supervisor if you are unsure. There are more example structures within the advice about creating a coherent structure directly below.

Creating a Coherent Structure

Creating a coherent structure

You will need to consider both the overall structure of your project and the structure within each chapter/section. It will be easier to understand and identify your key points if your work is organised in a logical and coherent manner. This means thinking about your reader; what do they need to know and in what order? You should have a clear idea of the questions you are answering and the argument(s) that will build throughout your project. Each chapter/section should link together with a common theme that underpins the whole of your work, and should lead towards a logical conclusion.

It can be useful to outline the overall structure as part of your introduction particularly if you are not using a prescriptive structure (i.e. intro, literature review, methodology, findings, discussion, conclusion). Explain briefly to the reader what will be in each chapter and why. Outline your key arguments and the order in which they will be presented. It can also be useful to include a short introduction and conclusion within each chapter.

Use meaningful headings and sub-headings to guide your reader through your written work. The examples below show tables of contents for different types of research project. You will notice that each project uses very specific headings to inform their reader of what to expect in that section. This will help the reader, but also helps you to plan your content and ensure it is in a logical order and directly relevant to your topic.

Video - What does a coherent structure look like? View video using Microsoft Stream (link opens in a new window, available for University members only).

Abstract/Executive Summary

Abstract or executive summary

Presented at the start of your research project after the title page, the abstract provides a brief summary of your whole project and should be written at the end of the process. It should include:

The purpose of the research project and the question you are attempting to answer
The methods you used to conduct your research
The main findings and conclusions

If you are writing a business report you may be expected to include an executive summary instead of an abstract. Written last, it will be presented after the title page and will provide a summary of the report. It will usually be longer than a research abstract (approx. 2 paragraphs), and will:

Outline the key problem
Identify the scope and objectives
Emphasise the main findings and conclusions
Highlight the crucial recommendations

The Introduction

This is where you will set the scene for the rest of your project. There is not one way to write it, but asking yourself these questions can help you to present a clear and well-structured introduction:

What are you doing?

Why are you doing, how are you going to do it.

If you are not incorporating a separate literature review or background chapter you might include a review of relevant current literature in your introduction.

The use of themed chapters is common in arts and humanities, or if you are undertaking a literature-based project. These chapters are where you will present and build your arguments. Each chapter should deal with a major aspect of your subject but link together. Remember you are constructing an argument, not just reporting your research or the research of others. You should analyse and evaluate the primary evidence, arguments ideas and conclusions presented.

Give your chapter clear titles, not just chapter 1, chapter 2 etc. Your title should accurately reflect the content and should be consistent in terms of tone and writing style.

Literature review

You will probably find that you have a lot of material to read through for your research project, and that can feel overwhelming. There are different strategies that you can use to help make your reading more efficient and to decide which sources are relevant to your project.

Video - What is a literature review and why is it an important part of a research project? View video using Microsoft Stream (link opens in a new window, available for University members only).

A literature review IS NOT :

A descriptive list or summary of sources, such as books and journals
An exhaustive bibliography on everything ever written on the topic - you need to make decision about what to include

A literature review SHOULD :

Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of your topic area, including key concepts, controversies or debates, significant authors, terminology, theories and definitions
Identify what research has been conducted and identify any gaps or limitations in the research to help you formulate your own research question
Identify the main research methodologies in your subject area
Provide a context and justification for your own work

Video - What did you find most difficult about doing your literature review? View video using Microsoft Stream (link opens in a new window, available for University members only).

Structure of a literature review

Every literature review is different; how you structure your review will depend on the type of final year project you are writing and what subject you are studying. It is a good idea to seek guidance from your supervisor.

Below are some common structures that could be considered, and it may be appropriate to combine these approaches. You may want to check with your supervisor about which structure(s) would be most appropriate for you.

Thematically

Chronologically, methodologically/theoretically.

Once you have decided on the structure of your review, you can develop headings and subheadings.

When deciding on the structure of your literature review, you may want to think about the degree of depth that you need to go into when discussing previous research. You could structure your review by starting off with general references to the literature in the topic area, then move closer to the literature that is directly relevant to your study. This is sometimes referred to as a funnel structure.

Medium Shots

Funnel model adapted from Succeeding with your doctorate by Wellington et al., 2005.

Longs shots and close ups adapted from Surviving your dissertation by Rudestam, 2007.

Introduction to a literature review

The introduction to your literature review may include:

Why the topic you are looking at is important - is it an area of current interest?
Has the topic been widely researched or not?
Any significant gaps in the research
Any debates of controversy about the topic, or whether there is a consensus?
The scope of the review - what aspects of the topic are you going to cover in your review?
How is the review organised, e.g. chronologically, thematically or methodologically?

Checklist adapted from Writing a Literature Review session, delivered by Dr Hazel Kent and Jane Sharp, Bishop Grosseteste University College, Lincoln, 2011.

Writing critically in the literature review

When you start to write your literature review, you need to draw on the critiques you have developed during the critical reading stage . You should be writing critically about the literature which can include:

Comparing and contrasting different theories, concepts etc., and indicating the position you are taking for your own work
Showing how limitations in others’ work creates a research gap for you
Strategic and selective referencing to support the underpinning arguments which form the basis of your research
Synthesising and reformulating arguments from various sources to create a new/more developed point of view
Agreeing with/defending a point of view or finding
Accepting that current viewpoints have some strengths, but qualifying your position by highlighting weaknesses
Rejecting a point of view with reasons (e.g. lack of evidence)
Making connections between sources

List adapted from Ridley, D. 2008. The literature review: A step-by-step guide for students. London: SAGE .

The Conclusion of a literature review

Conclude your literature review with a statement that summarises your review and links this to your own research/current issues.

Reviewing your literature review

This checklist will help you assess your literature review. Writing a literature review is an iterative process, so be prepared to re-visit it if you feel you haven’t addressed all of these questions:

Does your review show a clear understanding of the topic?
Have all key landmark studies been cited and most of them discussed?
Is there a suitable structure and logical development to the review?
Does the review state clear conclusions about previous research, using appropriate evidence?
Does the review show the variety of definitions and approaches to the topic?
Does the review reach sound recommendations, using a coherent argument that is based on evidence?
Is the text written in a clear style, free of spelling and grammatical errors and with complete references?
Does the review show a gap in existing knowledge?

Anticipate readers’ questions, do not leave your work open to questions such as:

“What is your point here?”
“What makes you think so?”
“What is your evidence?”

Methodology / Methods

The methods section would usually appear after your literature review. For more information about what goes into this section, please see Researching Your Topic .

Findings / results and discussion

You might combine your findings and discussion into one chapter, or you might present them in two separate chapters.

Findings/results

You should provide an objective description of the key findings that help you to answer your research question(s). Even if your findings/results section is separate from your discussion, it is usually appropriate to highlight any significant results, indicating whether they confirm, partially support, are inconclusive, or contradict your hypothesis or previous research.

You need to consider the best way to organise your results, such as under the headings that reflect your research questions or by importance; consult your supervisor if you are unsure.

You should consider using headings and sub-headings to help your reader navigate your results.

Where appropriate, use tables, graphs or other visual aids to help your reader understand your results. Make sure they are clearly labelled and that you explain them in your text. You don’t need to present all of your data/results in this section, just highlight the key trends and use your appendix to provide the rest of the data.

You need to interpret and critically analyse your results and explain to what extent and in what way they answer your research questions. You need to set your findings within the context of existing research that you will have discussed earlier in your project, usually in the literature review. It might be helpful to consider the following questions:

Do your findings reflect, contradict or build on existing knowledge?
Do they confirm, partially support, are inconclusive or contradict your hypothesis?
Are there any anomalies?
Were your findings unexpected and why that might be?
What are the implications of your findings?

Here you can return your writing to the context of the wider academic debates. This should draw everything together and reiterate your main argument(s). Don’t bring in any new ideas/theories into your conclusion; anything you write about here should already have been discussed in the main body.

What have you found? Remind the reader of your research problem, including your aims and objectives and research questions
Synthesise your main findings. This will involve highlighting the main themes and showing how they fit together (rather than repeating all of your points). What is your overall conclusion?
How does your work correspond with, or differ from, other studies or theories?
What has your research added to the academic debate in this area? Do you have any recommendations for future research, or implications for the real world?

Reference list / bibliography

You need to include a list of all the material you have cited throughout your project. Check with your school which referencing style you should use. For more information on referencing see Writing Up Your Project .

This is supplementary material that the reader may want to see, but does not fit into the main body of your project e.g. example questionnaire, consent forms, complete raw data. Clearly label your appendices (e.g Appendix A, Appendix B etc.) and use these labels when referring to your appendices in your project, e.g. "Appendix A shows…". Appendices are usually not included in your word count but make sure you check this with your supervisor.

Coherent structure in chapters Example

The following is from a School of Languages, Cultures and Societies master's dissertation entitled 'Antoinette's construction of the Self in Wide Sargasso Sea'.

Click to view and print this example .

Intro to Chapter 2

The second chapter of my research project focuses on the identity of the controversial character Antoinette in the 1966 - postcolonial novel Wide Sargasso Sea. While investigating the reasons that make Rhys’ masterpiece a rewriting of the canonical novel of Jane Eyre, I will also examine the intertextual relationship between Jane Eyre and Wide Sargasso Sea in order to explain how the Caribbean author managed to comply with her intention of restoring Antoinette’s identity; in fact, ‘remaining faithful to Brontë's plot line, Rhys exhibits the differences between the two sides of the Atlantic, the differences across the Sargasso Sea.

Furthermore, aided by Spivak’s and Lacan’s theorisations of the Other in relation to the Self, I will delve into the challenging task of comprehending the affirmation of an in-between identity such as that of Antoinette. This unit will, thus, lay the foundation for the analysis of subjectivity in letters which will be presented in the third chapter of this dissertation.

Conclusion to Chapter 2

The second chapter of the present research has offered an unusual interpretation of the construction of Antoinette’s identity in contrast to the latest critics of the impossible affirmation of the mad woman’s Self over the Other. Drawing on James’s and Sarup’s theorisations of the identity together with the Hegelian contribution to the subject, this chapter has demonstrated how Rhys has successfully accomplished her original aim of giving a life and an identity to Antoinette through the deconstruction of the oppressed character of Jane Eyre’s Bertha. The final chapter of this piece of research will attempt to prove the same through the analysis of the primary resource of Wide Sargasso Sea.

Intro to Chapter 3

If the second chapter of my piece of research tried to defend Rhys against her fierce critics who maintain that her attempt of Antoinette’s identity construction in the post- colonial novel of Wide Sargasso Sea is unsuccessful, the third one will aim to outlining the literary devices used by the author to construct Antoinette’s identity. While bearing in mind Lacan’s and Hegel’s approaches to the Self/ Other couplet, introduced in the previous chapter, this unit will analyse the relationship of power between Antoinette and Rochester in the heroine’s appropriation of the Self and it will give proof of Antoinette’s construction of subjectivity through the linguistic analysis of letters in Wide Sargasso Sea.

Click below to highlight areas of this introduction commented on by a tutor:

The student provides a short introduction to this chapter by referring back to themes they have introduced in the previous chapter, and then then detailing how these will be explored more specifically in this chapter
At the end of the chapter the student provides a brief conclusion which provides a recap on the main themes covered and then links forward to the next chapter
Here the student makes a very clear connection for the reader between the previous chapter and current chapter. They provide an explanation of how the ideas connect, and what the reader can expect from reading this chapter

Table of Contents Example 1

The following table of contents is from a School of Law undergraduate dissertation entitled 'The potential effects of reduced street lighting on crime: an empirical study of the 'selective part-night street lighting' scheme in Leeds'.

Acknowledgements

Chapter 1: background.

Leeds City Council’s ‘selective part-night street lighting’ scheme
Selective part-night street lighting’s potential impacts on crime
Reductions in street lighting and crime displacement

Chapter 2: Empirical study

Preliminary concerns
Research methods

Chapter 3: Summary of results

Primary data: street level crime trends
Secondary data: ward level crime trends

Chapter 4: Discussion

Research limitations
Appendix 1: Supplementary evidence
Appendix 2: Raw primary research data
Appendix 3: SPNSL site maps
Appendix 4: Raw secondary research data

Table of Contents Example 2

The following table of contents is from a School of Mathematics undergraduate project entitled 'The dynamics of accretion discs'.

General introduction

Physical preliminaries.

Position, velocity and acceleration
Cylindrical polar coordinates
Newton's laws of motion
Linear and angular moment
Newton’s law of gravity and gravitational field
Equations of envy

The motion of particles in space

Two body problem
Reduction to a one body problem
Minimum energy state

Further dissipation of energy

Angular momentum transportation
Mass transportation
Summary of discrete particle analysis

Astrophysical fluid dynamics equations

Introduction to a fluid element
Lagrangian description of fluids
Conservation of mass
Forces on a fluid
Equation of a motion
Conservation of mass analysis
Equation of motion analysis
Derivation of the surface density diffusion equation
Analysis of the diffusion equation
Discussion of solution and steady state disc
Keplerian assumption validation
Accretion rates and luminosities of a steady disc
Confrontation with observations

Magnetohydrodynamics equations

Introduction to MHD
The induction equation
Ideal MHD equation of motion
Summary of ideal MHD equation

Magnetised accretion disc

Linear perturbation analysis
MHD Waves and the origin of instability
Discussion of linear stability analysis

Conclusion of the dynamics of accretion discs

Expressions in cylindrical coordinates, vector calculus identites, table of contents example 3.

The following table of contents is from a School of History undergraduate dissertation entitled 'Celebrities of an Age of War, 1739-1815'.

Chapter 1: The Martial Hero as a Celebrity

Chapter 2: structuralism and celebrity in eighteenth-century britain, chapter 3: context, character, and the importance of the public image, table of contents example 4.

The following table of contents is from a School of Civil Engineering undergraduate research project entitled 'The Effects of Cement Prehydration on Engineering Properties'.

Prehydration of Cement
Manufacture of Cement
Hydration of Ordinary Portland Cement
Hydration of C3S/C2S
Hydration of C3A
Hydration of C4AF
Mechanism of Hydration
Carbonation
Properties of Fresh Cement
Properties of Hardened Cement

Laboratory work

Specimen preparation
Thermogravimetric Analysis
Conduction Calorimetry
Compressive Strength Test
X-Ray Diffraction
Fourier Transform Infrared - Attenuated Total Reflectance (FTIR-ATR)
Scanning Electron Microscope
VICAT Penetration Test
Standard Consistency
Setting Time
Flow Table Test

Results and Discussion

Abstract example 1.

The following abstract is from a School of Politics and International Studies student journal entitled 'Does corruption create additional challenges for Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in their partnership work with the Cambodian government (in education)?'.

Both ‘corruption in education’ and ‘partnership work’ have been given increased attention in international development sector over the last 20 years. This dissertation brings these issues together with a focus on the impact of corruption on NGO-government partnership work in Cambodia. This paper outlines challenges to NGO-government partnerships work under four key themes - definition, authority and legitimacy, advocacy and identity, and effectiveness. Cambodia is then put forward as a case study as it suffers from widespread systematic corruption in the education sector. The country has also had significant input to rebuild its education system through outside organisations, including significant support from NGOs. This dissertation draws on academic work, grey literature and eight interviews with NGOs manages to discuss “Does corruption create additional challenges for Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in their partnership work with the Cambodian government (in education)?”. It concludes that numerous additional challenges can be identified when looking at NGO-government partnerships through the ‘lens of corruption’ and partnership may not be the most appropriate model for addressing issues of corruption in education.

Abstract Example 2

The following abstract is from a School of Physics and Astronomy undergraduate dissertation entitled 'Quantum effects in biology'.

Recently, there has been a growing interest and controversy about the role that quantum effects might play in some biological processes. Here, two heavily studied examples of such effects are discussed: The impact of quantum coherence in the efficiency of energy transport in photosynthesis and the radical pair mechanism in the magnetic compass of birds. In this study, a review of theoretical and experimental work that has aided understanding these effects, provides the ground for discussion regarding their biological relevance. The findings of this work suggest that quantum coherence might be crucial for the efficiency of energy transfer in photosynthetic systems, whereas more evidence are needed to support the idea of a magnetic compass based on the radical pair mechanism. In addition, gaps in the current research in these two fields are identified and recommendations for further work are made.

Abstract Example 3

The following abstract is from a School of Languages, Cultures and Societies master's dissertation entitled 'An Investigation into Language and Cultural Planning in the Basque Country'.

This dissertation explores the efficacy of language and cultural policy in the Basque Country. It explores how Catalonia succeeded in reviving the Catalan language and culture after decades of oppression under General Franco’s dictatorship and whether a similar framework would be suitable for the Basque Country. The weaknesses in the administrative departments of the Basque government are exposed in addition to the inconsistencies of legislation in different Basque Provinces. The central issue concerns a lack of ideological agreement among political parties and members of the community which has hindered progress in increasing the number of speakers of the Basque language and encouraging interest in the Basque culture. The models of language and cultural policy used in Quebec and Wales are used as further comparisons to the Basque Country in order to establish whether it would be appropriate to explore policy outside of the Spanish context. Finally, the conclusion discusses how several separate problems have slowed the development of adequate policy in the Basque Country.

Executive Summary Example

The following executive summary is from a Leeds University Business School undergraduate report.

With recent budget concerns in the health service, the need to assess performance and accountability in regional hospitals has become even more important. This report was commissioned to assess whether a Balanced Scorecard (BSC) approach to performance management could be used in Eastham Hospital. The BSC tool was seen to be appropriate as it provides an overview of the risks and benefits of strategic and operational decisions. The information gathered from scorecard results will provide a means of accountability and support the health planning process. Based on the willingness of the board and employee attitude, it was also concluded that the BSC could be successfully used if the following recommendations are met:

strengthening communication between senior management and hospital ward teams
ensuring management are committed to the use of the BSC
coordinating a target setting and reward system for staff

Introduction Example

The following introduction is from a School of History undergraduate research project entitled '“Uganda’s children are being sodomised left and right!”: change and continuity in perceptions of homosexuality in uganda, 1876-2014'.

On the 24th February 2014, President Yoweri Museveni signed The Anti - Homosexuality Act, an act prohibiting the occurrence, recognition or promotion of same-sex relations in Uganda. This is the apex of a state-driven, religion-endorsed homophobia which, since the Anglican Communion’s Lambeth Conference, 1998, has swept across the nation and embedded itself within public consciousness. Taxi drivers decorate their bumpers with stickers proudly proclaiming diatribes instructing people to ‘Say No 2 Sodomy’ whilst leading clergy implore citizens to ‘stand firm’ in their opposition to homosexuality. Across the rest of Africa these messages are the norm, not the exception; thirty-seven other African countries have anti-homosexuality laws. In 1995, two weeks after refusing to allow the organisation Gay and Lesbian Zimbabwe (GALZ) from taking part in a book fair, Robert Mugabe declared that homosexuality was ‘sub-human behaviour’, ‘worse than [that of] dogs and pigs’. More recently, in Zambia, Bishop Joshua Banda has claimed that same-sex couples ‘are doing it the wrong way’. With Museveni pronouncing that the Act was incited by ‘arrogant [...] Western groups [...] coming into our schools and recruiting young children’, it is clear that there are three major tropes within African perceptions of homosexuality; that it is (i) unnatural; (ii) un-Christian; and (iii) un-African.

Homosexuality has been presented as foreign to the African continent, since the late eighteenth century. However, it was not until the arrival of Christian missionaries in Buganda in the late 1870s, that this perception became cemented with their condemnation of Kabaka Mwanga’s homosexual relations. The Christian anthropologist, John Roscoe, had soon defined the sexuality of both the Banyoro and the Baganda as exclusively heterosexual. For the rest of the twentieth century, this presumption went largely unchallenged by anthropologists, and when homosexuality was mentioned, it was passed over swiftly or clarified as an anomaly. This continuing silence was punctuated only by the accounts of historians, who whilst writing about the pre-colonial Buganda, left the foreign assumptions of the missionaries unchallenged. Although the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) had been seen as a homosexual pandemic in the West, it was, and still is, seen as exclusively heterosexual in Africa. This silence was finally broken by T. Dunbar Moodie in 1994, who revealed that homosexual mine marriages were an integral part of a distinctly patriarchal microcosm in South Africa’s gold mines in the 1970s. This neatly coincided with the African National Congress including ‘sexual orientation’ in the equality clause of their new constitution.

With this barrier now broken, scholarship has been primarily focused on refuting the alienating claims of the increasingly homophobic rhetoric of African leaders. Marc Epprecht has been at the forefront of this research, perceiving homophobia, not homosexuality, as un-African. Recently, scholars have focused on trying to explain why virulent homophobia has emerged now; pointing their proverbial fingers at a multitude of factors ranging from fears of neo-imperialism, to the influence of the US evangelical Christian Right, and perceived threats to patriarchal heteronormative norms. While scholars may have answered the question of why now, they have been guilty of not delving deep enough into the past to explain why, a society they contend as traditionally having rather fluid notions of sexuality, has now unified behind homophobic principles.

Apart from being dismissed as the source of ‘un-African’ perceptions, little has been done to show how the Christian morality instilled by the European missionaries in pre-colonial Uganda is connected with the anti-homosexual sentiment of today. This is likely resulting from the fact that there is a distinct lack of African “voices” discussing homosexuality in the pre-colonial period. Outside of the unreliable quotes included in the plentiful accounts of the missionaries, the earliest mention of homosexuality by Baganda sources is within two histories written in the early 1900s. Although, they were written by two prominent converts, and as such repeat the moral language of the missionaries, by looking at their silences and using them alongside Luganda proverbs, we are able to explore how Christian mores transposed traditional notions of sexuality. Like anthropological research, colonial records are mostly devoid of reference to irregular sexualities. However, records relating to a series of disturbances at King’s College, Budo in 1942, reveal that homosexuality was prevalent amongst the students. Again, while authentic African opinion is limited, perceptions can be ascertained through careful analysis of the correspondence and reports of colonial officials. In direct contrast, the explosion of social media in recent years means that today’s “voices” are now easily accessible. Nevertheless, must remember that with homosexuality now a rather controversial topic, much of what Uganda’s leaders say deliberately creates or upholds certain perceptions.

With this in mind, it is important to define what ‘homosexuality’ means in this essay to avoid any confusion. Whilst Epprecht sees the term ‘homosexuality’ as embodying a wide variety of sexualities, it is defined by The Anti-Homosexuality Act as ‘same gender or same sex sexual acts’. However, it is clearly understood within Ugandan society as male-male relations, with current rhetoric distinguishing it from ‘lesbianism’. Therefore, although the male ‘homosexual’ relations discussed by the missionaries were not described as such, the term has been used throughout the essay in the interests of continuity.

This dissertation will attempt to provide a new insight into why perceptions of homosexuality are so adverse in Uganda today. In doing so, it will highlight how these perceptions have been marked by continuity and change over the past one hundred and forty years. We begin by exploring how the Baganda reacted to the Christian morality of the missionaries. Even though their narratives are limited, it is clear that this morality created an inflexible mesh of sexual virtues. This led to homosexuality becoming identified as a dangerous foreign immorality. Chapter II traces how, by the 1940s, this identity had developed, becoming associated with criminality and focuses on a period of disturbances which occurred within the grounds of the prestigious boarding school, King’s College, Budo. The final chapter explores how this multifaceted perception of abnormality forms a significant basis for the homophobic torrent espoused by Uganda’s leaders today.

The student draws on legislation, journal articles, published reports and websites to set the context of the dissertation. They go straight into explaining relevant background about Uganda so it is clear to the reader why the student has focused on Uganda when researching this topic
They also include relevant historic background about the recognition of homosexuality in Africa
The student discusses and refers to current scholarship and where research is currently focussed. They reveal the gaps and weaknesses in this research
The student continues to analyse in more depth the gaps in the current scholarly debates in this area
The student uses the literature to provide a definition for homosexuality that will be used throughout the dissertation
In the last paragraph the writer summarises how they are attempting to fill this research gap, outlining clearly the structure for the rest of the dissertation

Themed Chapters Example

The following is from a School of History undergraduate research project entitled '“Uganda’s children are being sodomised left and right!”: change and continuity in perceptions of homosexuality in uganda, 1876-2014'.

By characterising homosexual Ugandans as ‘mercenaries’, they become an embodiment of Western sexual immorality, prostituting themselves for a ‘gay agenda’.

With homosexuality foreign to cultural values, there is an assumption that NGOs are recruiting their “army” financially; Martin Ssempa has claimed that over $48 million had been invested into the ‘homosexual agenda’ over the past year. Although characteristically hyperbolic, Sssempa’s claim reflects a long-standing assumption within Ugandan society which connects homosexuality with financial transactions.

In 2003, after publicly defending homosexuality, a Ugandan academic received a text message from a friend congratulating her, stating that she was now ‘on [her] way to becoming a millionaire’ with all the money she was going to receive from the West.

One woman from Kumi District congratulated Museveni for having ‘served our people of’ Uganda, whilst signs at an organised celebratory event thanked the Government whilst declaring ‘Museveni, we the children thank you for saving our future’. This does nothing but enhance the perception that homosexuality is foreign, as with homosexuals now forced to go underground to survive, focus has begun to shift to the fight against ‘Obama, [...] the American Ambassador [and] Ban Ki-Moon’.

Homophobia thus forms part of a political discourse proliferated by both state and religious leaders in an attempt to assert the moral authority of Uganda’s postcolonial identity over a neo-imperialistic West.

The present incumbent, Rev. Simon Lokodo and his predecessor, James Buturo, have appeared frequently in mass media over the past decade, always presenting homosexuality as a foreign, aggressive malevolence within society. These public denouncements have become common place in a number of media outlets helping to construct a heavily sexualised ‘moral panic’ within Ugandan society.

Click below to highlight areas of this example commented on by a tutor:

The student uses primary evidence (legislation) to put forward their argument that legislation led to homosexuality being perceived as a western concept and that financial gain and homosexual activity were inextricably linked
Here the student is using primary evidence (appearance on a TV show) to expand upon this argument further. She does not just summarise what Ssempa had said but analyses it to reveal the significance of what he said
The student then uses an example from a secondary source to illustrate their point further (an article from a journal article)
Overall, in this paragraph the student has synthesised primary evidence and secondary literature to provide an analysis of their argument. This makes they have shown why they think what they think. They haven’t just presented the thoughts of others
The student then evaluates this argument in more detail. Using literature (journal article) to show the significance of the argument being made in the previous paragraph
The student ends by again drawing from the secondary literature to move their argument forward

Literature Review - Subheadings Example

The following is from a School of Geography undergraduate research project entitled 'Second homes: Investigating local perceptions and impact on communities in Cornwall'.

Literature Review (Chapter 2)

2.1 introduction, 2.2 the growth of second homes, 2.3 the emergence of british second homes in literature, 2.4 defining second homes, 2.5 the impacts of second-home ownership, 2.5.1 housing demand and local housing markets, 2.5.2 local services, employment and economic demand, 2.5.3 community interactions, 2.6 conclusion and gaps for further study, literature review - introduction example 1.

The following is an introduction to a literature review from a research project entitled 'An area based or a people based approach to measuring social deprivation within a national park? The case of Copeland'.

This review will examine the literature available on the main approaches towards measuring rural deprivation, with the view that literature overemphasises material deprivation at the expense of social deprivation. The review is comprised of two parts. The first focuses on the conceptualisation of rural deprivation, assuming that in order for it to be measured it first needs to be understood in terms of its absence from policy. The second focuses on ways of measuring rural deprivation and has three sections. Firstly, indicators of deprivation will be summarised and criticised in terms of their overrepresentation of the urban. Secondly two methodological approaches in measuring rural deprivation are reviewed; conventional area based approaches against recent people based approaches. Finally the policy implications of the two differing approaches towards measuring deprivation are examined with relation to a current inclusion of social capital in policy.

Click below to highlight the different areas of this introduction:

Gaps in research
Scope of the review
Structure of the review

Literature Review - Introduction Example 2

The following is an introduction to a literature review from a research project entitled 'Life changes and experiences of international postgraduate student dependents: a feminist perspective'.

There has been very little academic or governmental re-search concerning female dependents of international students. Scholarship on migrant dependents concentrates on women with low human capital (Fechter, 2010; George, 2005; Yeoh & Willis, 2005) or the partners of elite migrants, including ex-pats and global businessmen (Walsh, 2006). The highly skilled, educated women who pause their careers to migrate as dependents rarely appear in the highly skilled migration field. (Purkayastha, 2005). Thus, this review will draw upon literature concerning a diverse range of migrant women who shaped my ideas of the issues a female international student dependent may negotiate.

Literature Review - Introduction Example 3

The following is an introduction to a literature review from a research project entitled 'BMI and Health: a u-shaped relationship?'.

More difficult to find is literature relating low BMI to health i.e. underweight and the health problems that are associated with underweight. This literature review aims to evaluate the information that is available regarding the u-shaped relationship between BMI and health, looking at both ends of the BMI scale. It also aims to discuss the use of BMI as an indicator of health and debate whether or not it deserves the high regard by which it is held by both national and international health organisations In order to overcome the lack of information about the relationship between BMI and health, this literature review will not limit itself by simply investigating studies that have linked BMI and health. It will explore research that has looked at the factors that influence BMI as well as factors (including BMI) that influence health.

Literature Review - Conclusion Example

Three principal inadequacies have been identified, illustrating the need for further investigation. Firstly, the amount of literature on second homes is very limited; widely neglected as a focus by a number of academics. The varied and dispersed nature of second-home literature means that it has not been able to develop as a mature literary realm (Haldrup, 2009; Hogart, 2001; McIntyre et al. 2006).

Secondly, research on the second-home impacts is widely based on assumption. Hypotheses are one-dimensional, assuming a simplistic relationship between second homes and host communities that can be summarised in a universal theory. The need for context and studies on individual communities is extensive; “actual impacts...should be seen as an empirical question rather than assumed to result from a standard cause-effect relationship” (Paris, 2009, p.306). Thirdly, second homes are often blamed entirely for negative impacts; in reality there are other factors that come into play. These include retirement migration, globalisation, inadequate housing, internet shopping and supermarkets, low wages, and the decline of ‘traditional’ industries (CRC, 2010; Gallent et al., 2001; 2005; Oram et al., 2003; Shucksmith, 2000).

The content of many previous studies can also be identified as insufficient: a number of academics still focus too heavily on profiling second-home owners, mapping distributions, and finding universal trends (Thornton, 1996). Field research on the impacts of second homes on host communities is almost non-existent. Local knowledge is very important to understand the complexities of such a phenomenon, but many researchers have not used this as a resource. The studies that do look at host communities have tended to aggregate ‘locals’ and ‘second-homers’ into categories regardless of their interests or opinions (Paris, 2009). Others ignore assessing the attitudes of second-home owners all together (Girard and Gartner, 1993).

Although a number of contemporary studies attempt to develop new theories about the implications of second-home ownership, there does not seem to be much progression away from ‘traditional’ studies discussed in Section 2.3. Many realms remain unexplored and questions go unanswered; this provides an agenda for my own research.

Findings / Results and Discussion Example 1

The following is a School of Psychology master's dissertation entitled 'An Investigation into the Representation of Muslims in The Sun Newspaper and its Effects'.

Findings / Results and Discussion Example 2

The following is a School of Media and Communication undergraduate project entitled 'An Investigation into the Relationship between Early Exposure and Brand Loyalty'.

Conclusion Example 1

The following is from a Leeds University Business School undergraduate research project entitled 'Dressed to Disrupt: Motivations Behind Millennial Women Consuming Feminist Fashion'.

This thesis answers the research question set out at the beginning: to understand the underlying values that are driving the surge in millennials consuming feminist fashion. Using laddered interviews, this research extracted eight value chains that revealed seven underlying values, fulfilling Research Objective 4 (R.O.4). These underlying values have been used as a basis to identifying consumer segments within the feminist fashion market.

The most dominant underlying value (based on the sum of direct and indirect links) is ‘Educating others/Raising awareness’ of feminism, suggesting an opportunity for successful marketing campaigns targeting educators. This finding achieves Research Objective 3.

Respondents noted their preferences for social media platforms with a more accepting cohort of users (such as Instagram), thus addressing Research Objective 2 (R.O.2). Despite literature debate that millennials are paying virtual lip-service to feminism (Schuster, 2013), this research finds that these young women are actually driven by their underlying value of educating others and raising awareness of feminism, through their visible (and sometimes costly) fashion consumption choices. Previously researched prosocial behaviours (Kristofferson et al., 2014) were found to be driven by the desire to present a positive image to others and to remain consistent with one’s values. This research extends Kristofferson et al.’s (2014) framework to include the fact that the consumption of feminist fashion is also driven by the underlying desire to disrupt the status quo.

Here the student reminds the reader of the research problem and the research they carried out.
The student emphasises the main finding from their research.
The student highlights how their conclusions links with existing literature and frameworks. They could have also included some recommendations for future research to further understanding of this area.

Conclusion Example 2

The following is from a Leeds University Business School undergraduate research project entitled 'Exploring Social Perceptions of Women Leaders at Work: How does the Double Bind of Appearance and Personality Impact Women's Opportunities to make it to the Top?'.

The methods employed to facilitate this research have generated a deeper understanding of how the ‘double bind’ impacts women’s opportunities to make it to the top. Not only this, but enabled an exploration of the social perceptions of women leaders. Findings have indicated that authentic leadership, which is growing in popularity amongst organisations, may help women’s career progression.

The first aspect of the ‘double bind’, personality, was confirmed as women who adopted ‘masculine’ leadership styles such as: assertiveness and confidence were valued in executive positions. This supported existing theory that feminine styles of leadership are undesirable in organisations. However, this may change as women leaders reported the growing popularity of ‘authentic leadership.’ It appears that authentic leadership may improve women’s representation in executive positions, as organisations become more educated about its benefits.

The objective of comparing and contrasting viewpoints of women was also established during interviews. Both groups indicated a desire for authentic leadership. Despite this, massive contrasts between the two emerged, as many women at the lower end of the organisation held negative opinions on women leaders. This was due to leaders adhering to stereotypical forms of masculine leadership, which caused resentment. However, women leaders who adhered to stereotypical feminine forms of leadership were positively perceived by other women.

Establishment of barriers beyond the ‘double bind’ were also discussed. Motherhood and a lack of ‘real models’ in organisations contributed as barriers. Without the ‘double bind’, the above barriers would still hinder women’s progression, thus equality for parental rights and rewarding more working mothers would be an adequate response to this problem.

The research has mainly proven existing theory that the ‘double bind’ exists in organisations. However, this is statement is extremely difficult to generalise to all organisations, in particular industries. Although this research has contributed in identifying existing barriers to career progression, as well as a more covert form of the ‘double bind’, industries and sectors must be analysed separately to understand whether the perceptions of the ‘double bind’ are equally applicable to all industries.

The student reminds the reader of their research area, and the main finding from their research.
Here the student highlights their findings, and explains how these relate to the literature.
The student highlights how their research has contributed to the academic debate in this area, and makes suggestions for further research to be carried out.

Published May 22, 2024

Navigating the Final Project for Your Major

Sade Collier

Class of 2024

April is a bittersweet month for seniors. From academics to social life, seniors prepare for graduation and juggle regular college activities. The final weeks of my undergraduate experience were filled with complicated emotions and cumulative deadlines that marked the end of my college career. So I primarily used April to complete my final projects for the College of Arts and Science (CAS) Department of Social and Cultural Analysis and the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute.

As a graduating student, your final project can take on a variety of shapes depending on your major. Nonetheless, it is always a project that reflects the skills and knowledge you have learned over time. As a Social and Cultural Analysis and Journalism double major, I completed a 40-to-60 page thesis and a 3,000-word journalistic capstone. Here is how I managed to complete these projects.

Planning Ahead

It is no surprise that you have to complete a senior thesis or final project for your major. So consider brainstorming ideas ahead of your research seminar. If you do so, then you can spend more time during your seminar or independent study crafting a scalable project.

To learn more about the process of completing an undergraduate research project and pursuing honors at CAS, check out the UG Research and Honors web page.

Note: The requirements for your final project(s) may vary based on your school or department.

Establishing Contacts

Do you know what a peer review is ? If not, peer review is giving your work to other researchers and academics who share a similar expertise for their review. This is an excellent opportunity to discover additional scholarship from your peers and receive intentional critique. You should review the editorial policy of your department before conducting a peer review.

In addition to the adviser who will oversee your final project, NYU offers many workshops to help students with their research and writing. What’s more, you can book an appointment with the Writing Center at any point in your college career for assistance with non-exam written assignments.

A photo of a computer, coffee, pastries and a notebook

Get in the Zone

To be my most productive, I need to work outside of the space that I live in. But I didn’t always know this about myself—it took me awhile to realize it. Now I spend a considerable amount of time outlining and writing sketches in cafes or university and public libraries.

Build a Consistent Schedule

While your department and adviser(s) will help you name deadlines, you have to do a lot of the planning for your project on your own time. So I do not advise tackling papers longer than 20 pages in one week. Even that can be a stretch! Establishing parameters for your final project will help you manage your stress and promote self-guided accountability.

photo of pencils with a lightbulb on top

Use Institutional Resources

Along with the Writing Center, NYU Libraries is an excellent resource. You can regularly turn to it while crafting your final project. You will have access to millions of digital and print resources that can help you save money on books and other scholarly materials. NYU also has more than 30 research librarians who have varying concentrations in the field of research.

In addition, NYU offers research grants (similar to the Wasserman Center Internship Grant ). CAS students who are pursuing grand-scale final projects may consider applying for the Dean’s Undergraduate Research Fund .

Be Kind to Yourself

Finally, your final project is the pinnacle of everything you have done at NYU. Even getting started is worthy of a treat! Take necessary breaks and divide the work into digestible chunks. What’s more, remember to lean on your peers and adviser(s) for support along the way.

Hiya! I’m Sade (she/they) and I’m a senior pursuing an interdisciplinary study of Social and Cultural Analysis, Journalism, and Creative Writing in CAS. I’m currently researching Black erotics, family dynamics, and community practices. I was raised as a southern peach from Perry, Georgia, but NYC has increasingly become home to me. On campus, I’ve worked as a College Leader in CAS and as a Marketing and Communications Assistant in the Center for Faculty Advancement. I’ve also been a Contributing Writer at Washington Square News and I’m a Martin Luther King Jr. Scholar. When I’m not writing, you can find me tickling my kitties (Clementine and Carrot Cake, for the cat-world initiates), biking with my partner, or crisping up some tofu in my kitchen.

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Getting Started with your FYP (Final Year Project)

What is a FYP?
Research Topic
Research Question
Key Section: Literature Review
Key Section: Methodology
Recommended Reading
Some Final Tips

Reference List

Bogan, T. (2014) The research process. Available at : https://wellmanneredlibrarian.com/2014/03/10/research-process-infographic/ (Accessed: 27 April 2020).

Cambridge Online Dictionary (2020) Dissertation . Available at : https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/dissertation (Accessed: 27 April 2020).

Clark, T. & Foster, L. (2019) Top tips for students getting started on their research project. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfAG38jtld4 ( Accessed: 30 April 2020).

Cluny Library (2016) Writing a research question. Available at : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYImrVPIhEU (Accessed: 30 April 2020).

Emerald (2020) Writing a literature review . Available at : https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/services/authors/author-how-guides/writing-a-literature-review (Accessed:1 May 2020).

Gacho, F. (2018) Starting the literature review. Available at: http://cmgtwriting.uscannenberg.org/starting-the-literature-review/ (Accessed: 8 May 2020).

Kelly, J.M. (2014) How to find a research topic. Available at : https://www.jasonmkelly.com/jason-m-kelly/2014/01/08/flowchart-how-to-find-a-research-topic (Accessed: 28 April 2020).

Kibin (2017) How to make a thesis statement the easy way . Available at : https://www.kibin.com/essay-writing-blog/how-to-make-a-thesis-statement-the-easy-way-infographic/ (Acce sse d: 8 May 2020).

Lewak, J. (2015) What do we mean by a research question . Available at : https://www.slideshare.net/BruceH99/what-do-wemeanbyaresearchquestion (Accessed: 30 April 2020).

NC State University Libraries (2013) Picking your topic is research . Available at : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0B3Gjlu-1o (Accessed: 28 April 2020).

pediaa.com (2016) Quantitative research versus qualitative research. Available at : https://pediaa.com/difference-between-quantitative-and-qualitative-research (Accessed: 7 May 2020).

Steely Library (2015) What is a literature review? Available at : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry_54WleO7Y ( Accessed: 1 May 2020 ).

UC San Diego (2020) Do's and don't of creating a research question. Available at: https://ucsd.libguides.com/ MCWP / researchquestions ( Accessed: 30 April 2020).

University Now (2014) Quantitative vs. qualitative r esearch . Available at : https ://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCuwX35MHyE (Accesse d: 7 May 2020).

Visually (2019) 10 tips for writing a fast thesis. Available at : https://visual.ly/community/infographic/10-tips-fast-thesis-writing (Accesse d: 7 May 2020).

Waterloo University Library (2013) Brainstorming your research topic. Available at : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBwPb7XhQuY (Accessed: 30 April 2020).

Wolfson, S. (2013) Focus on a topic you find intriguing . Available at : https://www.theguardian.com/education/2013/mar/21/how-to-plan-your-dissertation ( Accessed: 1 May 2020 ).

This guide was created by Nora Hegarty, LIT Library

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Last Updated: Apr 10, 2024 2:41 PM
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How to Write a Literature Review
Examples of literature reviews. Step 1 - Search for relevant literature. Step 2 - Evaluate and select sources. Step 3 - Identify themes, debates, and gaps. Step 4 - Outline your literature review's structure. Step 5 - Write your literature review.
How to Write a Literature Review for Your Final Year Project
The project is the whole and your literature review is just a part of it. If the topic for your project is not selected, you cannot create a table of content let alone a literature review. You need to sit with your supervisor to; • Talk about your topic. You get to select one but he/she has to approve of it.
How To Write A Literature Review (+ Free Template)
Okay - with the why out the way, let's move on to the how. As mentioned above, writing your literature review is a process, which I'll break down into three steps: Finding the most suitable literature. Understanding, distilling and organising the literature. Planning and writing up your literature review chapter.
A Complete Guide on How to Write Good a Literature Review
1. Outline and identify the purpose of a literature review. As a first step on how to write a literature review, you must know what the research question or topic is and what shape you want your literature review to take. Ensure you understand the research topic inside out, or else seek clarifications.
How to Write a Literature Review for Your Final Year Project
Writing a Literature Review for Your Final Year Project. To have a great final year project, many things have to be carefully put in place; a literature review is one of those things. Aside from helping achieve the aim of your final year project, your literature review helps to provide ground information on your selected topic.
What is a Literature Review? How to Write It (with Examples)
A literature review is a critical analysis and synthesis of existing research on a particular topic. It provides an overview of the current state of knowledge, identifies gaps, and highlights key findings in the literature. 1 The purpose of a literature review is to situate your own research within the context of existing scholarship ...
Literature Review
Getting Started on your Literature Review. Four major steps: 1.Problem definition. identify a research problem or idea. formulate research questions. identify relevant KEYWORDS. 2.Search strategies. identify your information needs. develop information seeking strategies.
Getting Started with your FYP (Final Year Project)
Getting Started with your FYP (Final Year Project) Final year projects; Dissertation; Thesis. What is a FYP? Research Topic; Research Question; Key Section: Literature Review. ... LibGuide - Literature Review. Literature Review - what is a Literature Review, why it is important and how it is done. by Monika Bukowska, TUS Library
PDF Writing an Effective Literature Review
begin by clearing up some misconceptions about what a literature review is and what it is not. Then, I will break the process down into a series of simple steps, looking at examples along the way. In the end, I hope you will have a simple, practical strategy to write an effective literature review.
Starting the literature review
Introduction. A literature review is usually part of the process of writing a final year project, dissertation or long essay. It can also be set and assessed as a standalone assignment. Students in the health sciences, maybe required to conduct a systematic review, which is not covered in this guide.
Writing a literature review
Writing a literature review requires a range of skills to gather, sort, evaluate and summarise peer-reviewed published data into a relevant and informative unbiased narrative. Digital access to research papers, academic texts, review articles, reference databases and public data sets are all sources of information that are available to enrich ...
Engineering: The Literature Review Process
The Stand-Alone Literature Review A literature review may stand alone as an individual document in which the history of the topic is reported and then analyzed for trends, controversial issues, and what still needs to be studied. The review could just be a few pages for narrow topics or quite extensive with long bibliographies for in-depth reviews.
How to Write a Literature Review Section
The literature review should not be a simple summary of previously published work, but it should be a critical analysis of the relationship between the cited literature and your work. Before Writing - Complete the following steps before writing a literature review. Identify your focus - If you are not careful, a literature review can ...
How to Write Literature Review for your Final Year Project (Chapter 2)
Step 4: Empirical Literature Review. An empirical literature review investigates previous studies to answer a specific research question. The empirical review simply discusses the various studies research and recommendations for the future on your topic or people's relevant literature comparable to your research work.
Instructions for writing the Literature Review of your Final year project
A long time ago I wrote an article on how to pass your final year thesis project, which several studentsfound helpful. In the same vein, this post deals with a particular aspect of the final year project: the literature review.Every year I see students doing projects. I find students tend to ask the same questions about their literature review.. Most common are:
Advice on Final Year Projects:Writing a Literature Review (FYP)
The Penn State University Libraries Conducting a Literature Search also reinforces this advice in a short but well structured article. Practical sources of advice on the process of writing a literature review in Final Year Projects (FYP). Written by Mike Hart, Professor of Business and Informatics, King Alfred's College, Winchester, UK.
Final Year Project Literature Review
Final Year Project Literature Review. This will reveal to you my awesome reader what supervisors' look out for in your literature review. N/B: The arrangement may vary considering different formats of some tertiary institutions. But for a well written review of related literature, these components are needed.
Final Year Project (FYP) 101: Pre-FYP Preparation
Introduction. This blog post provides a comprehensive guideand walkthroughof my Final Year Project (FYP) experiencefor the past 2 semesters. It is intended to not only serve as a referencefor those who will embark on a similar journey but also act as proper documentationfor archiving all my knowledge and experience before memory fades (I have a ...
Final Chapter
These chapters are where you will present and build your arguments. Each chapter should deal with a major aspect of your subject but link together. Remember you are constructing an argument, not just reporting your research or the research of others. You should analyse and evaluate the primary evidence, arguments ideas and conclusions presented ...
Navigating the Final Project for Your Major
As a graduating student, your final project can take on a variety of shapes depending on your major. Nonetheless, it is always a project that reflects the skills and knowledge you have learned over time. As a Social and Cultural Analysis and Journalism double major, I completed a 40-to-60 page thesis and a 3,000-word journalistic capstone.
References
Final year projects; Dissertation; Thesis
Example Literature Review For Final Year Project
The document provides guidance on writing an effective literature review for a final year project. It states that writing a literature review requires extensive research, critical analysis, and synthesis of existing literature on the topic. This involves sorting through many academic sources to understand complex theories and present a coherent narrative. The difficulty lies not just in ...
How bad does a final year project have to be to fail? : r/UniUK
As you can tell from the title, my final year CS project has not gone well. I feel like it lacks the functionality I initially said it would include and it just seems really simple looking at it now. I got a 2:1 for the literature review part but now my deadline is a few days away and the whole project just seems like it's so basic.

How To Write An A-Grade Literature Review

Overview: The Literature Review Process

But first, the “why”…

Step 1: Find the relevant literature

Method 1 – Google Scholar Scrubbing

Method 2 – University Database Scrounging

Method 3 – Journal Article Snowballing

Method 4 – Dissertation Scavenging

Need a helping hand?

Step 2: Log, catalogue and synthesise

2.1 – Log the reference information

2.2 – Build an organised catalogue

2.3 – Digest and synthesise

Step 3: Outline and write it up!

3.1 – Draw up your outline

3.2 – Get writing

Literature Review Example

Let’s Recap

Psst… there’s more!

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What is a Literature Review? How to Write It (with Examples)

Table of Contents

How to write a good literature review

What is a literature review?

What is the purpose of literature review?

Literature review example

Literature Review on Climate Change Impacts on Biodiversity:

a. Habitat Loss and Species Extinction:

b. Range Shifts and Phenological Changes:

c. Ocean Acidification and Coral Reefs:

d. Adaptive Strategies and Conservation Efforts:

Conducting a literature review

Choose a Topic and Define the Research Question:

Decide on the Scope of Your Review:

Select Databases for Searches:

Conduct Searches and Keep Track:

Review the Literature:

Organize and Write Your Literature Review:

How to write a literature review faster with Paperpal?

Frequently asked questions

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Introduction

Literature Review

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Introduction

Why write a literature review?

Developing a topic

How to approach the literature review

Funnel approach to literature reviews

Narrow down Then try and focus your research on issues that are more related to your topic.

Engineering: The Literature Review Process

What is a literature review and why is it important?

How to Write Literature Review for your Final Year Project (Chapter 2)

Steps on How to Write Literature Review for Your Final Year Project

Step 1: Preambles

Step 2: Conceptual Review

Step 3: Theoretical Review

Step 4: Empirical Literature Review

Instructions for writing the Literature Review of your Final year project

How to write a literature review for your final year thesis project

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Final Year Project Literature Review

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Introduction