Critical Review of Literature Relevant to Academic Research

Research Questions and Objectives

Critical review of literature relevant to their topic. This is a review of academic sources. Students examine their research questions through the literature review and comparative analysis of perspectives.

What do you want to find out (referenced to academic literature), with whom and where?
Why did you choose this area for research (referenced to literature)?
How/why is your proposed academic enquiry important? Briefly identify key issues and debates (referenced to literature).
Briefly define specific KEY terminology in relation to your topic and area of research
Who might be a potential user of this research?
What are the specific research questions?
What is your ‘initial’ positionality in relation to your topic?
Present the literature reviewed as a body rather than itemised individual pieces, structured by your research questions.
Interrogate literature drawn from a range of theoretical and research sources e.g. books, chapters in edited books, journal articles, policy documents, conference papers.
Laborate on specific terminology/definitions in relation to your research (referenced to literature).
Engage critically with the literature by identifying and exploring, for example, (any) gaps, weaknesses, strengths, contradictions, agreements and disagreements.
How has your engagement with the literature changed your positionality in relation to your topic?
End with a paragraph that states how your research will build upon/develop/extend what is already known. 
Introduce and explain the approach you have taken to search for the literature (key words, key authors, journals you have searched).  Reflect on any challenges. Introduce your criteria your selection of sources.
Examine your strategy for critical reading, note taking and moving from notes to themes emerging from the your review of sources (demonstrate your engagement with the research methods literature through in text citations).
Explore the limitations arising from your strategy (e.g. How did the strategy reflect your preferred learning style? How supportive did you find the strategies suggested by the research methods literature?  How did your strategy support your engagement with this topic?)
This section needs to demonstrate your understanding of ethical procedures.  Reflect on 3 ethical principles that are relevant to your research topic and the appropriateness of conducting this research through a desk top study.   Your discussion in this section must be supported with citations to the relevant research  methods literature..

What are ethics and why are they important? 
What are the 3 ethical principles most relevant to your research topic?
For example:
What is informed consent?  This part of your ethics section should demonstrate understanding of the possible hierarchy of gatekeepers in your research.
What is meant by confidentiality and anonymity?  How would you have assured confidentiality and anonymity in your research?
What power relations could have been present in your research?
Reflexivity – how would your identity as a researcher influenced the research process?
Personal bias – how would your views on the topic influence the way that you conduct the research?
Why is a desk top research method more appropriate for your topic? 
Identify two academic sources, they must be either journal articles or book chapters reporting research or examining theoretical ideas. The sources should be proposing different perspectives on your research questions and topic.
Introduce each article 
Critique strength and limitations of both by addressing the following points for each source:

How does this source relate to your research question/topic
What is the main point/central argument put forward
What theoretical basis/methodological approach underpins this work
Why has this account of research been written
What is the author trying to achieve
What is the contribution of the source to this topic/field
What evidence is offered to support the author's claims
Is this evidence acceptable
What is your view with regards to the point/central argument from the source and what evidence do you have for it
How does the perspective proposed in the source fit with the other sources used in your literature review? 

Compare and contrast the two perspectives proposed in the two sources
Critique aspects of the methodology / evidence provided in support for each argument (referenced to relevant literature)
Highlight any significant elements of contribution from each source
Highlight any limitation from each source
Discuss which perspective is most aligned with your positionality.