A literature review is a type of research that must contribute to the advancement of knowledge. To achieve this objective, a literature review must include more than just a comprehensive synopsis or a cursory study of the articles under consideration. A robust research method is required for meaningful and dependable outcomes, and critically analysing research is more important for establishing an unbiased literature review process.
In this article, we will provide you with 7 tips which prove helpful in the critical analysis of research in literature review!
How to Perform Critical Analysis of Research in Literature Review?
To understand the purpose of data used in research, it is important to read and evaluate it critically. The appraisal of research and literature traditionally involves the use of critical analysis. This kind of analysis is founded on fundamental abilities, including inquiry, logical reasoning, and evaluating facts and evidence.
While critically analysing the research in the literature review, ask yourself questions like the following ones:
- What is the research question (the theme and what it’s about)?
- What is the primary research methodology used?
- How was the research data gathered?
- How is the data presented in the literature review?
- What are the main conclusions of the research conducted?
- Are these conclusions reasonable and beneficial in your area of study?
- What theories were used to support the researcher’s conclusions?
Let’s explore the tips now!
Choose Your Source Material Wisely And Read It
Choose your source material before you start performing a critical analysis. Reviewing a manual used in your industry or a publication written by a corporation or influential person in your area can benefit from critical scrutiny. As an alternative, think about critically examining a project proposal, a finished product, or marketing materials from your study area. The crucial next step is to study the original material slowly and deliberately so that you fully comprehend it before you do your analysis. It is crucial to ensure that your analysis is precise and free of errors and appropriately represents the author’s viewpoint.
Research The Background To The Source Material Completely
Ensure you have studied the supporting documentation and read the publication’s extra reading to ensure that your critical analysis is accurate. Make yourself aware of all the departments involved in the document’s creation if you are critically analysing an internal document, such as a proposal. If data and statistics are used, consider how they were collected and whether they were manipulated to support the viewpoint. If you are reading articles, think about reading the introduction, abstract, and conclusion to get the main point of the piece.
Structure and Build Your Argument Around The Main Statement
Make sure the principal argument in your analysis engages with the original material and positively offers improvements. It is neither critical nor helpful to conduct an exploratory examination that extols the source material or to make a broad, unsupported dismissal. Find a flaw in the source material that you think may have been improved, or question the author’s reasoning for the conclusions that were obtained. After that, you may put together arguments and proof to back up your claims, and you can write a critical analysis that engages the source material in dialogue.
Introduce Main Paragraphs With the Targeted Topic
Don’t write an introduction at first because it introduces all of your analysis’s key arguments and points, which may change as you write. Divide your argument and supporting evidence into three thematic sections that each addresses a problem with the original material and offers solutions. The themes of these sections can be based on subjects, specific pieces of evidence, or portions of the primary source. Each paragraph should begin with a topic sentence that summarises and explains how it contributes to your main point. This step is particularly beneficial in critically analysing research in the literature review section of your thesis.
Include a Broad Range Of Supporting Evidence And Relevant Data
Start discussing the evidence you are presenting when you have settled on your analysis format and your main point. Provide specific examples of the sources’ mistakes if they use statistics incorrectly or don’t follow good research procedures. Look for places in the source where the author makes statements at odds with one another or provides information that refutes their claims. Reviewing published scholarly articles will help you in this regard; you can also rely on help from dissertation writers UK. Find your own proof in additional studies and literature that offers competing viewpoints for your investigation. Developing a strong counterargument requires expert critical scrutiny of the evidence, facts, and footnotes.
Write a Clear Introduction And Inclusive Conclusion To Your Analysis
Once your argument is written, you can write an exploratory introduction and summative conclusion. Write a paragraph summarising the issues you explore, presenting the source material, and restating your main contention. Finish with a conclusion that ties together all of the arguments you have presented in the body paragraphs to support your main claim. Don’t forget to address any issues mentioned in the body of your analysis in the conclusion. Based on this analysis, you can also advise further actions to take, such as additional research or a change in strategy.
Edit, Review And Finalise Your Critical Analysis
Once you have completed writing a complete draft of your analysis, carefully read it to ensure that your argument proceeds in the way you intended. Verify the text for clerical, grammatical, and logical errors. Check to see if your argument appropriately portrays the author of the original material and has enough support on its own. Readers may lose faith in your analysis if you give a critical analysis that is riddled with inaccuracies. Give the analysis to a colleague to read before submission after taking some time off to reread it with fresh eyes. It will further finetune your papers and make them impeccable!
Bottom Line:
The work of researchers should be viewed objectively. While choosing what details to include in the literature review, you should do the following:
- Maintain an open mind
- Represent opposing viewpoints on a contentious issue
- Take into account research that contradicts your research premise.
Keep in consideration all these tips while critically analysing research in literature methodology, and you’ll get your desired outcomes!
Comments are closed.