Turn Your Literature Review Into An Argument

Book excerpt: Frequently students confuse literature reviews with summaries of existing research, and they can easily get overwhelmed by the amount of material they have to consider and filter as part of their review. Likewise, they don’t often realize that a considered, planned, structured and balanced argument forms the bedrock of a successful research project. Outlining what a literature review is - and isn’t - and showcasing how to use the literature to your advantage to construct a strong academic argument, this Little Quick Fix answers important questions like: - What is the purpose of a literature review? - How can I tell the difference between an argument and an academic argument? - What do I need to create my argument? - What do I need from an article to support my argument? - How do I create a counterargument? - How can I make sure I’m creating a strong argument and plausible counterargument? - How can I win my argument? Students need help over hurdles at every stage of their research project. They want simple, powerful, accessible tools that deliver results fast. They need to meet interim assessment deadlines and prove that they have successfully passed through multiple stages of their project, or need to master a stage of understanding in a learning cascade before they can proceed to the next week in their methods module. Their supervisors are increasingly unable to help, but will still be assessing results. Students need more than YouTube. Titles in the Little Quick Fix series offer: · Visual, design-led learning · Clear, structured, useful pedagogy · A hand-holding, step-by-step approach for students who are less able, or less academically prepared by school so far · Effective self-directed learning with DIY progress tracking · A stand-in for the busy/unavailable supervisor