A literature review is a descriptive summary of past research on a particular topic. A literature review’s goal is to teach readers about important knowledge and ideas that have been established on a given topic.
Its goal is to compare, contrast, and/or link findings discovered while analyzing other people’s work. Literature reviews are frequently produced to place a study in the context of what is currently known about a subject in order to lay a foundation for the topic (or question) being investigated.
As part of their research, every Ph.D. student is obliged to conduct a literature review. The goal of a literature review is to place your summer study in the context of past work in your field. Keep in mind that science is a social and collaborative endeavor.
When you write a research paper, you’re contributing to an ongoing conversation. The purpose of a literature review is to assist you in obtaining information a sense of what’s going on in that conversation and how you might contribute by adding your own voice
What is a Mini Literature Review?
A mini-review is merely a thorough description of a single issue, including supporting arguments and key points. Reading articles, taking notes, brainstorming, and creative writing are all common phases in writing a full-length review article. However, the mini-review may just cover one topic or answer one question.
The Mini Literature Review was created to help young researchers to submit their work fast and simply. It is also intended that by using this approach, the quality of literature reviews in other published works will increase.
In particular, the Mini Literature Review should include papers from conference proceedings and workshops, as well as industry or trade journals and research. Current research sources should also be covered and included.
What is the Purpose of a Mini Literature Review?
The purpose of the Mini Literature Review article is to quickly and easily showcase a specific issue or set of related topics, as well as to emphasize where there are gaps in the literature and possibilities for further research.
A literary review is not a book report where you rate a book by giving it a “thumbs up” or “thumbs down.”
It is a survey of published work in a given topic or subfield, sometimes with the goal of establishing a research agenda for future studies.
A literature review is not a random list of prior work; rather, it evaluates previous work in order to suggest future research.
The purpose of the literature review you’re producing is to show why your current work (or any other study) is important.
Why Should You Write a Mini-Review?
1) You’re trying to find out the answer to a specific question/topic, and you don’t need to go over every detail.
2) Because a review part in a research publication is usually limited to two pages, you can publish it as a stand-alone mini-review piece.
How Long Should a Mini Literature Review Be
Writing a mini literature review is easier compared to a typical full review. However, the length differs from project to project. What should the length of the Mini Literature Review be?
Generally, a mini literature review should be around 5 pages, depending on the type of project or the length of the project. The maximum length of a Mini Literature Review article, including references, should be less than 5 pages.
However, this length might vary depending on the subject of the instructions of your professor.
Difference Between a Mini Literature Review and a Literature Review
A Literature review paper combines the findings of multiple primary literature studies to form a logical argument or detailed overview of an area. A review paper’s objective is to summarize recent accomplishments in a given field.
The report presents the current state of knowledge on the subject in general.
It gives the reader a better knowledge of the subject by discussing the findings of recent research publications.
On the other hand, the purpose of the Mini Literature Review article is to quickly and easily showcase a specific issue or set of related topics. It also emphasizes where there are gaps in the literature and possibilities for further research.
Read more about the best length for literature review to understand more about the difference with full reviews.
What Makes a Mini Literature Review Long or Short
Generally, a mini literature review is shorter than the main literature review. This is because, while a literature review focuses on combining findings from multiple papers to draw conclusions on a large area of study, a mini literature review deals with a specific issue or topic.
It is important to note that both literature review and mini literature review follow the same format. The only difference is that one is broader and the other one is narrow.
Check out the guide on how to write term papers for more insight.
Steps to Follow in Mini Literature Review
Begin by reading and taking notes on three to four reference articles, review articles, or essential research publications that your research mentor has provided or recommended.
In light of your summer research project, consider how your work is informed by, built on, or responds to this body of work. This is why, in the stepwise guide to writing essays, we took you through several steps.
- As you get more knowledge about your field, such searches will become more crucial; consult your research. When browsing library databases, talk to your mentor about what keywords would be appropriate. Briefly describe your research field and the specific problem or subject you’ll be addressing.
- Summarize how the writers addressed this area of study using around 3-4 important studies- Why it is significant to the field, or how it is relevant to the field.
- Researcher discoveries and methodologies and how they connect to your own planned work. Clarify how you intend to confirm prior work, attempt a new method, or expand existing work in new ways. In other words, your assessment of earlier work should establish the relevance and significance of your own work. Your review of the literature should address the following question: how am I standing on the shoulders of others?
- Include a reference list in an approved format (This list will serve as the beginning of your bibliography for your entire study).
- The length of your literature review should be between 3 and 4 pages – double-spaced
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