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Writing a Literature Review Dr Robyn Barnacle Graduate Research Office GRO RMIT GRO research worksho

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Title: Writing a Literature Review Dr Robyn Barnacle Graduate Research Office GRO RMIT GRO research worksho


1
Writing a Literature ReviewDr Robyn Barnacle
Graduate Research Office (GRO)RMITGRO
research workshop, May 7, 2008www.rmit.edu.au/rd
/groworkshops_2008programsummary
2
Outline1. Writing is identity work2. What is a
literature review?3. More than a literature
review Mapping the field of knowledge
production4. What will your own contribution
be?5. What makes literature reviews work?6.
Integrating the literature review into the
overall thesis
3
Beginning exerciseDiscuss with your
neighbourWhat sort of issues does the prospect
of writing a literature review raise for you?
(how does it make you feel about your own
capacity as a researcher?)
4
Writing is identity work The work of writing a
literature review is not just about writing, but
goes to the heart of the process of becoming a
researcher.Text work is identity work.
5
Writing is identity work there is a lack of
recognition of the intensity of identity work
involved at this site of text production. We
would go so far as to say that literature reviews
are the quintessential site of identity work,
where the novice researcher enters what we call
occupied territory with all the immanent danger
and quiet dread that this metaphor implies
including possible ambushes, barbed wire fences,
and unknown academics who patrol the boundaries
of already occupied territories.(Kamler
Thomson, p. 29)
6
Writing is identity work Identity issues arise
in terminology choicesWhats in a phrase?the
literature review or working with
literatures- Former implies only occurs once,
at the beginning and- Situates the author
passively, as a reviewer
7
Writing is identity work Dinner party
metaphorIf writing a LR was like hosting a
dinner party, you would not be an observer but
would be orchestrating the event- Occurs on
your own territory and you determine who
attends, select the menu, etc- You host the
party and make space for the guests to talk
about their work but in relation to your own
work.- Your own work is never disconnected from
the conversation at the dinner party
Conversation with a community of scholars
8
What is a literature review?Key tasks of
working with literature are to 1. Sketch out
the nature of the field or fields relevant
to the inquiry, possibly indicating
something of their historical development and2.
identify major debates and define contentious
terms, in order to 3. establish which studies,
ideas and/or methods are most pertinent to
the study and4. locate gaps in the field, in
order to5. create the warrant for the study in
question, and6. identify the contribution the
study will make.(Kamler Thomson, p.28)
9
What is a literature review?Common issues that
arise - Scope? It is your task to canvass
and interpret the field and to construct a
version of its terrain there is no single
right way to evaluate any topical literature.-
How why is this relevant to my thesis?-
Identifying the key scholars, themes, issues and
debates? Funnel read widely at first and
gradually narrow as you begin to identify a
topic.
10
More than a literature review Mapping the field
of knowledge productionStandard conception of a
literature review too narrow, assumes- The
literature is already established and fixed,
like a canon of pre-authorised texts.- The
illegitimacy of research and discourse that
occurs outside of traditional scholarly contexts
like universities.
11
Mapping the field of knowledge productionAs an
alternative, rethink the LR as working in the
field of knowledge production. This
emphasises- The constructive capacity of this
intellectual work you are not just an onlooker
but are actively engaged in knowledge
production- That such work is ongoing- A field
is less fixed and codified than the
literature there may be natural boundaries and
affinities but these may be blurred as well.-
The field may be comprised of more than just
scholarly journals and books
12
Mapping the field of knowledge productionBy
thinking of yourself as working in the field of
knowledge production you are more likely to
ask- Who is producing knowledge about x and
who is not?- How are these knowleges produced?-
What knowledges are included and where, and
which are excluded?- What connections exist
between these different sets of knowledge?-
Who has access to these knowledges and who does
not?- What discourses are common across the
field of knowledge production?- In whose
interests does this work?(Kamler Thomson,
p.46)
13
What will your own contribution be?Writing a LR
involves forging ones own academic identity
through writing- the challenge is to
successfully negotiate text work and identity
work simultaneously
14
What will your own contribution be?Forging ones
own academic identity through writing- the
difficulty of negotiating text work and identity
work simultaneously the challenge is to learn
to speak / write with authority, standing back
with hands on hips in order to critically
survey and categorize texts and the field
itself. (Kamler and Thomson p.32)
15
What will your own contribution be?Forging ones
own academic identity through writing Scholars
who lack confidence are overwhelmed by the work
of others. How might this manifest in the
text?- Author absent, or standing outside,
piling up layers of who said what about
what.- No evaluative comments or stance the
authors position is oblique, allows other
researchers to introduce ideas- Author does
not take a position- Does not address why the
ideas are important for the thesis how do
they inform it?- The text becomes dominated by
he said / she said
16
What will your own contribution be?Forging ones
own academic identity through writing Exercise
1 Discuss the text Geraldine and identify the
problems that indicate that the author is feeling
overwhelmed by the work of others.(Kamler and
Thomson, p.30)
17
What will your own contribution be?Developing
an appreciative stance The subject position at
the heart of research work is that of scholar.
Candidates can feel uncomfortable and inadequate
in regards to taking on this role, ie what is
involved in critically reviewing the literature?
18
What will your own contribution be? Developing
an appreciative stance Being critical, or
adopting a critical stance, doesnt necessarily
mean finding what is wrong ie the aim is to
neither praise nor demolish the work of
others.Kamler Thomson suggest adopting an
appreciative stance- Generosity identify what
the work has to offer as well as its
limitations.- Key question what does this work
contribute rather than what does it fail to
do?
19
What will your own contribution be? Developing
an appreciative stance Exercise 2 Discuss the
text Sean and identify the ways in which the
author could be said to take on an appreciative
stance.(from Kamler and Thomson, p.40)
20
What will your own contribution be?When
analysing texts it can be useful to distinguish
between blind spots and blank spotsBlank spots
where we know enough to question but not to
answer (ie the blank spot in surveys are the
lack of in-depth reasons about why respondents
answered in the way that they did requires a
different type of investigation). To find blank
spots focus on areas that have been overlooked
for methodological reasons.Blind spots where
we dont know enough to even care. (ie what
could this research have seen or done but didnt?
Did a survey omit questions that could have
allowed for fruitful cross tabulations?)
(Wagner in Kamler Thomson)
21
What will your own contribution be?An
appreciative stance enables researchers to focus
on what the research contributes and how / where
/ why more might be required. Allows for
evaluation rather that just summarizing themes.

22
What will your own contribution be?When
assessing the work of others ask - What is the
argument?- What kind / aspect of x is spoken
about in this article?- From what position?-
Using what evidence?- What claims are made?-
How adequate are these (blank spots and blind
spots)? (from Kamler and Thomson, p.42)
23
What will your own contribution be?Exercise 3
Analyse the text Sean using the list of
interrogative questions bellow - What is the
argument?- What kind / aspect of x is spoken
about in this article?- From what position?-
Using what evidence?- What claims are made?-
How adequate are these (blank spots and blind
spots)? (from Kamler and Thomson, p.42)
24
What makes literature reviews work?An
authoritative, hands on hips appreciative
stance by the author- Taking charge of the
literatures, in order to- Take the lead and
guide the reader through the different
positions in the field.- Frame discussion as a
debate, or a set of ideas in competition with
one another, and therefore- Make ideas central,
rather than other researchers.- Use evaluative
language to sort and clarify positions- Make
links to broader discourses and- To ones own
argument.
25
What makes literature reviews work?Exercise 4
Read the text Anne and identify why it works as
a literature review.(from Kamler and Thomson,
p.42-43)
26
Integrating the literature review into the
overall thesisWhere / how might literature work
be located in relation to the overall structure
of the thesis? How will the literature review
look in the finished thesis single chapter or
integrated?
27
Integrating the literature review into the
overall thesisDifferent ways to structure the
thesisFormulaic model Intro, lit review,
methodology, findings, analysis, conclusion
Danger discussion of the literature separate
from analysis, can truncate the argument,
make it difficult to follow, and
tedious.Integrated model literature discussed
where relevant throughout the thesis chapters
become thematic Thesis becomes an extended
argument with minimal summary and factual
recount. It is only through argument that you can
make your mark and stake a claim.
28
Integrating the literature review into the
overall thesis
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