literature review

1 Sheffield.ac.uk/international-college – Effective from September 2015

Review
(approximately 1,500 words)

Feature Planning Sheet

Use the table below to make notes on each of the literature review features. This will help you to
make sure that you include everything necessary in your literature review section.

Note: you will need to include a minimum of 12 sources in your literature review.

Feature Notes

Introduction

1) Establish what your topic is
2) Give your reasons
3) State your aim
4) Explain the organisation of your literature

review

• Remember, you will be repeating yourself
somewhat from your introduction of the
research proposal, that’s ok. You could try
rewording yourself to maintain reader interest.
Also, numbers 1-4 above should not be more
than a couple to a few sentences each.

Main Body

1) General theories
2) Specific cases and examples
3) Your research gap

• Remember that 1-3 are moving from general to
specific to prove your research gap. Think
about the structures we learnt about in class.
You can structure 1-3 by topic/theme or
structure chronologically, or from distant to
close in relation to your research focus.

Conclusion

1) Summarise the important points in the review
2) Evaluate the current state of literature
3) Identify significant flaws or gaps (restating your

research gap)
4) Link this gap with your research (how will your

research address this gap?)

2 Sheffield.ac.uk/international-college – Effective from September 2015

• Again, you will be repeating yourself a bit from
the main body of your literature review, but try
to reword to maintain reader interest and that
you summarise these points.

Headings

Remember that you must have headings in
your literature review: There must be specific
headings for the different sections of your main
body. Use your objectives to help you and refer
back to PowerPoint 9.1 on MOLE for help.