There are many variants to consider when writing theses; each academic thesis component is evaluated from different angles. There are several structures proposed on the issue of formatting them correctly. The same problem usually occurs with the literature review in theses; writing a thesis literature review, the enduring scholar usually has so much to say and to share that he or she starts to pile all relevant and irrelevant information into the literature review part for the sake of the volume, and forgets about its propriety for the particular study. Therefore, the present article unveils the most popular myths about writing a thesis literature review and draws clear guidelines for those who wish to advance thesis literature review writing skills.
The primary aim of writing theses
The first point to become aware of when composing a literature review for a thesis is that the prime aim of the task is to give the proper account of literature and research generated on the subject by other scholars who worked earlier than you or work now. In other words, all thesis literature reviews have to serve as a sound basis for your conclusions, as substantiation of your hypothesis, and as a rationale for the chosen methods, models, and techniques of research. By reviewing the literature existing on the subject, the scholar can achieve two goals – to show what is known on the topic (this is the data from which he or she will derive the argumentation) and what is unknown about it (which is the gap that will be researched).
The secondary goals of writing theses
Having identified the gaps in the core of the planned study is not the ultimate point of literature reviews in a thesis. There are also secondary goals to pursue when conducting a literature search. For example, the elicitation of data helps research the identified gap. It is too ambitious to state that once the gap has been identified, the scholar will direct their scholarly thought and endeavor to seek the problem solution. However, to resolve an issue, data, and tools for their manipulation are needed. Hence, thesis literature reviews may be dedicated to the issue of finding the models used for similar types of research or recommendations for the choice of a model or a methodology to target such issues.