This blog post is part of the Ph.D. coursework activity assigned by Prof. Dr. Dilip Barad, Department of English, MK Bhavnagar University. It focuses on understanding the concept, purpose, and significance of a literature review in academic research. Through the ideas discussed in the assigned videos, this post reflects on the process of conducting a literature review and its application to my own research.
Here is the link to Barad sir's blog post:
What is a Literature Review?
A literature review is a critical examination of existing research related to a particular topic. It involves reading, comparing, and evaluating scholarly sources to understand what has already been studied. A literature review is not simply a summary of previous research; it helps the researcher identify major arguments, research trends, gaps, and areas that require further investigation. It provides the foundation for developing a research problem and positioning one's own study within the existing body of knowledge.
A well-constructed literature review not only informs us about the work already conducted in a given field but also reveals how scholars have approached specific topics and theoretical frameworks. It allows the researcher to build upon the intellectual foundation laid by others standing, as it were, on the shoulders of giants not merely to observe what they have achieved, but to envision possibilities beyond their scope. Thus, reviewing existing literature paves the way for fresh insights and helps in reassessing previously held views.
Here are some of the articles to read:
- Andrew Booth, Diana Papaioannou, and Anthea Sutton, 'The literature review: its role within research' from Systematic Approaches to a Successful Literature Review (SAGE, 2012), pp.1-16.
- Chris Hart, 'The literature review in research' from Doing a Literature Review (SAGE, 1998), pp.1-25.
- Robin Kiteley and Chris Stogdon, 'What is a literature review?' from Literature Reviews in Social Work (SAGE, 2014), pp.5-22.
While reviewing related literature, three fundamental questions must be considered, as emphasized in the video:
- What? – What is there that can be known? What is knowable?
- Why? – What is the relationship between the knower and the known?
- How? – How do we discover or come to know these things?
These questions form an important foundation for the research process. They encourage the researcher to approach existing knowledge with clarity, curiosity, and an unbiased perspective. A literature review, therefore, is not simply a collection or reproduction of existing ideas. It is a critical process of examining what is already known, questioning how knowledge is produced, and identifying what can be further explored. In this sense, a literature review becomes a process of understanding existing knowledge while contributing to the generation of new knowledge.
The Examples of Literature Review:
Purpose and Significance:
The main purpose of a literature review is to understand the existing scholarship on a research topic and identify areas that have not been sufficiently explored. It helps researchers develop a clear research direction and justify the need for their study.
A literature review also helps in:
- Understanding previous research and major scholarly debates.
- Identifying research gaps and unexplored areas.
- Developing a theoretical and conceptual framework.
- Avoiding unnecessary repetition of existing research.
- Supporting arguments with relevant scholarly sources.
- Establishing the originality and significance of the research.
Maintaining an organised and indexed literature review is equally important. Even sources that are not ultimately used can help the researcher understand the development of scholarship and refine the research direction.
A well-constructed literature review should:
- Be organised around the thesis or research questions and remain directly relevant to the research being undertaken.
- Synthesise existing findings into a coherent discussion, showing what is already known and what remains unexplored in the field.
- Identify areas of debate, controversy, or disagreement in existing scholarship and acknowledge different perspectives.
- Evaluate existing research critically rather than simply summarising the views of other scholars.
- Identify research gaps that can provide a basis for further investigation and establish the significance of the present study.
Steps in Writing a Literature Review:
Writing a literature review involves a structured process that gradually leads to a coherent and comprehensive final draft. The following six steps serve as a practical guide:
- Make a table of all works reviewed or considered for review
- Annotated Bibliography of selected works: It can be in chronological or alphabetical order.
- Reorganise the 'order': Your 'hypothesis' shall guide you in reorganizing. This re-ordering depends on the flow of your arguments. Make your own trajectory.
- Now write introductory and concluding lines. These lines shall be written to 'hook paragraphs' with each other. Write in such a way that the transitions from one paragraph to another help the 'flow of ideas'.
- Now write the 'Concluding Paragraph' of the 'Review of Related Literature'. Start with a clear, strong, and concrete statement. Make your conclusions about your 'Literature Review'.
- Now, write 'Introduction'. The thesis statement shall be 'last' in the Introduction and 'first' in the Conclusion.
Reflections and Applications to My Research
The broader area of my research lies within Script study, Postmodernism, with a specific focus on the relationship between journey, identity, and the fragmented self in the selected scripts of Imtiaz Ali.
1. Purpose and Role of Literature Review in My Research
The literature review serves several important purposes in my research:
It helps me understand the existing scholarship on Imtiaz Ali, journey narratives, identity, self-discovery, and postmodernism, thereby establishing the academic context of my study.
It enables me to examine how scholars have previously interpreted his films and identify the themes, theories, and approaches that have already been explored.
It helps me position my research within relevant theoretical traditions, including existentialism, deconstruction, narrative theory, performativity, and nomadic theory.
It allows me to identify research gaps in the existing scholarship, particularly in relation to reading Imtiaz Ali’s scripts through a postmodern literary perspective.
It helps establish the significance and originality of my research by showing how my study contributes a focused analysis of journey as a metaphor for identity transformation and self-discovery.
2. Asking Foundational Questions: What, Why, and How
The three fundamental questions What, Why, and How can also guide the literature review for my research.
What is knowable?
This involves examining what is already known about Imtiaz Ali’s films and scripts, particularly their representations of journey, identity, relationships, self-discovery, and fragmented identity.
Why is this important?
This question helps establish the significance of my research. Although Imtiaz Ali’s films have been discussed from different perspectives, studying the journey as a metaphor for self-discovery through a postmodern literary reading can offer a more focused interpretation of his selected scripts.
How can these questions be answered?
These questions can be explored through qualitative textual analysis and close reading of the selected scripts, supported by relevant theoretical frameworks. The analysis will focus on characterization, dialogue, narrative structure, journey motifs, identity conflicts, and character transformation.
Thus, the literature review will help me move from what has already been studied to what remains to be explored, providing a foundation for developing my own critical argument.
Thank you.
Note: The language of this write up is modified with the help of generative AI ChatGPT.
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