STMT 4/3/2024 2. General recommendation. How to start? Notes on literature review MUNI Adapted from A complete guide to writing a master's thesis - Oxbridge Editing 2.1 General structure The introductory parts of your thesis should contain a literature review for a number of reasons table of content (an example) 1 I _ Fnl:'cv;:..iii.'iiiiicii . . rci-unfc....................... 1.2 1 Phy-ic.-: -ST-'iia .ii-:iiis,>o-i|>hi;nl riä-cvipiM 2.: ; P.il3ccc.ivkoilman;.! ictcrdi..................... ! materials a>D method >.. A.2 Rgdiocaitou dating.... MUNI SCI 2.2 Do your reading Do not start with writing! Start wit reading! Introductory parts must contain literature review. Besides motivation You should provethatYou orient in basic problems of the topic, you know the terminology, so-far achievements, possible I methodological approaches etc. A good introduction (literature review - „state of the art") will help you a lot in discussion of Your results with respect to existing studies Find a balance between reading enough and not spending too much time doing so. There is so much reading to do and it can be easy to drift off topic. i Doing your reading and producing the final literature review are important ' components of a master's thesis, but if you spend too much time reading there won't be ample time for the data collection process, analytical parts and the writing up phase. Your reading should be both effective and efficient: II U l-J 1 SCI 2.2 Do your reading Step 1 - Understand your research questions • Know what research questions you are trying to answer. • You have identified these questions with your supervisor before you started to work on yourthesis. • Make sure the data and tools needed to validate the research questions exist and are accessible Step 2 - Make reading easier • Don't get lost in the details, use key words efficiently, • Read the abstract of the found sources (articles) carefully • Divide your reading time to several time slots MUNI SCI 2.2 Do your reading Step 3 - Take good notes • Remember the forgetting curve • Do not forgetthat reading is necessary pre-requisite for completing the literature review and the list of references • Good notes may significantly help you in discussion of your results and in comparison Your findings with similar studies etc. • You may build out an excel spreadsheet or other listthat documents your reading in a detailed and organized manner. Some possible sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch7app-des ktop&v-Q3Clhywd7B8 https://www.wikihow.com/Take-Better-Notes MUNI S C I 2.2 Do your reading with usefull tools Who / What can help you? Library services (professionals' Reference management software zotero Both will be presented in the next lessons -Table of Contents https://www.zotero.org/support/quick start guide MUNI S C I 1 4/3/2024 2.3 Main steps how to create a literature review How to write a literature review ■tg'Scribbr Adapted from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/tr1e5i5-di55ertation/literature-review/ MUNI S C I 2.4 Notes on literature review A literature review is not just a phone book A good literature review doesn't just summarize sources - it analyses, synthesizes, and critically evaluates to give a clear picture of the state of knowledge on the subject. Your literature review may have an inner structure: table of contents (an example] MUNI SCI 2.4 Types of literature reviews There are different types of literature reviews and the type you choose will be determined by the topic you are researching. Four common types of literature reviews are summarized below: • Chronological - It organizes sources and their ideas by the date of publication. • Trend - It is often used in social science (e.g. political science or public policy). They focus on specific trends in a field and can still include a chronological component. • Methodological -This focuses less on what is said in different sources and more on how previous research has been performed. • Theoretical - They are often found in fields like philosophy or humanities, but are also prevalent in social sciences. They review existingtheories and their relationships. https://www.enago.com/thesis-editing/blog/how-to-write-complete-literature-review-for-your-thesis-dissertation But there are also other types that may be preferable depending on your thesis topic. In geography You may stress on regional aspects of You thesis https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/literaturereview II U I-J 1 SCI 2.4 Notes on the literature review Use only relevant sources - resources that have passed the revision procedure Use original (primary) sources, don't quote borrowed information (secondary sources) Cite all sources correctly Mark verbatim wording clearly with quotation marks, but don't overuse them Use current, latest resources whenever possible Try to identify essential information that can be generalized Do not include irrelevant details that do not directly relate to the topic of your thesis MUNI S C I Task 2 Prepare the first version of the literature review • Read carefully notes from this presentation • Look through recommended internet sources • Design the type and structure of your literature review • Write at least one paragraph for each section Prepare short presentation (10 minutes] Deadline: April 10, You can use a number of Internet resources: httDs://www.enaeo.com/thesis-editine/bloe/how-to-write-comDlete-literature review-fnr-vnur-thesis-dissertatinn httDs://www.voutube.com/watch?v-ntDPSaVP2V4 M u NI S c I 2