{"id":3006,"date":"2016-03-18T09:24:37","date_gmt":"2016-03-18T03:24:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/?p=3006"},"modified":"2022-05-03T11:59:50","modified_gmt":"2022-05-03T05:59:50","slug":"research-for-a-good-literature-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/research-for-a-good-literature-review\/","title":{"rendered":"How Much Research Is Enough for a Good Literature Review?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Purpose of a Literature Review<\/h2>\n

The key to any research study is the research question itself. A poorly written question that is too broad will generate questionable hypotheses, and if your supervisor fails to catch it in time, even more questionable results. Developing the right question requires a rock solid literature review<\/a> that establishes your expertise as having been so immersed in the topic that you can rightfully vouch for the need for this research question to be asked.<\/p>\n

That all sounds great on paper, but as the volume of academic research being published continues to rise year-on-year, the amount of searching that needs to be accomplished effectively to establish your expertise also increases. This, in turn, raises the question as to how much is enough?<\/p>\n

Most supervisors will tell you that quality is measured in terms of relevance to your topic, and that your choice should always be quality over quantity<\/a>. However, that guidance, valuable though it may be, still leaves you with the question as to how much relevant material is enough?<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Chasing a Moving Target<\/h2>\n

Most researchers struggling to survive in the middle of a literature review<\/a> tend to worry more about the currency of their data more than the quantity of it. They become paranoid at the prospect of missing the latest paper or opinion piece that an examiner will spring on them at their oral defenses and destroy their academic careers in one fell swoop.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a valid, albeit a little emotional, concern and can be easily managed through a well-planned selection of RSS feeds and journal alerts based on appropriate keywords. What should take more thought and careful planning is developing the depth and breadth of your review\u2014how wide, how deep (as in detailed), and how far back should you be looking?<\/p>\n

The Importance of Structure<\/h2>\n

Many of the variables are going to be topic specific, but it will fall to you, your supervisor, and the help of an academic librarian who, hopefully, has some knowledge of your field, to establish those limits. It helps to think in terms of the manageable library of data that you are carefully building, as opposed to the vast ocean of data in which it will probably feel like you\u2019re drowning. There are some simple rules that can be applied:<\/p>\n