Introduction > Reviewing Literature > Starting Your Literature Review > Analysing What You've Read

Analysing What You've Read

To demonstrate your understanding of the subject area, you should be able to critically compare and contrast previous research and show that you have read around the subject area. Your literature review should be far more than 'she said this', 'he said that', 'they disagreed with everyone'. Although you should detail the results/findings of researchers, you should also add in your own thoughts and ideas. In some instances this is relatively easy to do. For example, conflict between researchers may occur because similar work was conducted:

several decades apart - changes in technology may allow more accurate experimentation to occur
using different cultivars/clones - this is particularly important when working with animals and plants, where slight changes in breeding history can dramatically alter the overall reaction
under different experimental conditions - slight alterations in altitude, temperature, photoperiod or precipitation may impact on the results
using different technology/methodology.

For example, if you are preparing a literature review on the probability of Vine Weevil larvae developing resistance to the pesticide Imidacloprid, you could search for information about the current incidences of Vine Weevil larvae resistance, but also look for other insect species, such as the Brown Planthopper. It's important, in this situation, to acknowledge that comparing one species' reaction to the chemical may not mirror another species.

<<< Previous Page >>>

<<< Next Page >>>