Preparing a literature review can be challenging when writing an undergraduate or postgraduate dissertation or thesis. It is important that you create a logical structure and carefully present your research to allow you to outline what is already known about the topic. This will help form the basis for the rest of your dissertation. Here is a list of useful phrases for a dissertation literature review.Â
Chapter introduction
The purpose of the literature review is to analyse the literature regarding
This literature review aims to analyse the current theory surrounding
The literature review will examine what is already known about
Introducing terms
Since this dissertation focuses on X it is important to firstly define the term
As this dissertation explores X there is a need to understand exactly what this means
One of the first people to define X was Smith (1990) who offered the following definition
For Smith (2020) X is
Smith (2022) uses the term X to describe
Jones (2022) offers a similar definition to that of (Smith 2021) describing X as
A commonly accepted definition of X is offered by (Jones 2021) who describes X as
There is no widely accepted definition of X therefore it is difficult to define the term. However, the definition offered by Smith (2019) is frequently used within the literature.
Areas of agreement
This definition offered by Jones (2021) aligns with that of Smith (2020)
Several studies have shown/suggested that
Jones (2020) agrees with Smith (2020) defining X as
Smith (2022) and Jones (2022) agree that
Similarly, Jones (2022) defines X asÂ
Smith (2022) and Jones (2021) agree that
Over the years many researchers have found that
Recently there has been significant interest in
Areas of disagreement
On the other hand, Jones (2020) proposes a more comprehensive definition of X
Despite Smith’s viewpoint, Jones (2021) suggests thatÂ
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Introducing areas of criticism
X does not come without criticism
A question that needs to be asked regarding X is
This view of X is often challenged
One limitation of X is
A major of drawback of this method is
Previous studies cannot be considered in this case
Y is a potential concern when it comes to X
Showing a gap in knowledge
Only a few studies have investigated/examined
Despite this, there is little knowledge ofÂ
Smith (2020) highlights a need for further research into X
Jones (2022) asserts a need for greater research into
Chapter conclusion
This chapter offered an overview of X
It is shown that
It is clear thatÂ
As demonstrated by the literature review there is a knowledge gap when it comes to
Subsequently, this paper will focus onÂ
To address this knowledge gap this dissertation will look at
Therefore this dissertation will aim to establishÂ
For more useful phrases to include in your dissertation visit our dissertation phrase guide.
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