'I highly recommend Diana Ridley's book. One of its great strengths is its relevance to all students in Higher Education required to undertake a literature review. A sense of security prevailed in the presence of the author's uncomplicated writing style and pages rightly divided into manageable chunks...[This book] lives up to its claim to contain extensive practical tips on how to prepare, organise and write a successful literature review' - "ESCalate Review"."The Literature Review" is a concise step-by-step guide to conducting a literature search and writing up the literature review chapter in Masters dissertations and in Ph.D. and professional doctorate theses. Diana Ridley describes how to carry out a literature review in a systematic, methodical way, providing useful strategies for efficient reading, conducting searches, organising information and writing the review itself. Examples of best and worst practice drawn from real literature reviews are included throughout to demonstrate how the guidance can be put into practice. This is an accessible, pragmatic and highly practical resource that will be welcomed by postgraduate students of any discipline.

Table of Contents

Introduction The Multiple Purposes of a Literature Review Sources of Information and Conducting Searches Reading and Note-Taking Strategies Reference Management Keeping Records and Organizing Information Structuring the Literature Review In-Text Citations Being Critical Foregrounding Writer Voice The Continuing Process