A 1,000-word (10%) literature review of the topic should then be created, culminating
with an informed conclusion.
The aim of a literature review is to show your reader (your lecturer) that you have read
and have formed a good grasp of the main published work concerning a particular topic or
question in your field.
It is very important to note that your review should not be simply a description of what others have published in the form of a set of summaries, but should take the form of a
critical discussion, showing insight and an awareness of differing arguments, theories and
approaches. It should be a synthesis and critique of the relevant published work, linked at
all times to your own purpose and rationale.
It is recommended that you use a reference manager in order to deploy appropriate intext citation , and the submission should terminate with a
reference list (which is not included in the word count). You might also wish to include a
bibliography (again out with word count).
The literature review must include a number of different types of sources. These should
include at least one reference from each of these categories:
Books from an academic press,
E-books or PhD dissertations (typically available online from sites like
www.academia.edu or www.proquest.com),
Academic journal articles or essays in edited collections,
Audio or video interviews,
Conference papers,
Authoritative websites.
Two of these references must be direct quotations.2 All of these sources should either be
academic or by professional practitioners writing for a professional audience.
