Academic Success Formula – time for Sums!!

Structure +
Definitions +
Sources +
Critical Thinking +
Answer the question +
Plan your time +
Deal with nerves
= Better grades!
Structure of Literature Review

Intro – Definitions + what I am going to say

Theme 1
Theme 2
Theme 3 etc Conclusion – what I said and how I answered the question set Definitions

Put boxes / circles round main words in your research objectives.
For the content words, always start with definitions (from a good source)!
Put these AT THE BEGINNING of the literature review

Sources
You must have them! Not your own opinion!

They must be good sources Source – CIPD

Sources

You must cite them correctly – Harvard referencing in the text and in the reference list at the end.

Aim for 1 to e.g. 4 per paragraph

You can use this guide – it is excellent:

https://www.edgehill.ac.uk/documents/learningServices/Harvard_Referencing.pdf

Sources – for a theme

Here’s a template you might wish to use for each them in your literature review. This will help you refine your thoughts on the literature and will work very well in your appendices

Key sources for this them The main messages of that source
E.g.

The author of the core text book (2009)

Jones (2008)

Smith (2005)

Brown (2010)

Smith & Jones (1992)

Various (list at least a few)

The social class system is divided by ....

PESTLE is a common approach to analysing an organisation’s environment etc Critical Thinking

You MUST never give your own opinions – but from what you cite as sources you should weigh it up. Samples:

Look at the situation through the eyes of different groups (eg general society, governmental bodies, company owners, managers, employees, customers) e.g.

The ‘smoking ban’ in pubs and restaurants through the eyes of different folks – the government, the NHS, Customers, Employees, Owners, Managers etc. Critical Thinking
Give the pros and cons OR advantages or disadvantages – you can also make up a template for each of your research themes eg:

The pros / advantages The cons / disadvantages

1.
2.
3.

1.
2. etc

Evaluate, compare, judge, weigh up.

Describing is not critical! Plan your space

Look at the word count you have

Look at the structure chapter given and at the marking plan

Decide how many words you are going to give to each section in your structure

Work out what that means in numbers of pages (e.g. ¼ of a page, 2/3 of a page, 2 pages) – and make sure your writing for that section stays within the page size allocated

This is also a good way to get started