The Literature Review: Support for Higher Degree Research: Introduction

Some images and illustrations used in BCU LibGuides are reproduced with kind permission of Getty Images UK under the terms of an exclusive license agreement between BCU and Getty Images. All such licenced material is owned by © Thinkstock  and/or its image partners and are protected by United States copyright laws, international treaty provisions and other applicable laws. Thinkstock and its content providers retain all rights to these images not expressly granted within this license.

Welcome to Support for Higher Degree Research Students developed by the Library and Learning Resources Learning Teaching and Research Services Team.

This LibGuide focuses on the conceptualisation, identification, appraisal, synthesis and dissemination of the literature search element of your higher degree research study.

This is not intended as a detailed guide to the exploration of your topic. Every students' research focus will be different and require a unique exploration of the information landscape. The team therefore offers a range of support options designed to meet both broad and individual needs. The key support is through one-to-one tutorials and advice via telephone, email and other web-based services, such as Moodle. As with your research supervisor, it can be beneficial to build a working relationship with your librarian and make use of the advice and expertise we can bring to your research.
 

Exploring the information landscape has a critical role in the research process. The exploration can be divided into four broad phases:

1. Scoping - an initial exploration to gain an overview of the state of knowledge in the topic area.
2. The Literature Review - reviewing what is currently known and what needs to be known which helps to focus the research question.
3. Methodology - the rationale for the chosen approach.
4. Maintenance - keeping up-to-date during the research period.