How-to-write-a-literature-review(如何寫一篇文學(xué)評(píng)論)

Howtowritealiteraturereview?

Whatisareviewoftheliterature?Aliteraturereviewisanaccountofwhathasbeenpublishedonatopicbyscholarsandresearchers.Occasionallyyouwillbeaskedtowriteoneasaseparateassignmentbutmoreoftenitispartoftheintroductiontoanessay,researchreport,orthesis.Inwritingtheliteraturereview,yourpurposeistoconveytoyourreaderwhatknowledgeandideashavebeenestablishedonatopic,andwhattheirstrengthsandweaknessesare.Asapieceofwriting,theliteraturereviewmustbedefinedbyaguidingconcept(e.g.,yourresearchobjective,theproblemorissueyouarediscussing,oryourargumentativethesis).Itisnotjustadescriptivelistofthematerialavailable,orasetofsummaries.YoucangainanddemonstrateskillsintwoareasBesidesenlargingyourknowledgeaboutthetopic,writingaliteraturereviewlets:informationseeking:theabilitytoscantheliteratureefficiently,usingmanualorcomputerizedmethods,toidentifyasetofusefularticlesandbookscriticalappraisal:theabilitytoapplyprinciplesofanalysistoidentifyunbiasedandvalidstudies.Aliteraturereviewmustdothesethings:beorganizedaroundandrelateddirectlytothethesisorresearchquestionyouaredevelopingsynthesizeresultsintoasummaryofwhatisandisnotknownidentifyareasofcontroversyintheliteratureformulatequestionsthatneedfurtherresearchAskyourselfquestionsliketheseWhatisthespecificthesis,problem,orresearchquestionthatmyliteraturereviewhelpstodefine?WhattypeofliteraturereviewamIconducting?AmIlookingatissuesoftheory?methodology?policy?quantitativeresearch(e.g.ontheeffectivenessofanewprocedure)?qualitativeresearch(e.g.,studies)?Whatisthescopeofmyliteraturereview?WhattypesofpublicationsamIusing(e.g.,journals,books,governmentdocuments,popularmedia)?WhatdisciplineamIworkingin(e.g.,nursingpsychology,sociology,medicine)?Howgoodwasmyinformationseeking?HasmysearchbeenwideenoughtoensureI'vefoundalltherelevantmaterial?Hasitbeennarrowenoughtoexcludeirrelevantmaterial?IsthenumberofsourcesI'veusedappropriateforthelengthofmypaper?HaveIcriticallyanalysedtheliteratureIuse?DoIfollowthroughasetofconceptsandquestions,comparingitemstoeachotherinthewaystheydealwiththem?Insteadofjustlistingandsummarizingitems,doIassessthem,discussingstrengthsandweaknesses?HaveIcitedanddiscussedstudiescontrarytomyperspective?Willthereaderfindmyliteraturereviewrelevant,appropriate,anduseful?Askyourselfquestionsliketheseabouteachbookorarticleyouinclude:Hastheauthorformulatedaproblem/issue?Isitclearlydefined?Isitssignificance(scope,severity,relevance)clearlyestablished?Couldtheproblemhavebeenapproachedmoreeffectivelyfromanotherperspective?Whatistheauthor'sresearchorientation(e.g.,interpretive,criticalscience,combination)?Whatistheauthor'stheoreticalframework(e.g.,psychological,developmental,feminist)?Whatistherelationshipbetweenthetheoreticalandresearchperspectives?Hastheauthorevaluatedtheliteraturerelevanttotheproblem/issue?Doestheauthorincludeliteraturetakingpositionssheorhedoesnotagreewith?Inaresearchstudy,howgoodarethebasiccomponentsofthestudydesign(e.g.,population,intervention,outcome)?Howaccurateandvalidarethemeasurements?Istheanalysisofthedataaccurateandrelevanttotheresearchquestion?Aretheconclusionsvalidlybaseduponthedataandanalysis?Inmaterialwrittenforapopularreadership,doestheauthoruseappealstoemotion,one-sidedexamples,orrhetorically-chargedlanguageandtone?Isthereanobjectivebasistothereasoning,oristheauthormerely"proving"whatheorshealreadybelieves?Howdoestheauthorstructuretheargument?Canyou"deconstruct"theflowoftheargumenttoseewhetherorwhereitbreaksdownlogically(e.g.,inestablishingcause-effectrelationships)?Inwhatwaysdoesthisbookorarticlecontributetoourunderstandingoftheproblemunderstudy,andinwhatwaysisitusefulforpractice?Whatarethestrengthsandlimitations?HowdoesthisbookorarticlerelatetothespecificthesisorquestionIamdeveloping?FinalNotes:Aliteraturereviewisapieceofdiscursiveprose,notalistdescribingorsummarizingonepieceofliteratureafteranother.It'susuallyabadsigntoseeeveryparagraphbeginningwiththenameofaresearcher.Instead,organizetheliteraturereviewintosectionsthatpresentthemesoridentifytrends,includingrelevanttheory.Youarenottryingtolistallthematerialpublished,buttosynthesizeandevaluateitaccordingtotheguidingconceptofyourthesisorresearchquestion.1文獻(xiàn)綜述的分類根據(jù)寫作目的和內(nèi)容的側(cè)重點(diǎn)動(dòng)態(tài)性綜述(developmentalreview)成就性綜述(resultreview)爭(zhēng)鳴性綜述(contentiousreview)按時(shí)間來(lái)劃分可分為回憶性綜述(retrospectivereview)前瞻性綜述(prospectivereview)。根據(jù)作者的參與情況，可分為歸納性綜述(inductivereview)評(píng)論性綜述(criticalreview)2文獻(xiàn)綜述的寫作標(biāo)題與作者(titleandauthor)摘要與關(guān)鍵詞(abstractandkeywords)引言(introduction)述評(píng)(review)結(jié)論(conclusion)參考文獻(xiàn)(references)其中最為核心的局部是引言、述評(píng)和結(jié)論2.1引言(Introduction)兩個(gè)內(nèi)容：一是提出問(wèn)題；二是介紹綜述的范圍和內(nèi)容。提出問(wèn)題時(shí)，作者要給出定義性解釋、交代研究背景、簡(jiǎn)單介紹不同文獻(xiàn)的看法和分歧所在并介紹該文獻(xiàn)的寫作目的介紹該綜述的范圍和主要內(nèi)容時(shí)，作者應(yīng)使用簡(jiǎn)明扼要的語(yǔ)句加以概括。引言局部通常為200~300詞。引言的內(nèi)容和結(jié)構(gòu)特點(diǎn)〔1〕綜述的引言通常包括定義性解釋、研究背景、現(xiàn)存問(wèn)題或分歧、綜述的目的、內(nèi)容和范圍；〔2〕使用一般現(xiàn)在時(shí)介紹背景知識(shí)，使用現(xiàn)在完成時(shí)表達(dá)他人成果，使用一般將來(lái)時(shí)或一般現(xiàn)在時(shí)簡(jiǎn)介本文內(nèi)容；〔3〕句子結(jié)構(gòu)力求簡(jiǎn)潔明了，多用簡(jiǎn)單句，并列成份較為常見；〔4〕以第三人稱主語(yǔ)為主，間或使用第一人稱復(fù)數(shù)充當(dāng)主語(yǔ)。表定義或解釋①……被定義為……:…isdefinedas…/…h(huán)asbeendefinedas…②所謂……是指……:By…ismeant…/By…wemean…③……指的是……:…refersto…④……包括……:…includes…⑤……有……種類型:...is/canbeclassifiedinto…;Thereare…kindsof…⑥我們知道,……是一種……的常見病:…isacommondiseasethat…;…isknowntobeacommondiseasethat…表現(xiàn)狀和分歧據(jù)發(fā)現(xiàn)/報(bào)道/證實(shí)……：Ithasbeenfound/reported/provedthat…普遍認(rèn)為……：Itisgenerallyrecognized/agreed/acceptedthat…一般認(rèn)為……：Itisthought/regarded/consideredthat………依然是一個(gè)尚待解決的問(wèn)題：…remainsanunsolvedproblem.關(guān)于……目前有兩種解釋:Twotheorieshavebeenpostulatedtoexplain…第一種理論認(rèn)為……,而第二種理論那么認(rèn)為……:Thefirsttheoryproposesthat…,whereasthesecondtheoryproposesthat…一些文獻(xiàn)報(bào)道……；而另一些人持不同觀點(diǎn):Somepapershavereportedthat…;however,othergroupshavedisputedthesefindings.最初的一些研究支持這種看法:Severalinitialstudiesseemedtosupporthisconcept.表內(nèi)容和目的①本綜述的目的是……：Thepurpose/aim/objectofthisreviewisto…②本文綜述了有關(guān)文獻(xiàn)：Thepertinentliteratureisreviewed.③本文綜述了……：Thisarticlereviews…/Wereview…④本文將重點(diǎn)討論……：Thisreviewwillconcentrateon…⑤下面本文就……作一簡(jiǎn)單綜述：Inthefollowing,abriefreviewisgivenof/about…⑥本篇綜述的目的是著重闡述……：Inthisreview,weaimtohighlight…⑦我們將回憶有關(guān)……的研究：Wewillreviewpublishedstudieson…⑧我們將重點(diǎn)回憶……：Wewillfocuson…⑨本文主要闡述……：Thisreviewfocuseson…⑩本文就……作一綜述:Thefollowingpaperreviews…⑾本文并非旨在說(shuō)服讀者……：Noattemptwillbemadetoconvincethereaderthat…2.2述評(píng)(Review)述評(píng)是文獻(xiàn)綜述的核心所在，是對(duì)引言的展開和深入。根據(jù)引言所提出的問(wèn)題和限定的范圍，作者要對(duì)大量有關(guān)文獻(xiàn)進(jìn)行系統(tǒng)的整理、歸納、比照和分析，在此根底上列出與主題有關(guān)的所有重要學(xué)術(shù)觀點(diǎn)，然后分別加以論述，以便讀者獲得全面的了解。動(dòng)態(tài)性綜述在論述觀點(diǎn)時(shí)，通常由一般到具體、由過(guò)去到最近、由他人觀點(diǎn)到自己看法。引述文獻(xiàn)時(shí)，只介紹主要研究成果和結(jié)論性意見，對(duì)于研究的材料、方法和過(guò)程那么不必詳述，但成就性綜述在介紹創(chuàng)新點(diǎn)時(shí)那么應(yīng)多加論述。對(duì)于爭(zhēng)鳴性綜述中尚無(wú)定論和存在分歧的觀點(diǎn)，只需歸納提及，由讀者自己進(jìn)行思考和判斷。述評(píng)局部通常較長(zhǎng)，為了條理清晰，作者一般將其分成幾個(gè)局部并給出每個(gè)局部的小標(biāo)題。述評(píng)的內(nèi)容和結(jié)構(gòu)特點(diǎn)述評(píng)局部常由幾個(gè)局部組成，每個(gè)局部又有各自的標(biāo)題及下級(jí)標(biāo)題?；貞浨叭搜芯浚詴r(shí)間為序，由遠(yuǎn)及近。以有敘有議的方式表達(dá)述評(píng)的功能，敘前人研究，議其結(jié)果、探其原因、究其缺乏。表達(dá)時(shí)使用一般過(guò)去時(shí)，評(píng)論時(shí)使用一般現(xiàn)在時(shí)或現(xiàn)在完成時(shí)。分析評(píng)論，特別是表達(dá)作者自己的觀點(diǎn)時(shí)，要客觀、謹(jǐn)慎，因此多使用模糊性語(yǔ)言和表推測(cè)的語(yǔ)言形式?！?〕表述觀點(diǎn)①研究說(shuō)明……：Studiesshowthat…②據(jù)〔已經(jīng)〕發(fā)現(xiàn)……：Itis(hasbeen)foundthat…/sb.foundthat…③據(jù)報(bào)道……：Itis(hasbeen)reportedthat…④有人指出……：Ithasbeenpointedoutthat…⑤業(yè)已證明……:Ithasbeenproved/showedthat…⑥一般認(rèn)為……：Itisgenerallyrecognized/agreed/acceptedthat…⑦有人認(rèn)為……：Itisthought/regarded/consideredthat…⑧已觀察到……：Ithasbeenobservedthat…⑨必須指出……：Itmustbepointedoutthat…⑩還得指出……：Itshouldbeaddedthat…⑾必須成認(rèn)……：Itmustbeadmittedthat…⑿不用說(shuō)……：Itneednotbesaidthat…⒀必須強(qiáng)調(diào)……：Itmustbeemphasized/stressedthat…⒁應(yīng)當(dāng)講明……：Itshouldbemadeclearthat…⒂一項(xiàng)有趣的發(fā)現(xiàn)是……：Aninterestingfindingisthat…⒃最重要的事實(shí)是……:Nothingismoreimportantthanthefactthat⒄更重要的事實(shí)是……：Amoreimportantfactisthat…⒅我認(rèn)為……:Iamoftheopinionthat…⒆有人聲稱……：Itisassertedhat…⒇多數(shù)人一致認(rèn)為……：Mostresearchersagreethat…〔2〕探討可能性①可以有把握地說(shuō)……：Itmaybesafelysaidthat…②由此可見……：Itcanbeseenfromthisthat…③……有〔不〕可能：Itis(not)possible/probable/likelythat…④……是符合情理的