Queen's Learning Commons
Queen's University- Understanding Expectations
- Identifying Your Research Questions
- Developing a Methodology or Methodological Framework
- Reviewing the literature in your field
- Establishing a dissertation committee
- Writing a dissertation proposal
- Creating a Work Plan
- Creating a Disseration Support Network
- Conducting Research
- Conducting a comprehensive literature review
- Outlining and drafting chapters
- Taking care of visual details
- Reviewing, revising & submitting your text
- Creating defense draft & defending dissertation
- Writing the Abstract
- Finalizing Revisions
- Submitting Dissertation
- Getting Closure
Stage 4: Reviewing the literature in your field
Reviewing Literature in your field helps to:
- Develop in-depth understanding of your topic
- Understand the broader field of which your topic is a part
- Explore important methodologies, controversies, and research issues
- Identify names of key researchers
- Be sure your research makes a unique contribution
- Evaluate feasibility of topic
- Position your topic in your field
Depending upon what you discover in this process and the requirements of your program, you may decide to refine, focus, or change your topic.
See Why do I have to do a Literature Review? on the University of Queensland’s website, and Why Do a Literature Review? at Central Queensland University
See also University of Toronto's "The Literature Review: A Few Tips On Conducting It
Step 1: Investigate relevant library resources and services.
Step 2: Start to study topic in depth by finding relevant sources.
Step 3: Formulate a focused search strategy.
Step 4: Gather & organize relevant materials for proposal and comprehensive literature review.