How to Write a Literature Review for an Argumentative Research Paper
How to Write a Literature Review for an Argumentative Research Paper
A literature review in an argumentative research paper provides a survey of existing research on your topic. It helps establish the context for your argument and shows how your research fits into the existing body of knowledge. Here’s how to write an effective literature review:
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Identify Relevant Sources: Begin by gathering sources related to your topic, including scholarly articles, books, and research papers. Focus on sources that provide different perspectives or research findings on the topic.
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Summarize Key Findings: For each source, summarize the key findings, arguments, or theories. Be concise and focus on the most relevant aspects of each work. Explain how each source contributes to the understanding of the topic.
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Analyze the Literature: Don’t just summarize the sources. Analyze the research by comparing and contrasting the different studies. Discuss strengths and weaknesses in the existing literature, and highlight any gaps or areas where further research is needed.
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Organize by Theme or Methodology: Organize the literature review by themes or methods, depending on your topic. For example, you could group sources by the different factors contributing to climate change (fossil fuels, deforestation, etc.), or by the research methodologies used (quantitative studies, case studies, etc.).
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Relate the Literature to Your Argument: Clearly explain how the existing literature supports or challenges your thesis. Use the literature review to establish the foundation for your argument and to demonstrate why your research is valuable.
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Maintain Objectivity: The literature review should be an objective survey of existing research. Avoid personal opinions or bias. Present the research findings accurately and fairly.
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Use Proper Citations: Ensure that you cite all the sources properly using the citation style required for your paper (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.).
By following these steps, you’ll be able to write a comprehensive and well-organized literature review that sets up your argument and provides context for your research.
