When embarking on a PhD dissertation, one of the most important sections is considered to be that of the literature review. The section serves to give broad ground that your research will be based on by giving an overview of various former studies and theories undertaken in regard to your topic. However, probably the most frequently met question for every other UK PhD student is how long a literature review should be.
Understanding the Purpose of a Literature Review
Literature review forms a basis on which one bases their research, showing how their investigation integrates into existing knowledge. It fundamentally means you are demonstrating the way critical engagement with earlier studies serves to address certain gaps or brings in new insights. A well-done literature review is important to proving your academic rigour and putting on display your grasp of the subject.
Length of Ideal Literature Review for PhD Dissertation
In the UK, for instance, the average size of a PhD thesis ranges from 70,000 to 100,000 words. With that, it is expected that the literature review section is going to contribute about 15-30% of the word count for the entire document. This would amount to about 10,000 to 30,000 words depending on how broad and complex your research topic is.
In most times, universities in the UK consider the fact that a literature review characterization is normally articulated in 15,000-20,000 words, but that could vary depending on several features, including your discipline, supervisor, and many other determinants.
Determinants of Length
Topic Area: The topic area in which you are writing may determine the scope of your literature review. For instance, a psychology dissertation would require an extended literature review as compared to a finance dissertation, since there are more studies dealing with the subject matter of psychology.
Level of Topic Difficulty: When the topic you are working on is complex, several theories and perspectives need to be discussed, which makes the review far lengthier.
Institutional Guidelines: There may be different institutional guidelines on the word count of your literature review in various universities in the UK. First, consult the dissertation guidelines booklet available from your department or your supervisor.
What to include in a Literature Review?
Ideally, your literature review should be comprehensive by including the following:
Relevant Theories: Major theories related to your research area are discussed.
Seminal Studies: Identify the key research papers that have shaped the field.
Gaps in Research: Indicate the points where prior research has left gaps that your study will try to fill.
Recent Trends: Add the most recent studies to prove that you are updated about trends that have just emerged.
Balancing Quality with Quantity
While word count is essential, quality will always outweigh quantity. It is better to write a short but clear and coherent review than it is to write a long repetitive one. Make sure that each and every reviewed piece of literature is directly contributing to the development of the dissertation's argument.
Time Management: How Long Does It Take to Write?
Writing a literature review for a PhD dissertation may take up to several months, considering the fact that a literature review requires quite a lot of reading, making notes, and drafting. Most students in the UK underestimate the time and usually hurriedly write it. It is actually advisable that you dedicate between 3 to 6 months solely to the literature review, assuming that you will also be engaged in other research activities.
Challenges Faced by UK PhD Students
Many students in the UK have problems with the section of the literature review as there is a lot of material present on research. Sometimes it even feels exhausting going through all kinds of journals, books, and articles. Moreover, the selection of relevant studies yet at the same time being capable of keeping the word count low is an often-present challenge.
What to Avoid
Too many irrelevant studies are included. The inclusion of irrelevant studies will bring an unbalanced review. Stick to what is most relevant.
Being descriptive instead of critical: While undertaking a literature review, one should not simply summarize the work of previously conducted literature; it needs to be critical in nature by way of engagement with sources and spotting gaps.
Lack of structure: You are not using subheadings or coherence of logical flow, which will make your literature review confusing to stick with.
Solution to Overcome These Challenges
Have an early start: It is important to start off with the literature review as early as possible since this will give you ample time for revisions.
Reference Management Software: Software like EndNote or Zotero will aid you in the organization of your sources.
Regular Consultation with Your Supervisor: Your supervisor will give feedback from time to time to avoid wastage of time revising one or another aspect.
Hire Professional Help?
Considering the significance and complexity of the literature review, students pursuing a PhD in the UK are now seeking the assistance of professional dissertation services in UK to assist them. Such services will help you structure your review effectively, pinpoint the relevant studies in much less time, and document them properly.
Ensure your review adheres to university guidelines
Steer clear of common pitfalls of repetition or going off on irrelevant tracks
UK Dissertation Helper can offer you specialist literature review help for psychology, business, economics, and other disciplines. As this could be important to allow you to make the time available, this service can be extremely useful in terms of saving you time and hassle. Taking PhD dissertation help services also can be a good option.
Conclusion
Although writing a literature review for a PhD dissertation in the UK can be an intimidating task, careful planning, regular feedback, and a structured approach will see one through. Make sure your review covers everything necessary, from key theories to gaps in research, and seek professional help should you need added support. One will get a good grounding for the rest of the dissertation by mastering this section.
