What Sets a Literature Review Apart from an Essay
Now that you know what a literature review is and how to write it, it is critical to comprehend how it differs from an essay. It is essential to note that many students find it difficult to distinguish between a report and a literature review. This is especially true because a student can utilize the same resources to write an essay or a literature review, but what distinguishes the two is where the emphasis is placed in the writing (Thomas 2012).
A literature review focuses on all published material on a specific subject, theory, or body of research. It concentrates on the study and the researchers who have investigated your issue. An essay, on the other hand, focuses on making a point. It is not required to cover every piece of information on the subject in great detail. In actuality, the author only picks sources that support their arguments. Most lecturers anticipate you to discuss a few opposing viewpoints from the sources that contradict the point you are attempting to express. Consider the scenario when you wish to write an essay about how shift work affects nurses. You would gather evidence to demonstrate the numerous ways shift position negatively impacts nurses. Now in this instance, you might come across the occasional scientific report that claims shiftwork has no effect. However, this seems doubtful, given how widely it has been shown to have detrimental effects. But when writing an essay, you must concentrate on supporting your arguments with facts about the subject.
Discussion
The body of your work is the discussion part. The information in the discussion section expands and supports your thesis. While there is no set format for a discussion section, there are a few guidelines that a writer must adhere to when developing one.
Don’t sum up!
A review essay is more than just a list of the books you’ve read. Don’t forget to provide your analysis of the concepts discussed in the literature. Describe the connections you perceive or the connections you are attempting to highlight among your readings by synthesizing the information from all the works.
Interpret, synthesize, and analyse
An essay for a review is not merely a synopsis of the material you read for it. You must synthesize, evaluate, and meaningfully interpret the information you read. It is not sufficient to only share the information you have obtained; you also need to discuss its value and relevance to the issue. Create a clear thesis statement at the outset of your writing and consider which readings have contributed to the development and support of your thoughts.