You’ve read the literature, and it’s time to write an extended literature review. Your professor wants you to analyze the scope, limitations, and implications of a particular piece of literature. But you’re not sure where to start.
An extended literature review is a piece of writing that includes the same elements of a traditional literature review, but that goes beyond those elements in order to provide a more thorough and balanced assessment of a piece of literature, its significance, and its limitations.
Not sure where to begin? We’ve got you covered. This guide will walk you through the essential elements of an extended literature review. Keep reading to learn how to structure your extended literature review, how to approach your literature review, and how to write it so your professor won’t have a heart attack.
An extended literature review is an analysis of a specific piece of literature that includes an assessment of the work’s scope, limitations, and implications. In other words: It’s a more in-depth look at the same topic as your traditional literature review, but with a longer, more detailed piece of writing.
You might also hear your professor refer to a literature review as a “critical analysis” or “critical review.” While these terms are closely related, they aren’t exactly the same thing. A critical analysis is a more general term that refers to any critical evaluation of a piece of work. A critical review, on the other hand, is more closely related to the extended literature review, as it includes an assessment of a work’s scope, limitations, and implications.
Furthermore, an extended literature review will often include additional information, such as, but not limited to, the following:
Structure is crucial when it comes to writing any academic paper, and writing an extended literature review is no exception. You must follow a logical, consistent format in which to present your findings so your reader has a basic understanding of what they’re reading.
In an extended literature review, you must follow a specific structure in order to:
As you’re probably well aware of by this point, an extended literature review must include the same elements of a traditional literature review, but that goes beyond those elements in order to provide a more thorough and balanced assessment of a piece of literature, its significance, and its limitations. The following are the key components of an extended literature review:
Brief Synopsis – The brief synopsis will provide your reader with an overview of the main points and themes of the work you’ll be discussing in your extended literature review.
Background Information – The background information section is where you’ll briefly discuss what the work is, when it was produced, and who the intended audience is.
Analysis – The analysis section is where you’ll examine the work’s scope, limitations, and implications.
Conclusion – The conclusion is where you restate the work’s significance, as well as its limitations, and where you offer any advice or recommendations you have for future works that could address similar issues.
As with any type of academic paper, it’s extremely important to approach your extended literature review with care, precision, and attention to detail.
Here are a few key ideas to keep in mind as you write your extended literature review:
Start your paper with a brief introduction that explains what the extended literature review is, why your professor gave you this particular assignment, and what your overall intention is with the paper.
In the body of your extended literature review, start each paragraph with a topic sentence that advances the discussion in that particular section of the paper.
End each section of your extended literature review with a Conclusion that sums up everything you’ve discussed in that particular section.
Keep in mind that a little bit of effort can go a long way, so we recommend starting your extended literature review with the critical analysis of the title and the outline of your extended review before you begin writing. From there, you can simply fill in the blanks.
You might be wondering why you should bother writing an extended literature review and what the benefits are. Here are a few reasons why it’s a good idea to write an extended literature review:
It lets you dig deeper into the material. With a traditional literature review, your professor will give you a brief synopsis of the piece of literature you’ll be analyzing. In an extended literature review, you’ll have the chance to dig into the details of the work’s content, context, and significance.
It gives you a chance to apply what you’ve learned. Writing an extended literature review is a great opportunity to apply what you’ve learned from your traditional literature review class. It’s also a great way to brush up on any topics you feel you’ve studied a bit lightly or not at all.
It helps you explore new avenues. Many professors will assign an extended literature review as a way of exploring new avenues in the field of study. Perhaps your professor is interested in the ways in which technology has impacted a particular time period or topic. In that case, an extended literature review would be a great way to explore those topics in more detail and contrast how technology has evolved over time.
Now that you know what an extended literature review is and how to structure it, it’s time to learn how to write it.
Here are a few key points to consider as you begin the process of writing your extended literature review:
Start with a clear outline of the major points you want to make in your extended literature review. It’ll help you stay focused while writing and avoid getting side-tracked by irrelevant details.
In the body of your extended literature review, start each paragraph with a topic sentence that advances the discussion in that particular section of the paper.
End each section of your extended literature review with a Conclusion that sums up everything you’ve discussed in that particular section.
Keep in mind that a little bit of effort can go a long way, so we recommend starting your extended literature review with the critical analysis of the title and the outline of your extended review before you begin writing. From there, you can simply fill in the blanks.
At the end of the day, an extended literature review is simply an analysis of a specific piece of literature that includes an assessment of the work’s scope, limitations, and implications. It’s a more in-depth look at the same topic as your traditional literature review, but with a longer, more detailed piece of writing.
While it can be challenging to write, it’s important to remember that an extended literature review is simply a different way of looking at the same piece of literature. With a little bit of effort, you can write a well-researched, well-written extended literature review and make your professor proud!
We hope you’ve found this guide useful. If you need assistance with any academic paper you’ve got a bit of homework ahead of you. Our academic writers are ready and waiting to help you with any assignment you throw their way so you can focus on getting an A or turning in your assignments on time!
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