英语论文文献综述精编版MQS system office room 【MQS16H-TTMS2A-MQSS8Q8-MQSH16898】How to Write a Literature Review ?I. The definition of Literature Review文献综述（Literautre Review）是科研论文中重要的文体之一。

它以作者对各种文献资料的整理、归纳、分析和比较为基础，就某个专题的历史背景、前人的工作、研究现状、争论的焦点及发展前景等方面进行综合、总结和评论。

通过阅读文献综述，科研工作者可花费较少的时间获得较多的关于某一专题系统而具体的信息，了解其研究现状、存在的问题和未来的发展方向。

II. The purposes of literature review And Its ComponentsA. The PurposesOn the one hand, it helps you broaden the view and perspective of the topic for your graduation thesis.On the other hand, it helps you narrow down the topic and arrive at a focused research question.B. Its ComponentsThere are six parts in a complete Literature Review.标题与作者(title and author)摘要与关键词(abstract and key words)引言(introduction)述评(review)结论(conclusion)参考文献(references)III. Classification of Source MaterialsHow can we locate the materials relevant to our topics better and faster? Basically, all these source materials may be classified into four majors of sources.A: Background sources:Basic information which can usually be found in dictionaries and encyclopedia complied by major scholars or founders of the field.Three very good and commonly recommenced encyclopedias areencyclopedias ABC, namely, Encyclopedia Americana, EncyclopediaBritannica, and Collier’s Encyclopedia. There are also referenceworks more specialized, such as The Encyclopedia of Language andLinguistics for linguistics and TEFL studies. Moreover, you mayalso find Encyclopedia on the web.B: Primary sourcesThose providing direct evidence, such as works of scholars of the field, biographies or autobiographies, memoirs, speeches, lectures, diaries, collection of letters, interviews, case studies, approaches, etc. Primary sources come in various shapes and sizes, and often you have to do a little bit of research about the source to make sureyou have correctly identified it. When a first search yields too fewresults, try searching by broader topic; when a search yields toomany results, refine your search by narrowing down your search.C: Secondary sourcesThose providing indirect evidence, such as research articles or papers, book reviews, assays, journal articles by experts in a given field, studies on authors or writers and their works, etc. Secondary sources will inform most of your writing in college. You will often be asked to research your topic using primary sources, but secondary sources will tell you which primary sources you should use and will help you interpret those primary sources. To use theme well, however, you need to think critically them. There are two parts of a sourcethat you need to analyze: the text itself and the argument withinthe text.D: Web sourcesThe sources or information from websites. Web serves as an excellent resource for your materials. However, you need to selectand evaluate Web sources with special care for very often Websources lack quality control. You may start with search engines,such as Google, Yahoo, Ask, Excite, etc. It’s a good idea to trymore than one search engine, since each locates sources in its ownway. When using websites for information, be sure to take care forthe authorship and sponsorship. If they are both unclear, becritical when you use information. The currency of websiteinformation should also be taken into account. Don’t use too outinformation dated for your purpose.IV. Major strategies of Selecting Materials for literature reviewA. Choosing primary sources rather than secondary sourcesIf you have two sources, one of them summarizing or explaining a work and the other the work itself, choose the work itself. Neverattempt to write a paper on a topic without reading the originalsource.B. Choosing sources that give a variety of viewpoints on your thesisRemember that good argument essays take into account counter arguments. Do not reject a source because it makes an argumentagainst you thesis.C. Choosing sources that cover the topic in depthProbably most books on Communicative Language Teaching mentionWilliam Littlewood, but if this your topic, you will find that fewsources cover the topic in depth. Choose those.D. Choosing sources written by acknowledged expertsIf you have a choice between an article written by a freelancejournalist on Task-based Teaching and one written by a recognizedexpert like David Nunan, Choose the article by the expert.E. Choosing the most current sourcesIf your topic involves a current issue or social problem ordevelopment in a scientific field, it is essential to find thelatest possible information. If all the books on these topics arerather old, you probably need to look for information in periodicals. V. Writing a literature ReviewA. When you review related literature, the major review focuses should be:1. The prevailing and current theories which underlie the research problem.2. The main controversies about the issue, and about the problem.3. The major findings in the area, by whom and when.4. The studies which can be considered the better ones, and why.5. Description of the types of research studies which can provide the basis forthe current theories and controversies.6. Criticism of the work in the area.B. When you write literature review, the two principles to follow are:1. Review the sources that are most relevant to your to your thesis.2. Describe or write your review as clear and objective as you can.C. Some tips for writing the review:1. Define key terms or concepts clearly and relevant to your topic.2. Discuss the least-related references to your question firstand the most related references last.3. Conclude your review with a brief summary.4. Start writing your review early.VI. 文献综述主要部分的细节性提示和注意事项主要部分细节提示：引言(Introduction)引言是文献综述正文的开始部分，主要包括两个内容：一是提出问题；二是介绍综述的范围和内容。