Choose a research area of interest, conduct a thorough search of recently published academic
articles, and write a literature review encapsulating the important developments in this area of
research.
Be intentional and specific in the area you wish to explore/investigate to conduct a
focussed and refined literature search.
Include only articles in academic journals – search for them using online academic
databases and the reference lists of relevant articles.
Read the articles carefully, several times if necessary, to make sure you understand each
study.
A literature review typically includes:
a. Introduction, which describes the context in which your topic is situated and explains its
importance;
b. Synthesis, which summarizes key aspects of prior studies;
c. Evaluation, which analyzes and appraises prior studies in terms of their theoretical
underpinnings, methodologies, results, interpretations, and conclusions;
d. Justification, which identifies major themes or knowledge gaps in prior studies and
provides a rationale for your intended work or guidelines for future work on the topic; and
Bachelor of Applied Social Science
The South African College of Applied Psychology (Pty) Ltd
Applied Research Methodology
