How to Sort Out The Vast Literature of a Field?

While your field is immense and the literature covered in it is vast, every study is tempting to read. Without a doubt, your academic work is all about what others have done in their scholarly works. Learning what others have done in their researches is the core value of your research and therefore, learning from their mistakes is another benefit to your research. Because you shouldn’t forget that no matter how much you learn from their researches, your research is most important for you. There is a reason why your research exist, and you have to give justice to your study.

You swing between the feeling of designing theory and explaining everything you have read to show and integrate the knowledge and importance of the study. The existing literature, as a contribution to your research, has to be explained by the scholars to study and cite your research. Your contribution to your research doesn’t have to be of huge proportion but should be considerate enough to add in the review chapter of the thesis. The literature needs to be communicated; it needs to be heard by your readers and tell them why they should invest time to read your research and the review of the literature.

To sort the vast literature of your field, the content needs to be aligned in one direction as the literature review needs an angle. It needs a question driving it, and the question must lead it in one direction with the most suitable answer for it. Your research is all about that question, and it is the only thing that demands focus. Without your attention to the question, you will lose your readers and therefore, your doctorate.

Instead of overloading yourself and your brain with an extensive literature, stay focused on your question and finding literature pertaining to it. While you need to be informed about everything so must read the literature but do not stick with it. Some articles will take centre stage, some will help as supporting leads, and some will benefit from the backstage. You have to classify them on the basis of your research question because the ultimate objective is not to sort the literature but to find an answer to the question. Considering the question in your mind, your focal point should be the literature pertaining to it and not the literature hampering your progress because the chances are that it is only leading to procrastination.