Registration of the list of used literature

Components of the literature review

The literature review should include the following:

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  Objective of the literature review
  
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  Overview of the subject under consideration.
  
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  Clear categorization of sources selected into those in support of your
  
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  particular position, those opposed, and those offering completely different arguments.
  
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  Discussion of both the distinctiveness of each source and its similarities with the others.
  

Steps in the literature review process

Preparation of a literature review may be divided into four steps:

1. 
   Define your subject and the scope of the review.
   
2. 
   Search the library catalogue, subject specific databases and other search tools to find sources that are relevant to your topic.
   
3. 
   Read and evaluate the sources and to determine their suitability to the understanding of topic at hand (see the Evaluating sources section).
   
4. 
   Analyse, interpret and discuss the findings and conclusions of the sources you selected.
   

Evaluating sources

In assessing each source, consideration should be given to:

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  What is the author's expertise in this particular field of study (credentials)?
  
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  Are the author's arguments supported by empirical evidence (e.g. quantitative/qualitative studies)?
  
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  Is the author's perspective too biased in one direction or are opposing studies and viewpoints also considered?
  
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  Does the selected source contribute to a more profound understanding of the subject?
  

Examples of a published literature review

Literature reviews are often published as scholarly articles, books, and reports. Here is an example of a recent literature review published as a scholarly journal article:
Ledesma, M. C., & Calderón, D. (2015). Critical race theory in education: A review of past literature and a look to the future. Qualitative Inquiry, 21(3), 206-222. Link to the article
Register in Language
Imagine that you're going to be introduced to a very important person who you have never met. Maybe it is the Queen of England. When you meet her, would you say: 'Hey, dude! What's up?' Probably not. You would say something more formal such as 'It is an honor to meet you, Your Highness.' On the other hand, you wouldn't call your best friend 'His Royal Highness.' Instead you would be fine using the informal address, 'dude.'

In every situation you encounter, you use speech appropriate to the person to whom you are speaking and his or her context. The language you use when talking to your friends is not the same language you would use when meeting someone as important as the Queen. This difference in language formality is called register.

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Categories of Registers
There are formal and informal registers in spoken and written language. Formal registers can include everything from an academic essay to wedding vows. The academic essay is formal because it includes polished speech, complex sentences, and precise vocabulary. The wedding vows are an example of extremely formal language that must be said the same way each time as part of a ritual.

There are also varieties of informal registers. Informal language occurs between people who know each other well and who speak without trying to be 'proper'. Sometimes this includes speaking in slang and other times it's simply a more casual delivery. For example, you might say, 'Could you bring us more coffee, please?' to a waiter at a fancy restaurant, but at your favorite hangout you might say, 'Can I get a little more coffee here?' when you've reached the bottom of your cup.

Register & Literature

Register is often used to create a unique tone or style in a literary work. Literary language does not have to be formal. In fact, it can use formal and informal registers at any time. Sometimes, it uses both.

Register & Fiction

In the case of fiction, register informs the style of narration. It is also important in dialogue between characters. A narrator can take a distanced stance and sound very formal and objective. However, when a character speaks, his or her register can depend on what defines him or her, such as gender, social class, or cultural background. Let's look at an example from the second chapter of Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities:

The Dover mail was in its usual genial position that the guard suspected the passengers, the passengers suspected one another and the guard, they all suspected everybody else, and the coachman was sure of nothing but the horses; as to which cattle he could with a clear conscience have taken his oath on the two Testaments that they were not fit for the journey.

'Wo-ho!' said the coachman. 'So, then! One more pull and you're at the top and be damned to you, for I have had trouble enough to get you to it!--Joe!'

'Halloa!' the guard replied.

In this passage, the first paragraph objectively sets the scene for the dialogue between the coachman and the guard and uses a formal literary tone. When the coachman speaks to the guard, though, he uses a casual form of speech, including mild swearing. The coachman's informal register and use of vulgar language implies that he does not have a high position in society.