A Guide to Accounting Students Doing Research on How to Write Literature Review

Abstract

This paper focused on the importance of literature review in research project. It emphasized that literature review should not be arranged in chronological order. It should also not aimed at making the work voluminous. Rather it should be in the form of a story and the story should make sense. Literature review should have an introduction, body and conclusion. The introduction should contain the main issue that will capture the interest of the reader. The body should contain what people are actually saying with regards to the issue raised. The body should bring out areas of agreement and disagreement. The conclusion should reiterate the main issue again and sum up the opinion of the researchers and move on to why the research is embarked upon. The why of the research will reveal the gap of the research. The relevant literature should not just be accepted uncritically. Approach of the researcher to the relevant literature should always be ‘of skepticism, of suspicion and doubt’.