Writing A Literature Review and Using a Synthesis Matrix

Writing A Literature Review and
Using a Synthesis Matrix
My professor says I have to write a literature review, what do I do?
Well, to begin, you have to know that when writing a literature review, the goal of the researcher is to determine the current
state of knowledge about a particular topic by asking, “What do we know or not know about this issue?” In conducting this type of
research, it is imperative to examine several different sources to determine where the knowledge overlaps and where it falls short. A
literature review requires a synthesis of different subtopics to come to a greater understanding of the state of knowledge on a larger
issue. It works very much like a jigsaw puzzle. The individual pieces (arguments) must be put together in order to reveal the whole
(state of knowledge).
So basically I just read the articles and summarize each one separately?
No, a literature review is not a summary. Rather than merely presenting a summary of each source, a literature review should
be organized according to each subtopic discussed about the larger topic. For example, one section of a literature review might read
“Researcher A suggests that X is true. Researcher B also argues that X is true, but points out that the effects of X may be different
from those suggested by Researcher A.” It is clear that subtopic X is the main idea covered in these sentences. Researchers A and B
agree that X is true, but they disagree on X’s effects. There is both agreement and disagreement, but what links the two arguments is
the fact that they both concern X.
This sounds like a lot of information, how can I keep it organized?
Because a literature review is NOT a summary of these different sources, it can be very difficult to keep your research
organized. It is especially difficult to organize the information in a way that makes the writing process simpler. One way that seems
particularly helpful in organizing literature reviews is the synthesis matrix. The synthesis matrix is a chart that allows a researcher to
sort and categorize the different arguments presented on an issue. Across the top of the chart are the spaces to record sources, and
along the side of the chart are the spaces to record the main points of argument on the topic at hand. As you examine your first source,
you will work vertically in the column belonging to that source, recording as much information as possible about each significant idea
presented in the work. Follow a similar pattern for your following sources. As you find information that relates to your already
identified main points, put it in the pertaining row. In your new sources, you will also probably find new main ideas that you need to
add to your list at the left. You now have a completed matrix!