Literature search

Performing a literature search is a key academic skill, which shows your ability to situate your problem formulation within the academic context of your field. When your supervisor or others read your thesis, they will want to be persuaded that your problem formulation is relevant and your work worth doing. This requires that you bring to light what is already known about your topic and how your work attempts to address a gap within the published literature and your research. Your literature search can also help you to qualify both your overall and your specific objectives and thereby sharpen and focus your research. If your thesis is based solely on literature and does not include empirical studies your literature search, and the documentation of how you have searched becomes even more important.