So, You Have to Write a Literature Review: A Guided Workbook for Engineers

Writing a literature review can be daunting for engineering students, but this workbook provides a step-by-step guide to help them overcome procrastination and produce a draft ready for revision and editing. Written in a conversational style, it offers practical activities and content based on the authors' extensive experience teaching academic engineering writing.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 160 pages
Publication date: 16 October 2020
Publisher: John Wiley and Sons Ltd

Are you struggling with the task of writing a literature review? Are you currently putting it off? If so, this book is designed specifically for you. For engineering students, writing can be a source of anxiety and procrastination, especially when it comes to crafting a literature review, a type of academic writing that is rarely taught formally. Instead of viewing this workbook as a traditional training program for runners, think of it as a couch-to-5k program for engineering writers. By following the activities outlined in this book from start to finish, you will have a draft of your literature review ready for revision and content editing by your research advisor.

So, You Have to Write a Literature Review offers a dynamic and effective approach for engineering students, typically in the late-career stages of undergraduate or graduate studies, to develop their skills in writing literature reviews. Written in a conversational style that acknowledges the challenges of writing, Catherine Berdanier and Joshua Lenart, with their combined disciplinary expertise and extensive experience in teaching academic engineering writing, have created this user-friendly workbook.

The book begins by providing a comprehensive overview of the literature review process, including its purpose, structure, and key components. It then delves into the specific challenges faced by engineering students in writing literature reviews, such as the need to navigate complex technical jargon and the importance of integrating multiple sources and perspectives.

To assist students in overcoming these challenges, the book offers a step-by-step approach to writing literature reviews. It breaks down the process into manageable activities and provides clear instructions and examples to guide students through each stage. The activities are designed to be engaging and practical, allowing students to apply their knowledge and skills in a real-world context.

Throughout the book, Berdanier and Lenart leverage their extensive teaching experience to provide valuable insights and advice on effective writing strategies. They offer tips on how to structure a literature review, develop a strong research question, conduct effective literature searches, and analyze and synthesize the literature. They also address the importance of maintaining academic integrity and avoiding plagiarism, providing guidance on how to properly cite and reference sources.

In addition to the practical guidance, the book also includes examples and case studies from various engineering disciplines to illustrate the application of the literature review process. These examples help students to see how literature reviews are used in real-world research and practice, and provide inspiration for developing their own research questions and literature reviews.

So, if you are an engineering student struggling with the task of writing a literature review, or simply looking to improve your writing skills in this area, this book is an invaluable resource. It offers a comprehensive and practical approach to writing literature reviews, designed specifically for engineering students. With its engaging activities, clear instructions, and valuable insights, it will help you develop the skills and confidence needed to write high-quality literature reviews and contribute to your field of study.

Weight: 254g
Dimension: 152 x 228 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781119555025