Author: Sanjay Goel, http://in.linkedin.com/in/sgoel
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This checklist can be used by the research students, especially in engineering disciplines, to carry out the literature review assignments in their research. However, the list actually has a much broader scope. It provides criteria for reviewing any kind of technical documents as well as whitepapers.
For a comprehensive checklist about engineering research, interested readers may please refer – Research Method for Engineering Research Students – Part II: A Checklist for Reflective Self-assessment of the Research Work
I invite the learned community of researchers and professional engineers to suggest further improvements to this checklist.
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A. Broad Introduction
1) Current state of research
2) List of open and current problems
B. Reference selection for critical review
1) Clarity of the criteria of selection
I. Relevance criteria wrt to proposed research
II. Quality criteria for selection of references
III. Diversity criteria of approaches
2) Selection
C. Quality of review of selected sources
1) For each reference
I. Summary
i. Approach
ii. Method
iii. Result
II. Identification of novelty
i. Problem identification
ii. Problem formulation
iii. Solution
a. Applying a known theory/approach known within a specific discipline in a new context within the same discipline
b. Applying a known theory/approach known within a specific discipline in a new context outside the discipline
c. Theory enhancement/integration/building
III. Validation of results and claims
i. Analytical
ii. Empirical
IV. Your criteria for evaluation of the work
V. Identification of strengths and weaknesses wrt
i. Problem
a. Clarity
b. Significance
c. Relevance
d. Theoretical background and framework
e. Empirical background
f. Assumptions
g. Author’s criteria of claimed strengths
ii. Literature Review
a. References – Identification of important missing references
b. Critical evaluation of main references
iii. Solution
a. Time/ resource/energy requirement
b. Wastages and/or Pollution
c. Performance efficiency
d. Consistency, completeness, generality, scalability, open ended-ness,
e. Reliability, elegance, usability, maintainability
f. Safety, health, dignity
iv. Findings and discovery
a. Evidence
b. Inference, interpretations, theory formulation, conclusions
c. Relevance to your research
2) Integrated review
I. Consolidation/comparison with table(s) and/or diagram(s)
II. Potential implications for your research
D. Writing
I. Content oraganisation, Coherent paragraphs, Effective transitions, citations
II. Tone, clarity, spelling, punctuation, grammar, style, writing conventions