Topics For a Literature Review - What Should Be Avoided

Topics For a Literature Review - What Should Be Avoided?By now I'm sure you're aware of the importance of good topics for a literature review, but what should you avoid? Well, here are some suggestions to steer clear of in this area:* Bad topics: Bad topics include those with people (particularly women), descriptions of violence and/or sexuality (or, indeed, a lack thereof), and talking about how the author feels or what they feel. An example is; 'I know that life is sometimes unfair but it can be fixed'.* Great topic: The best topic is one which talks about topics that are associated with the author's research (a researcher's area of expertise) and which have an objective aspect, and make sense. So if you're reviewing a book by a biologist, then the best topic would be 'The Biology of Human Life'.* Some examples; No-one likes being lectured to. And there's a difference between trying to listen in to what someone is saying and actively participating in what they are saying. Simply li stening to someone as they explain something, without producing any evidence to support their views is unacceptable.* Slang/Colourful Language: Another no-no. It can be okay for educational purposes, but it is not acceptable in research papers. Indeed, most literary articles tend to use careful and appropriate English.* Illustrations: For articles written by researchers, illustrations tend to be used as a background for the text, so it's a good idea to get as much information as possible from the photographs. The best illustration is one which is related to the main subject of the article, such as a book illustration.* Letters/letters of a person in the minority: This is probably the most common, as everyone knows that letters from people in the minority are seldom very flattering and often very negative. Examples: 'This is my friend, who died when he was 14 years old' (which is of course not true, although a close friend might use it as a title in order to make an anti-gay speech). But you can make a slightly different point if you rephrase the letter in question slightly, by referring to a particular minority group (for example, 'Do you have any friends from your school, who are from another country? ').* Doubtful: All research papers should be based on solid research and quality information, not conjecture or opinions. References to similar studies/people/ideas would all be regarded as extremely suspicious.