How to write a Literature Review

Literature Reviews, Research Proposals, Philosophies and method.  Do these words excite you?  Do they make you want to reach for Google and delve into the mystic depths of understanding them?  Do they?

When one is faced with the task of writing pages and pages of words reflecting your understanding and input into these concepts as mentioned above, one is rather left questioning the reason for needing to do so in the first place.  Why use a philosophy?  Why use method?  Why answer a question that can be answered by practical experience and knowledge through researching academic writing instead?
Because others have walked this path before and you are merely re-iterating their findings?
Because that’s how greatness is achieved, by researching others findings and realizing that there is so much more to the topic than what is out there currently?
Is this possible?

How do you start to troll through decades of research that has evolved over the years?  How, in an ever-changing landscape such as technology with such a diverse offering regarding proprietary software, open-source software, full-on ERP solutions, CRM solutions etc. etc. etc. do you find research that covers what you are looking for.  These terms are only used broadly and whole-heartedly now.  How could philosophy written decades ago possibly come close to explaining the complexities of modern day technology/business problems?

This is the crux of the matter.  This is the predicament I find myself in.  Not only does one need to troll through decades of research that could possibly no longer be applied to modern times, but one also has to satisfy the exact needs of A specific mentor.  Yes, a capital ‘A’.  Because your entire honours degree and grading depends on A mentor.  Not many, one.  And he’s or her specific view on the world and your topic may I add.  Even though – they are academics.  Possibly not partaking in today’s practical environment, yet having to dictate to us (working individuals), that anything and everything we yearn to overcome and understand in the modern-day workplace could be explained with a philosophy, theory or some other form of boxing the world leads us toward.

Now my dear readers, this lengthy lengthy haberdashery and kicking against the norms of society comes at a very bad time.  Yes, I am kicking and thrashing all the way through writing a literature review.  We could say it’s the quality of lectures given that has failed to make any student in the class realize the benefit of the exercise, or perhaps the student that does not want to grasp the harsh realities of obtaining a honours degree.  At this point, does it matter?  Unfortunately yes. 

So here I am writing an extensive blog entry on why the world is just so kak for the full-time/over-time consultant, part-time honours student and hoping to find some direction in here somewhere.

Here’s to getting going and getting there soon!

Ciao for now

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