Word length: 1750 words (the submission should not be more than 10% under or over this limit).
Objectives:
The Literature / Artefact Review incorporates all three course objectives by (a) demonstrating an understanding of different research methods and their practical applications (b) demonstrating the skills and knowledge needed to initiate and carry out small research projects in art, craft, design, planning, and architecture, and (c) demonstrating an understanding of the relationship between visual culture and research, from the position of the individual, emerging practitioner.
The purpose of a literature / artefact review is to show the ‘gap’ in knowledge, research and literature that exists and explain how your topic will fill that gap.
Marking criteria:
1. Relevance of chosen literature and/or artefacts
2. Coherence and clarity of the arguments
3. Critical engagement with texts and/or artefacts
4. Academic writing and referencing conventions
In the literature/artefact review you will:
• identify a gap in existing knowledge, that is, you will identify what we still need to know about this topic or issue
• pose a question related to this gap (this will be your research question)
• compare and contrast different authors’ views on an issue
• note areas in which authors are in disagreement
• highlight gaps
• or identify any particular shortcomings of past research In this way, your literature/artefact review becomes a critical discussion of the knowledge or ideas related to your research topic.
Writing your literature/artefact review
A brief introduction:
• The decision to include a brief introduction to your literature/artefact review will depend on the topic area, length of the research project, and any instructions or templates provided by your lecturer
• The length of the introduction will depend on the word requirement for your research project report or paper (it could be just a couple of sentences or it could be several paragraphs)
• Set the context and inform the reader of the purpose or focus of the research project
• Sign post to the reader what will be covered
• You may want to also inform the reader of how you went about the process of conducting the literature review so that the reader can be assured of the rigor of your process
• The body sections:
• Lead the reader through your various ideas and understandings
• Have clear sections and subsections to your literature/artefact review
• Ensure that each paragraph has one clear idea
• Use sign posting, transitioning and linking language to connect ideas and to move from one paragraph to the next
Concluding your literature/artefact review:
• Summarise the main focus of the literature/artefact review
• Highlight the gap in the literature
• Make a connection between your literature/artefact review and your research questions
A Literature / Artefact Review at ‘High Distinction’ (HD – 85-100%) level will demonstrate:
• An excellent standard and high quality in all areas.
• An excellent understanding of the relevance of the chosen literature and/or artefacts.
• An excellent ability to conduct relevant and thorough research and to identify key texts / and or artefacts.
• Excellent coherence and clarity of the arguments.
• Excellent logical progression of the discussion.
• An excellent level of critical engagement with texts and/or artefacts.
• Excellent analytical skills.
• Excellent sentence and paragraph structure, academic writing conventions, clarity of expression, bibliography, references, spelling, punctuation, grammar.