Section outline

  • Course Overview

    This course guides you through the entire process of preparing a literature review, selecting and analyzing existing literature, and structuring and writing a quality literature review. Most importantly, the course develops skills in using evidence to create and present an engaging and critical argument.

    Learning Outcomes

    This course will help you to:

    1. Evaluate the purpose of a literature review
    2. Develop and clarify your thinking, embed your ideas, and articulate your thoughts clearly
    3. Identify the key preparation steps of a literature review and use each step to effectively articulate your research question and literature review plan
    4. Identify the key considerations when evaluating journals, selecting the most appropriate journal for your literature review
    5. Build a strong and convincing argument using suitable literature and data to develop and present your argument in your literature review
    6. Write and structure a strong literature review, avoiding common pitfalls
    7. Recognize what each section of the literature review requires and formulate your own with the help of examples and guidelines

    • Course Instructor: Dr. Robert Thomas

      • Dr. Robert Thomas

        Dr. Thomas is currently a Lecturer (Marketing) at Aston Business School. Dr. Thomas’s primary research interests and publications encompass Brand Management, specifically the areas associated with sponsorship, fandom, co-creation, and brand community. His work has been published in the European Journal of Marketing, Computers in Human Behavior, Journal of Marketing Management, Journal of Product and Brand Management, Young Consumers, Strategic Change: Briefings in Entrepreneurial Finance, and IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management. Dr. Thomas sits on the editorial boards for Journal of Product and Brand Management, and International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing, winning reviewer of the year for Journal of Product and Brand Management in 2015.

        View Bio for Dr. Robert Thomas

      • Course Resources

        You will need to access certain files and resources throughout the course to get the most out of the activities. You can find them all here. 

      • Video Transcripts

        You can access all video transcripts here.

      • Pre-Course Self Assessment

        Before you dive into this course, spend a few moments reflecting on your familiarity with the topic and your current level of skills confidence. 

        You will then re-visit the same questions in our Post-Course Self Assessment and reflect on how the course has helped you develop in confidence and grow your skills. 

        • Module One: What Is the Purpose of a Literature Review?

          This module will help you to:

          1. Evaluate the purpose of a literature review
          2. Identify the main features of a literature review
          3. Understand the key do’s and don’ts of a literature review

        • Module Two: What to Do Before You Start

          This module will help you to:

          1. Develop and clarify your thinking
          2. Identify the key preparation steps of a literature review
          3. Use each step to effectively articulate your research question and literature review plan

        • Module Three: Selecting and Analyzing the Right Literature

          This module will help you to:

          1. Identify the key considerations when evaluating journals
          2. Select the most appropriate journal for your literature review

        • Module Four: How Do I Create My Argument?

          This module will help you to:

          1. Build a strong and convincing argument
          2. Use suitable literature and data to develop your argument
          3. Present your argument in your literature review

        • Module Five: How Do I Write My Argument?

          This module will help you to:

          1. Write a strong and compelling literature review
          2. Avoid common pitfalls when writing
          3. Structure a literature review correctly

        • Module Six: How Should I Structure a Literature Review?

          This module will help you to:

          1. Recognize what each section of the literature review requires
          2. Formulate your own literature review with the help of examples and guidelines
          3. Write a strong literature review

        • References and Glossary of Key Terms

          In addition to the glossary you’ll find woven throughout the course, you can find the full glossary collated in one place here.

        • Post-Course Self Assessment

          Now you’ve completed the course, spend a few moments reflecting on where your familiarity with the topics and your confidence skills levels are at now. 

          Has the course helped you develop new skills and grow your confidence?

          You'll need to complete the Post-Course Self Assessment in order to download your certificate. If you didn't do the Pre-Course Self Assessment before starting the course, please go to the top of the page and reflect on your familiarity with the topic and your level of skills confidence before you started the course.

          • Completion: Certificate

            Completing all modules (plus the pre and post-course assessments) will unlock the course certificate, which you can then download here. Your course certificate will only be made available once you have completed all these sections.

            If you have difficulty accessing your certificate, please contact the Sage support team at: onlinesupport@sagepub.co.uk. You can also check out this FAQ page which may be helpful.

            • Give Feedback About This Course

              Did you enjoy the course? Please take two minutes to share your feedback. We use learner feedback in future course updates and developments to provide an excellent learning experience.

            • Accessibility

              We have high standards of accessibility on Sage Campus and as of May/June 2024 all activities within this course are keyboard and screen reader compatible. For more details on accessibility standards, please see the Sage Campus Accessibility Guide.

              For those using assistive technology, please note that within this course:

              • Tab components: JAWS and NVDA behave slightly differently. For NVDA to keep reading, it is best to exit focus mode and go back to browse mode. 
              • Matching: JAWS does not read out question label on dropdown focus.