21th Book Sharing: Mastering Literature Review
On August 30, 2025 (Saturday) at 9:00 AM, the School of International Education at New Era University College successfully hosted a lecture titled “Mastering Literature Reviews: Strategies and Methods for Academic Papers and Systematic Reviews.” The session was delivered by Dr. Fang Jie, Assistant Professor at the School of International Education, and attracted approximately 40 participants, including postgraduate students, lecturers, and researchers.
During the lecture, Dr. Fang presented a systematic overview of the essential components and practical approaches involved in conducting a literature review. She stressed that a literature review is not a simple compilation of sources but a comprehensive, critical, and structured synthesis of existing scholarship. Its purpose, she noted, is to identify research gaps, establish research positioning, and provide the theoretical grounding for new studies. Dr. Fang also highlighted that a high-quality literature review should demonstrate selectivity, thematic focus, critical engagement, and synthesis.
Dr. Fang introduced various types of literature reviews, including narrative reviews, systematic reviews, scoping reviews, meta-analyses, and meta-syntheses. Drawing on examples from education and the social sciences, she explained the appropriate application scenarios and writing conventions for each type. Additionally, she shared practical guidance on using reference management tools such as Zotero and Mendeley, as well as the ways AI tools can support literature screening, note organization, and thematic synthesis to enhance research efficiency. She also reminded participants of key academic writing conventions, including avoiding personal pronouns, using reporting verbs, maintaining an objective tone, and ensuring proper citation practices.
The lecture was rich in content and clearly structured, enhancing participants’ understanding of literature review methodologies and equipping them with essential skills for future academic writing and research projects. The event concluded with an engaging Q&A session and was well received by all attendees.
