The Literature Survey on my Speciality

Note:

Survey – (n) a general view or examination: to make a general survey of…

Ex.: Now I’d like to make a general survey of the fundamental works on

my scientific speciality / to get a thorough survey… Ex.: To solve this

question / To have a versatile picture of this problem I’ve got a thorough

survey of the available literature about it.

(v) to examine smth./ to look at smth. as a whole. Ex.: In my entrance

project paper I surveyed some theoretical conceptions on the theme of

my future research.

1. – Make up as many sentences with different synonyms to the word ‘survey’ as you can. Use the expressions from the table below.

Expression variants:

historical / political survey

a survey of modern literature = reference (reading) list

to make a general survey of the situation

to survey carefully / thoroughly

to get a survey

Synonyms: v. examine, scan, view, inspect (the literature on the subject)

n. examination, inspection (to make ~)

2. & ² Scan the post-graduates’ opinions about the reference reading list. Pay attention to the key words and word combinations.

A: Without a thorough investigation of the works from the reference reading list on research speciality, there is always a risk “to invent the wheel”. At least the future thesis may lose its urgency and novelty or have no theoretical or practical value from the scientific point of view. Certainly, if you seriously plan to conduct your research in the area of tested facts, you should make acquaintance with the most important works written about the problems, with paradoxes and axioms. Besides, as a rule, many scientists suggested their own problem solutions and approaches to the scientific area they work in. So, one more condition to write a really topical thesis is to make acquaintance with most of them (as many as you can find) and be able to operate with, to analyse and compare different scientific conceptions. No doubt, the knowledge of fundamental works will broaden my professional and research experience and, for sure, will help me to get some extraordinary, original and contemporary results in the course of my research.

B: I am quite sure that it is impossible to make a really valuable discovery in any scientific area at the empty place without the experience of the researchers having worked at this problem before. That’s why I paid special attention to the knowledge of reference reading list of works on my speciality. It took me a lot of time to tackle literature.

C: All great discoveries in the world were made on the basis of the previous generations’ experience. In this connection I’ve recollected the well-known opinion, that there would hardly be the geniuses of the Renaissance, if they didn’t stand on the shoulders of the Titans who came before them. That’s the main reason why I’ve tried to make acquaintance with the complete list of works on the theme of my research. Moreover, I try to read some books and articles from the adjacent fields of research (Psychology, Philosophy, Pedagogy and so on).

D: The first step for every post-graduate, for every researcher is the study of the fundamental works on the theme of his or her future thesis. This step is quite necessary or we can even say imperative for everyone who is going to undertake a scientific investigation. It allows us to see clearly all the points of the studied subject and to understand which of them are the matter of the urgent interest at the moment. Besides, reading the works on the topic of the research not only helps me to become a well-informed person but it may give the impulse for discovering something new about it.

3. E Discuss the role of literature survey for a researcher with your group-mates.

1) Have you read any works on the theme of your research?

2) What are the most important publications in your area of investigation?

3) Do you know any home or foreign scientists working in the field of your research?

4) Can you make a literature survey on your scientific speciality?

5) Is the theme of your research a new one? or: Were there any works about it?

6) How much time did it take you to tackle literature?

4. - Put your pen to paper and write down the topic about thescientific works you read. Give your own reasons for the importance of the reference reading list. You may use the scheme below or give your own variant of the structure (the structure of your composition is free).

I’d like to give some reasons for studying reference reading list of works on my speciality. My scientific speciality is … (The sphere of my future research is…) In order to broaden my outlook about the scientific problems in this area of science I’ve read some works of Russian and foreign scientists working in it. Among them are the following (well-known) names…, …, …. I studied the most important theoretical works about the subject of my research. Though, I realize that this list of publications should be considerably enlarged in the course of time ….

5. – - Try to paraphrase this item (Ex.4), using some other word combinations and models from the previous Units. Give a literature survey on your speciality.

Поиск по сайту: