ABSTRACT
Once you have defined and justified your research problem in a coherent and structured fashion through the mechanism of the research proposal, you are ready to begin work on your dissertation proper. The first step in your dissertation research will normally be to undertake a thorough and methodical review of the relevant literature (i.e. within the boundaries of your problem as defined in the proposal). In preparing essays etc. since you started your degree you should have become more and more adept at searching for and reviewing literature beyond the confines of the basic reading lists that you have been given by your tutors. As a consequence, this is a fairly brief chapter which assumes that you have already developed many or indeed most of the skills that you will need to undertake the literature review that will almost certainly end up forming a key part of your dissertation.
