Discipline-Based Variations in the Literature Review in the PhD Thesis: A Perspective from the Discipline of History

Abstract

Available resources on writing the literature review in the doctoral thesis suggest that there is a generic format that applies to all disciplines. As this format is generally based on the sciences, the aim of this research was to find out whether it applies to disciplines in the Humanities, more specifically, to History. The study revealed that the doctoral literature review in this discipline has many characteristics that distinguish it from the generic format. The results suggest that special courses need to be developed to assist doctoral candidates in History to write literature reviews that are acceptable to the discipline.