Unit 4. The review of the literature: critical evaluation

The review of the literature is aimed at setting your project in the context of existing knowledge, to reveal the instances of linkage with what has been done before and those of new insights. It is by no means a catalogue of references arranged in chronological order, each one briefly summarized. Rather, your study should pick out trends and patterns, offering and explaining reasons for and against a particular situation. You should attempt to relate theory to practice and argue why under certain conditions some established theories and ideas are or are not acceptable. In other words, the review should provide a critical insight into the topic under investigation (it should be added that the same refers to treating methodology in the unit to follow).

1. Find Russian equivalents for the following phrases.

This is an unhelpful way to theorise…
It provides at best limited support for the conventional wisdom…
N’s approach lies behind the rationale for those…
This analogy does not appear to stand up closer examination within the framework suggested
A focus on [x] seems to miss a vital point of
N’s approach turns out to operate in a roundabout way
The fault line actually runs through the discipline
N tends to displace the concern with theoretical issues by a preoccupation with ()
The approach can be theoretically challenged
Instead of speculating on [x] it is possible to obtain new insights into the process of

2.

4.1

(Frequently) N’s approach (to treating the problem)/ the analogy offered by N/ the discussion/ (formulated) hypotheses	is/seems to be (somewhat)	vague and uncertain/ diffuse/confusing/ambiguous/misleading/ unconvincing/illegitimate/inadequate/vulnerable/error prone/ limited/polemical (for n reasons)/(quite a) commonplace (one)
is not	universal/quite so neat/one which can be settled in abstract
devoid of some serious drawbacks/ shortcomings/ flaws/ disadvantages
reveals	an unhelpful way to theorise/ an effect of (altogether)…
provides	at best limited support for the conventional wisdom…
lies behind	The rationale for (those…)/ all those approaches that view…
does not (appear to)	stand up/ lend itself to	closer examination (especially within the framework suggested)/ easy visualization (in terms of any scale of)
account for [x]/ provide definitive guidance concerning ()/ sufficient explanation/ have any explanatory power for the observed phenomena

4.2

(From the point of view of [z]) The approach A focus on [x] /Focusing on   [x]	seems/ proves/ appears/ turns out to	lack…/ miss a vital point of
suffer from the patent flaw/reveal an evident lack of (concern…)
operate in a roundabout way
render [x] less relevant
reinforces the contemporary preoccupation with [x] at the expense of
can	be (theoretically) challenged/ no longer be assumed..
lead us into a () cul-de-sac
can	only partially be explained using the…

4.3

There is/ seems to be	nothing natural	(about the existing notion of [x])
hardly any indication	that
no clear evidence	of (the partial reversal of the traditional…)
no reason	to (deviate from the general emphasis)

4.4

[x] is an evidence/ signifies that	the fault line/ line of the fault	is becoming more visible and vulnerable
(actually) runs through the discipline
little advance in [x]	(may be) achieved

4.5

N	tends to	underestimate	explaining [x] in terms of [z]
confuse	the symptom and the cause / two separable elements
displace	the concern with (theoretical issues) by a preoccupation with()
place stress	on the fault line
(routinely) use	the term [x] which now has lost any hint of connection to…
use	the notion of [x] very broadly to refer both to [z] and [y]

4.6

N	has not	elaborated / managed to explain	an important (final) factor/ the… requirements for/ the possible consequences/ implications
fails to	see / grasp / realise
doesn’t often fully realize/often overlooks/ignores
has an unbalanced view of…

4.7

A better result/ Explanation of [x]	can be attained by	supplementing () explanation with a hypothesis
indicating the circumstances which are common to

4.8

Pursuing the politics of… to its logical conclusion is	a better option
The alternative standpoint is	to insist that
There is, however,	another view

4.9

Instead of using such analysis to speculate on (how…)/ attempting to discover () as N and NN have attempted and which follows a tradition going back to RR	we could/ it is possible to	consider/discover/completely explain (the effect) gain stable points of reference for () analysis/obtain new insights into the process of
(Only) through this (approach)/ with this type of research
By introducing [x] / by modeling (this way)

4.10

The (best/only) way One of the possible ways

to

deepen/ push forward/ broaden understand

[x]/ this theory/ perspective

is to (reconceptualise [x] as a system) lies (solely) in recognizing (the historic scale of events)

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