Introducing research in law and beyond
◄Previous: 3.1.3 Understanding existing research in your chosen area

# 3.1.4 Explaining relevant concepts and ideas

You also need to use the literature review to build a body of useful ideas to help you conceptualise your research question and understand the current thinking on the topic. By studying the literature you will become familiar with research methods appropriate to your chosen topic and this will show you how to apply them. Careful consideration should be given to the research methods deployed by existing researchers in the topic, but this should not stifle innovative approaches. Your literature study should also demonstrate the context of your own work, and how it relates, and builds, on the work of others; ‘to make proper acknowledgement of the work of previous authors and to delineate [your] own contributions to the field’ (Sharp et al., 2002, p. 28).

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OpenLearn - Introducing research in law and beyond
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