5 Easy Tips On Writing Your RRL for STEM Students

It is important to write in any field of study. Whether you're a science, engineering, or business major, you need to write for class and your projects, but it's also important to understand the different types of academic writing and how they differ.

It will allow you to take advantage of the many benefits writing has to offer when you decide to pursue a career in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. 

An RRL is a review of related literature. It usually follows a study and is used to identify the best studies for inclusion in an overall analysis.

The purpose of this chapter is to establish prior work in the area being explored and to describe the current research. In some cases, the RRL may be combined with the Acknowledgments and/or an Abstract.

The RRL is more than just a collection of related studies and published materials; it is an evaluative report of information found in the literature related to your chosen area of study.

Organization, analysis and evaluation are required. If you believe that writing a RRL is a lot of reading and writing, you are correct.

But don't worry here are some hacks that you can use to write your RRL more effectively.

What exactly is an RRL or Review of Related Literature?

As I have said, an RRL is a detailed review of the literature. This can be anything from a study, a review article, or even a thesis. 

An RRL is used to summarize research results and compare them with those obtained in other studies.  An RRL can be written as part of the methodology section of your dissertation or thesis.  This is one of the best ways to start your study if you are new to writing.  If you already have an idea of what you want to study, then this will help you decide what is relevant to your topic.

You don't need to include a complete bibliography in your RRL. However, it is recommended that you do.  A minimum of three reference sources is required, two of which should be included in your references and one of which should be included in your RRL.

1. Read, Skim and Scan

The most important thing to do when writing a RRL is to read, read, and read some more. Make sure to skim the paper, and then read the whole thing. Use your skimming and scanning skills to figure out what it's really about. Don't get bogged down with tons of material; instead, focus on the important things. This will help you to get all the information you need in a limited amount of time.

Don't worry too much about being accurate; you don't have to get everything exactly right. However, make sure you are clear in your ideas and that you have enough information to support your arguments.

If you don't know something, ask someone who does. If you can't find anyone, try to Google it! If you're not sure how to start your RRL, consider making a list of the most important points. This will help you organize your thoughts and ensure that you cover all the key issues.

2. Your resources shoule be always at your fingertips

Organization is extremely important when writing an RRL. You need to think about how you will store all the different types of materials that you collect as you research your topic. Make sure that you have a plan to organize all the materials you read. You'll want to store each one of them in its own folder. When it comes to storing your printouts, you may want to keep them in a binder.

This will make it easier for you to find the papers that you need. Make sure that you label and file your binder appropriately. Make sure to give each paper a name. For example, title of the article, journal, or book. Make sure that you put together a table of contents. This will help you navigate through your binder. You'll be able to locate your materials quickly and easily.

3. Follow the links

Most teachers don’t encourage students to use Wikipedia, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t treat Wikipedia with some respect. 

Don't forget that every Wikipedia article has a list of references and links to other websites, and the Wikipedia community also maintains a comprehensive bibliography and works cited list. If you want to learn more about a particular topic, follow the links on the articles and you'll likely find even more resources.

There's a reason why Wikipedia is so widely used — it is free and easy to use. The information is not always accurate or comprehensive, but for many topics, it is still an excellent starting point for further research.

4. Use google search operators

The web can be overwhelming at times, but there are ways to cut through the clutter and find information that matters to you. Search smarter by using the keyword “filetype:pdf” in Google, and you'll have access to only the best sources, which will likely include scientific journals, experiment reports, and research studies.

5. Cite all sources

Most teachers and schools have different requirements for plagiarism and citations, but the intent is always the same. For you to avoid plagiarism, it's a good idea to have citations. Keeping track of all your citations can be difficult, but a word processing program with built-in citation feature will make it easy. At a click of a button, you can easily create an in-text citation and even generate a full bibliography list. Just type in your citations and formatting, and you'll have a finished RRL in minutes!

Conclusion

Researching your own RRL requires patience, organization, and practice. But when you break it down into manageable steps, the process can seem easier than you imagined.

You don’t need to become an expert in a particular area or have a lot of time to devote to RRL, but you do need to be willing to take on the responsibility for your own knowledge and growth. The benefits of doing so are well worth the effort.