Reviewing the literature: A critical view

In this seminar, Ruanni will probe at the possibility of a more reflexive and critical engagement with the literature review, recognising it as an active process of shaping and transforming, rather than merely reflecting and reproducing knowledge.

While literature reviews are often framed as an objective exercise in situating one’s work within existing scholarship, he argues that they also reflect deeper questions about what and whose knowledge is considered necessary to "know" a field. By interrogating these assumptions, he surfaces the underlying logics of knowledge production that determine citation practices – who is included, who is excluded, and what epistemic hierarchies these choices reinforce.

Consequently, Ruanni will offer a practical dimension by illustrating how different research questions shape knowledge production. Drawing from his research on the pluralisation of English, particularly on Philippine English, he will demonstrate how shifting the questions we ask can surface alternative understandings of sociolinguistic phenomena. This approach highlights the role of literature reviews not just as summaries of knowledge but as sites of epistemic contestation.

This event will be particularly useful for those interested in sociolinguistics, the politics of TESOL, the politics of knowledge production and multilingualism.

Related links

• Tweet with #IOEWritingSeminar
• Academic Writing Seminar Series
• Academic Writing Centre
• Academic Communication Centre

Image

Africa Studio via Adobe Stock.