In Week 09, of Design for Animation, Narrative Structures, and Film Language with Professor Nigel Mairs,the session focused on understanding how to construct a literature review. The first part of the class was dedicated to explaining what a literature review is, why it is necessary, and how it supports a critical argument rather than simply summarising sources.
Following this, I revisited my research topic with a stronger academic framework. Based on feedback from Week 08, I refined my research questions and expanded my keyword list to ensure broader yet relevant academic coverage. Keywords such as animation ideology, political satire, media bias, visual storytelling, and audience perception were added to improve the quality of my research sources.
This week was crucial in understanding how theory supports practice. I began identifying academic authors who approach animation as a cultural and political tool rather than mere entertainment. This helped me recognise that my argument was not isolated, but part of a wider academic conversation within animation studies and media theory.
I also began distinguishing between major sources (peer-reviewed books and journals) and minor sources (critical essays, interviews, and commentary). This distinction helped me maintain academic rigour and avoid unsupported claims. Importantly, this week reinforced the idea that my report needed to critically engage with sources rather than agree with them blindly.
By the end of Week 09, my research topic had evolved from a conceptual idea into a structured academic investigation. The literature review process helped sharpen my argument and ensured that my analysis of animation would be supported by established theoretical perspectives.