Hi folks,

I was hoping for some advice from someone who has already finished their thesis, or at least their literature review chapter.

I'm trying to explain a rather complicated theory and have ended up being quite reliant on a paper written by established members of my field who actually do an excellent job of explaining what I want to explain.

I in no way see myself as plagiarising this piece of work as I am making explicit references to it. However, I am interested to know what experience people have had with doing this - should I be trying to find other sources to cite from as well or is it acceptable for this part of my review to mainly rely on this piece.

I might just add that this only makes up about 1,000 words of the target of 15,000

Hmm. That's a bit of a tricky one. Prob best to ask your sup. My instinct would be that it could be ok if perhaps interspersing it with critique, if relevant, to ensure it's critical rather than descriptive and that your own 'voice'/ line of thought is evident. Good luck!

The only way out is through. This sounds like a key part of your thesis so there is no way around it but to immerse yourself in the theory and then write it up in your own words. Don't be tempted to quote from the other paper unless you absolutely can't avoid it. This section of your thesis could be the most important learning experience you ever have, so strap yourself in and enjoy the ride.