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Related Work: A Critical Taxonomy of Prior Art

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science

In almost any research paper, it is mandatory to have a section titled “Related Work” (or “Related Works”), where you refer to the results previously obtained by other authors or yourself. By including this section in your paper, you are not only paying respect to those who laid the foundation for your results, but also motivating and guiding your readers. Most of them may not be aware of existing studies or the importance of the problem you are solving. You must put these guys into context.

Mean Streets (1973) by Martin Scorsese
Mean Streets (1973) by Martin Scorsese

As far as I understand it, a well-crafted “Related Work” section should convey the following message:

  • Not only you believe that the problem is important,
  • Previous studies have either overlooked or failed to solve it, and
  • Your research is not a mere replication of someone else’s work.

Before diving in, let’s clarify that the “Related Work” section is not the place to explain foundational concepts like Deep Learning or Dataflow Architecture. That’s what the “Background” section is for. In “Related Work,” it’s assumed that the reader is already familiar with the subject matter.

To effectively communicate the three-fold message, create a taxonomy of existing studies. In simple terms, classify them. For instance, if your paper focuses on a new type of cat food designed to extend feline longevity and improve happiness, your “Related Work” section might look like this:

There are three categories of research related to our 
study: cat food, cat happiness, and cat lifespan.

Earlier studies [2, 13, 8] have suggested that 
cat food containing meat [21], potato [11], and 
fish [7] results in complaints in only 7.5% of all 
cases. However, no experiments have been conducted 
with food made from fruits.

The happiness of cats and other pets has been 
studied by Johnson [22] and Dickson [17]. They 
identified a strong correlation between the mood 
of a pet's owner and the mood of the pet. However, 
they did not investigate the effect of food on cat 
happiness.

It has been observed [15, 18] that cats live 
longer when they consume food with fewer carbohydrates 
and more protein. However, these experiments were 
conducted with cats living in only one city, which
limits the applicability of these studies.

To the best of our knowledge, the method of feeding 
cats with fruits to increase their happiness and 
prolong their lives has not been studied yet.

Note the use of the word “however” in the last sentence of each paragraph. It highlights gaps in existing research that your study aims to fill. The final paragraph confirms your awareness that your research is unique. While you might be mistaken, explicitly stating your unawareness would make it an honest mistake.

In this toy example, we’ve categorized all relevant prior work into three groups. We’ve cited key papers in each category and summarized their findings relevant to our study. We’ve also highlighted areas that our research will address, emphasizing its novelty.

When gathering references for the “Related Work” section, you’ll likely encounter many papers worth mentioning. How do you decide which to cite? Consider the following factors:

  • Relevance: The closer it is to your topic, the better.
  • Citations: Opt for papers that are cited more frequently.
  • Venue: Consult journal rankings and conference rankings to choose the most reputable sources.

Lastly, Google Scholar is the best place for finding prior work. If you can’t access a PDF version of a paper, try the Telegram bot: @scihubbot.

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