A literature review evaluates the information within any published literature related to the topic or research question you choose. The literature review is meant to analyze the published literature related to your topic. A literature reviews reflects upon what has already been written about (methodical or theoretical), what the existing literature contributes to the field, and how your topic corresponds with the literature. If your topic exposes a gap in the existing research in your field, make note of that in the literature review.
This page will help you get started on how to conduct a literature review.
Here are some of the reasons why a literature review is important:
Literature reviews are often confused with annotated bibliographies and research papers.
Literature review: reviews the existing literature on your topic, identifies major themes and concepts, examines critical research gaps for the field, and sets the scene for what your research topic will discuss.
Annotated Bibliography: summarizes each article you reviewed for your paper under its citation, and explains why the information in the article is useful for your argument.
Research Paper: Creates an argument to support one side of your research topic and selects articles and other resources to support your argument.
Knowing where to begin with literature reviews is not always the easiest. Keep in mind that leaving enough time to develop your research question and reviewing your sources is essential. It is best to start early in your process.
Here are some tips to help guide your planning and writing process:
Brainstorming about your research question is important. Here are some questions to consider when reading through the literature you chose and finalizing your research question:
There are many more questions you could ask, but these are just a few to get you started.