Does your assignment or publication require that you write a literature review? This guide is intended to help you understand what a literature is, why it is worth doing, and some quick tips composing one.
Typically, a literature review is a written discussion that examines publications about a particular subject area or topic. Depending on disciplines, publications, or authors a literature review may be:
A summary of sources
An organized presentation of sources
A synthesis or interpretation of sources
An evaluative analysis of sources
A Literature Review may be part of a process or a product. It may be:
A part of your research process
A part of your final research publication
An independent publication
The Literature Review will place your research in context. It will help you and your readers:
Locate patterns, relationships, connections, agreements, disagreements, & gaps in understanding
Identify methodological and theoretical foundations
Identify landmark and exemplary works
Situate your voice in a broader conversation with other writers, thinkers, and scholars
The Literature Review will aid your research process. It will help you to:
Establish your knowledge
Understand what has been said
Define your questions
Establish a relevant methodology
Refine your voice
Situate your voice in the conversation
The Literature Review structure and organization may include sections such as:
An introduction or overview
A body or organizational sub-divisions
A conclusion or an explanation of significance
The body of a literature review may be organized in several ways, including:
Chronologically: organized by date of publication
Methodologically: organized by type of research method used
Thematically: organized by concept, trend, or theme
Ideologically: organized by belief, ideology, or school of thought
Tip: Many of us start with a very broad question in mind. Try these steps to narrow:
Mountains by Alice Noir from the Noun Project
