• Explain the background of research on a topic, illuminates what has been researched

• Demonstrate why a topic is significant to a subject area

• Identify major themes, concepts, and researchers on a topic

• Highlight critical gaps, points of disagreement, or potentially flawed methodology or theoretical approaches

• Discuss further research questions that logically come out of the previous studies

A literature review is a systematic review of the published literature on a specific topic or research question. The literature review is designed to analyze-- not just summarize-- scholarly writings that are related directly to your research question.

Literature Reviews are sometimes one part of a scholarly article, sometimes they are the whole article.

• A literature review is organized around ideas that are illuminated in sources, not the sources themselves. 
• A literature review is not a list of sources with detail about each one of them.
• As you read widely and also selectively on your topic area, consider what themes or issues connect your sources.
• Pick one of these themes to focus the organization of your literature review.

  • Do the sources present one or different solutions?

  • Is there an aspect of the field that is missing in the sources you read?

  • How well do the sources present the material and do they portray it according to an appropriate theory?

  • Do they reveal a trend in the field?  Or a raging debate?

Be selective

Use quotes sparingly

Summarize and synthesize

Keep your own voice

Use caution when paraphrasing

Thank you to these universities for providing inspiration for the above content.