What Is a Literature Review?
(The following is adapted from the University of Texas Libraries' Architecture research guide.)
A literature review is a systematic and critical analysis of the literature on a specific topic. It describes trends, quality, relationships, inconsistencies and gaps in the research; and it details how the works enhance your understanding of the topic at large.
It is NOT simply an annotated bibliography that summarizes and/or assesses each article. There is not one correct way to approach and write a literature review. It can be a stand-alone paper or part of a thesis/dissertation. Format and requirements can vary between disciplines, purpose, and intended audience.
A literature review is an overview of existing literature (books, articles, dissertations, conference proceedings, and other sources) in a particular scholarly area. With a lit review, you will
- Gather information about your topic, including the sources used by others who have previously conducted research
- Find out if your specific research question has already been answered
- Find out what areas or perspectives have not yet been covered by others on your topic
- Analyze and evaluate existing information
The literature review will assist you in considering the validity and scope of your research question so that you can do the necessary revision and fine-tuning to it. It provides the foundation to formulate and present strong arguments to justify your chosen research topic.
For more information, see Chapter 3: "Building your literature review" from your textbook for this course.
See also:
