Skip to Main Content

Education & Integrative Studies

Literature Review

Image from Stellenbosch University Library

What is a Literature Review?

A literature review is a systematic review of the published literature on a specific topic or research question designed to analyze-- not just summarize-- scholarly writings that are related directly to your research question.  That is, it represents the literature that provides background information on your topic and shows a correspondence between those writings and your research question.  

A Literature Review is NOT

Keep in mind that a literature review defines and sets the stage for your later research.  While you may take the same steps in researching your literature review, your literature review is not:

  • Not an annotated bibliography in which you summarize each article that you have reviewed.  A lit review goes beyond basic summarizing to focus on the critical analysis of the reviewed works and their relationship to your research question.
  • Not a research paper where you select resources to support one side of an issue versus another.  A lit review should explain and consider all sides of an argument in order to avoid bias, and areas of agreement and disagreement should be highlighted.

Why is a Literature Review Important?

A literature review is important because it:

  • Explains the background of research on a topic
  • Demonstrates why a topic is significant to a subject area
  • Helps focus your own research questions or problems
  • Discovers relationships between research studies/ideas
  • Suggests unexplored ideas or populations
  • Identifies major themes, concepts, and researchers on a topic
  • Tests assumptions; may help counter preconceived ideas and remove unconscious bias
  • Identifies critical gaps, points of disagreement, or potentially flawed methodology or theoretical approaches
  • Indicates potential directions for future research

 

Source: University of Pittsburg Library System - Literature Reviews

Books About Literature Reviews