Literature Review
A.) What is a literature review?
A literature review is...
· a summary and evaluation of the significant research published on a topic
· organized in a way that shows the relationship between research studies, as well as the way each has contributed to an understanding of the topic
· a secondary source because it is an overview of existing research on the topic
The purpose of a literature review is to...
· familiarize the reader with relevant literature and research in an area of study
· demonstrate relationships among the prior research
· inform the reader what has already been discovered to avoid duplication
· identify gaps and discrepancies in the literature
B.) Information about creating an effective literature review
Here are links to some well-crafted academic library guides about writing literature reviews. The ideas in the guides can also help you think critically about the quality of the literature reviews you encounter in scholarly material you read.