Literature Review

A type of academic writing summarizing and analyzing scholarly work on a specific topic, identifying what's known and unknown.

A literature review clarifies a theoretical framework and related studies to support a research paper or a stand-alone academic paper.

A literature review critically analyses relationships between studies, while an annotated bibliography summarizes and links sources.

A book review evaluates a single book, while a literature review examines many scholarly sources on a particular topic.

Academic books, journal articles, conference papers, and other sources used in research.

To clearly define the topic, its scope, any exclusions, and summarize the review's main findings while acknowledging source availability.

To organize and critically evaluate sources (chronologically or thematically), summarizing research premises, methodology, and conclusions.

Using grammatical connectors, relational words/phrases, and transitional devices to link and contrast different sources.

To summarize key findings and justify the conducted research based on the reviewed material.

Combining ideas from different sources to create a cohesive understanding or theory through critical evaluation, comparisons, and contrasts.

Assessing research based on chosen criteria, explaining your evaluation, and supporting it with relevant evidence from other similar research.

Establishing the research question's relevance, providing enough background info, showcasing expertise, and identifying a unique niche for the study.

Yes, by analyzing contradictory studies and identifying potential explanations for conflicting results, it can help resolve disputes.

A good literature review includes an inquiry question, a selection of relevant articles, a comparison of findings, a conclusion summarizing the knowledge, and a list of references.

There are four main strategies for organizing a literature review: chronological, thematic, methodological, and problem-oriented.

Connecting articles helps show how the findings of one study relate to or contradict others, building a more comprehensive understanding of the topic.

The conclusion summarizes the key findings and insights from the reviewed articles. It should answer the initial inquiry question and highlight gaps in knowledge.

A literature review helps make informed decisions and solve problems by summarizing existing knowledge on a topic, uncovering potential solutions, and identifying areas for further research.

Referencing provides credit to the original authors and allows readers to locate the sources used in the review for further exploration.

Organization allows the reader to follow the flow of ideas and understand the relationships between different studies. Clear subheadings and transitional phrases enhance readability.

Good writing is free of grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and punctuation errors. It uses clear and concise language and employs transitions to connect ideas smoothly.