What is a Literature Review?

Answer

What is a literature review?

A literature review summarizes and evaluates research on a particular topic. This means the author's task is to:

Gather the most relevant or important research on a particular topic
Summarize the evidence and arguments in these published research materials
Evaluate the quality and strength of the evidence and claims
Contextualize and explain how the sources relate to each other

Often, as in the case of a dissertation, a literature review will also contextualize and support an author's independent research. It's a way of setting the stage, surveying the research that has come before, and helping the reader understand the original research to come.

Stand-alone literature reviews

Some literature reviews are published as standalone articles or chapters. For information on finding published literature reviews, see this FAQ.

Reference entries (from encyclopedias or handbooks) are often very similar to literature reviews, though sometimes less focused. They can be a great place to start finding sources. For information on finding and using library reference materials, see this FAQ.

Systematic reviews or meta-analyses are also similar to literature reviews, but tend to focus on empirical or data-oriented scholarship.

Literature reviews as part of a larger piece of scholarship

Dissertations and academic articles generally have literature reviews; it's also common to find them in academic book chapters. Sometimes they are labeled as literature reviews; other times they are incorporated into an introductory section or given a more subject-specific title heading. If you're not sure, look for a section early on in the paper with lots of citations.

Finding sources for literature reviews

Starting with published literature reviews or reference sources is a good idea when finding sources for a literature review. After that, try searching in our catalog or in a database focused on your topic!