Literature Review

What is a Literature Review?

A literature review is a “critical analysis of a segment of a published body of knowledge through summary, classification, and comparison of prior research studies, reviews of literature, and theoretical articles” (University of Wisconsin Writing Center).

Do not confuse a literature review with an annotated bibliography.

Information for this page is taken from the webpages of the Thompson Writing Program's Writing Studio.

​What are the goals of creating a Literature Review?

• To develop a new theory
• To evaluate a theory or theories
• To survey what’s known about a topic
• Identify a problem in a field of research 
• Provide a historical overview of the development of a topic

Format:

• The introduction should explain why you are writing the review (“so what/who cares?”) and make some central claims about the current state of the literature (e.g. trends, debates, gaps, etc.).

• Organize the body of the paper by common denominators among sources, such as methodologies, conclusions, philosophical approaches, or possibly chronology (assuming topical subsections)

• The conclusion should summarize significant contributions to the field, situate the reviewed literature in the larger context of the discipline, point out flaws or gaps in the research, and/or suggest future areas of study.

Types of Literature Reviews:

• Mature and/or established topic: Topic is well-known and the purpose of this type of review is to analyze and synthesize this accumulated body of research.
• Emerging Topic:The purpose of this type of review to identify understudy or new emerging research area.

Writing the Literature Review sites:

​Literature Review - Texas Women's University

Literature Reviews: UNC - Chapel Hill

Write a Literature Review: UC-Santa Cruz

Writing the Literature Review: SUNY/Empire State College

To quickly and efficiently search the Library's databases, use the search bar below and filter your results to full text, journal, magazine, and/or newspaper articles. Search for articles, books, movies, and more that are available through OneSearch.

Advanced Search | Journal Finder | Topic Finder| Find in My Library | 

Start with these databases to explore your topic. They provide a broad view overview on any of your topics and help you identify key issues or controversies for your written argument.

Specialized Encyclopedias and handbooks on various topics

Is now called GALE EBooks!