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Writing a literature review
This resource provides you with tips and guidelines for researching and writing a literature review.
What is a literature review?
In many university courses, students need to write literature reviews as part of their studies.
A literature review is:
- a review of writings, or literature, on a particular subject/topic
- a review of the most relevant, recent and scholarly work in the subject/topic area
- a piece of writing that supports, evaluates and critiques your research topic.
A literature review is not:
- a summary of articles, texts or journals; or
- an analytical, opinionative or argumentative essay.
The purpose of a literature review is to:
- establish a theoretical framework for your topic/subject area
- define key terms, definitions and terminology
- identify studies, models, case studies, etc., supporting your topic
- define/establish your area of study, i.e. your research topic.
The three key points of a literature review are:
- what the research says (theory)
- how the research was carried out (methodology)
- what is missing, i.e. the gap that your research intends to fill.
The next step in planning your literature review is to read and research.