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What is the Literature Review?
A literature review discusses the literature published on a particular topic and combines both summary and synthesis. You might create a literature review to:
- demonstrate the ability to find, analyze, and synthesize literature in a specific field
- convey the importance or significance of a research question or topic
- identify what is known or not known about a research question or topic
- provide background or context for a research question or topic
The literature review process includes the following steps (also reflected in the tabs on the left). Some steps may need to be revisited once the research and writing process begins.
Literature Review Resources:
- Literature ReviewsLiterature review overview created by the University of North Carolina's Writing Center.
- The Literature Review: A Research JourneyA literature review e-lecture produced by Harvard's Gutman Library.
Questions? Come to the Business/SPEA Information Commons in-person, via e-mail, or use the chat box in this guide for assistance.
Credit
Some of the ideas in this guide were derived from the following sources:
- Literature Review (Oregon State)
- Literature Reviews: An Overview for Graduate Students (North Carolina)