What Is a Literature Review?
"A literature review is a single publication, or an element of a long publication, where a topic or research question is explored by examining a large body of prior publications relevant to that topic or research question."
- from UW Madison Libraries Overview on Literature Reviews
Writing a Literature Review
Content courtesy of the University of Louisville's University Writing Center. Literature Reviews as a Genre: Literature reviews are typical in many disciplines and are usually part of a larger work (e. g. article, book, dissertation). The purpose of a literature review is to evaluate existing research related to your topic and position your argument within the existing research. A literature review is not a decontextualized summary of sources. Common rhetorical moves for lit. reviews. Synthesizing sources: Don't look at sources as isolated theories or research. Instead, put sources in conversation with one another. Identifying the gap: In addition to identifying the current conversation on a topic, identify the gap in the conversation that your research fills. Positioning your argument: Clearly position your research within the existing research, identifying your research questions and relevant research themes. Watch the video for strategies on getting started organizing and evaluating sources for your literature review.
Additional Resources for Writing Literature Reviews
- UofL Libraries: Literature SearchingFrustrated with your literature search? Not sure how to find everything you need? Check out these tips and tools for a more productive and less stressful search process!
- UofL Libraries: Literature Searching: Resources for Graduate StudentsThis guide provides information on conducting comprehensive literature searches in preparation for writing the literature review section.
- UofL Libraries: Writing a Literature ReviewThis Productive Researcher resource provides a ready-reference on the key aspects of a literature review and a video guide to writing the literature review.
- University Writing Center Literature Review HandoutA comprehensive guide to understanding what a literature review is and how to write one.
- UWM Libraries: Literature Reviews in the SciencesThis micro-course was developed by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Libraries to help scholars succeed in researching and writing literature reviews.
- Purdue OWL: Writing a Literature ReviewThis guide to literature reviews was produced by Purdue's Online Writing Lab.