Conducting a Literature Review

The literature of a literature review is not made up of novels and short stories and poetry—but is the collection of writing and research that has been produced on a particular topic.

The purpose of the literature review is to give you an overview of a particular topic. Your job is to discover the research that has been done, the major perspectives, and the significant thinkers and writers (experts) who have published on the topic you’re interested in. In other words, it’s a survey of what has been written and argued about your topic.

By the time you complete your literature review you should have written an essay that demonstrates that you:

• Understand the history of what’s been written and researched on your topic.
• Know the significance of the current academic thinking on your topic, including what the controversies are.
• Have a perspective about what work remains to be done on your topic.

Thus, a literature review synthesizes your research into an explanation of what is known and what is not known on your topic. If the topic is one from which you want to embark on a major research project, doing a literature review will save you time and help you figure out where you might focus your attention so you don’t duplicate research that has already been done.

Just to be clear: a literature review differs from a research paper in that a literature review is a summary and synthesis of the major arguments and thinking of experts on the topic you’re investigating, whereas a research paper supports a position or an opinion you have developed yourself as a result of your own analysis of a topic.

Another advantage of doing a literature review is that it summarizes the intellectual discussion that has been going on over the decades—or centuries—on a specific topic and allows you to join in that conversation (what academics call academic discourse) from a knowledgeable position.

The following presentation will provide you with the basic steps to follow as you work to complete a literature review.

"Literature Reviews" by Excelsior Online Writing Lab is licensed under CC BY 4.0 International

Abstract
A short summary outlining the main points of a text, such as a book, journal article, or scientific paper. Typically located at the beginning of a text.

Annotation
A note that describes, explains, evaluates, or elaborates on a piece of information. For example, a bibliography will often have annotations that summarize the content of each citation.

Article
A brief report on a topic, commonly published in a journal, magazine, or newspaper.

Bibliography
A list of sources used for citing a paper or publication. Usually follows a particular style, such as MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.

Catalog
A comprehensive list of all library materials.

Citation
A formal reference that provides the necessary details to locate and identify a source. 

Controlled vocabulary
A list of specific terms used to describe topics in a consistent way. This helps users find materials more easily in a catalog or database. See also Subject heading.

Descriptor
A keyword or phrase used in a database to describe an article’s subject. Helps improve search accuracy. See also Subject heading.

Entry
A record of a material in an index or catalog, e.g. a catalog record or an encyclopedia entry.

Footnote
A type of annotation placed at the bottom of a page; used to credit sources or provide more information without interrupting the text.

Full text
A complete version of an article or book available online, as opposed to an abstract or excerpt. Can refer to items also published in print. Full text scholarly publications will include the abstract and the citation.

Journal
A periodical centered around a discipline that contains peer-reviewed articles, papers, research reports, or technical reports written by scholars. Commonly referred to as a Scholarly or Academic Journal.

Library of Congress Classification System
A system used by most college libraries to organize books by subject using letters and numbers.

Periodical
A recurring publication that releases on a regular or stated schedule. 

Plagiarism
The act of copying another’s work and claiming ownership without permission or credit.

Primary source
Original materials such as diaries, newspaper articles, archival collections, etc. that give firsthand accounts or information. See also Secondary source.

Reference (in Research)
Another word for citation.

Secondary source
A work that analyzes or interprets a primary source. Examples include biographies, journal articles, and literature reviews.

• Students may find it helpful to use secondary sources when finding or engaging with a primary source is too difficult. For more information, see Primary and Secondary Sources. See also Evaluating Source Types.

Subject heading
A specific term or phrase used to describe the content of a work. For example, a journal article with the subject heading "European poetry" means that the article is written about European poetry (as opposed to a work that is or contains such poetry).