The literature review is a written explanation by you, the author, of the research already done on the topic, question or issue at hand. What do we know (or not know) about this issue/topic/question?
- A literature review provides a thorough background of the topic bygiving your reader a guided overviewofmajor findings and current gaps in what is known so far about the topic.
- The literature review is not a list (like an annotated bibliography) -- it is a narrative helping your reader understand the topic and where you will "stand" in the debate between scholars regarding the interpretation of meaning and understanding why things happen. Your literature reviewhelps your readerstart to see the "camps" or "sides" within a debate, pluswho studies the topic and their arguments.
- A good literature review should help the reader sense how you will answer your research question and should highlight thepreceding arguments and evidence you think are most helpful in moving the topic forward.
- The purpose of theliterature reviewis to dive into the existing debates on the topic to learn aboutthe various schools of thought andarguments, using your research question as ananchor. If you find something that doesn't help answer your question, you don't have to read (or include)it. That's the power of the question format:it helps you filter what to read and include in your literature review, andwhat to ignore.