BACKGROUND: Preparing a literature review is a way to familiarize yourself with the scholarly conversation going on in your research area. An effective literature review demonstrates to other scholars that you are very familiar with the scholarly conversation surrounding your research area and, therefore, that you fully comprehend how your own research fits into and contributes to the conversation. The information below will reinforce your understanding of literature reviews and their role in the scholarly conversation of researchers.
What is a literature review?
A literature review describes key prior research that is related in a significant way to your intended research project. Typically, you will see a literature review as a section of an article, as an entire article of its own, or as a chapter of a dissertation.
Why do a literature review?
What does a literature review involve?
What next? What else do I need to know?
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There are a variety of ways to keep track of the articles you read for your literature review. The important point is to have a system. The following is one example of how you could organize your articles.
