Literature Reviews and Searching

A literature review explores and evaluates the literature on a specific topic or question. It synthesises the contributions of the different authors, often to identify areas that need further exploration. The point of a stanalone literature review is to demonstrate that you have read widely in your field and you understand the main arguments. As part of a thesis or reserach paper, the literature review defines your project by establishing how your work will extend or differ from previous work and what contribution it will make.