LibGuides: Identify knowledge (Library & Writing Centre orientation, Stage 3): What is a literature review? How do you write one?

What is a literature review?

If your final project is a major research project, thesis, or dissertation, you're likely going to be writing a literature review. Since students don't usually write literature reviews for shorter course papers, the unfamiliarity of a literature review can make it seem intimidating; however, all the skills you've built in your research and writing to this point are exactly the skills you'll need to complete the literature review, and the Library and Writing Centre are here to help!

As the name suggests, completing a literature review requires you to examine the existing literature on a chosen topic, which will allow you:

to identify gaps in current knowledge;
to avoid reinventing the wheel (at the very least this will save time and it can stop you from making the same mistakes as others);
to carry on from where others have already reached (reviewing the field allows you to build on the platform of existing knowledge and ideas);
to identify other people working in the same and related fields (they provide you with a researcher network, which is a valuable resource indeed);
to increase your breadth of knowledge of the area in which your subject is located;
to identify seminal works in your area;
to provide the intellectual context for your own work (this will enable you to position your project in terms of related work);
to identify opposing views;
to put your own work in perspective;
to provide evidence that you can access the previous significant work in an area;
to discover transferable information and ideas (information and insights that may be relevant to your own project); and
to discover transferable research methods (research methods that could be relevant to your own project). (Bourner & Greener, 2016, pp. 8-9)

Reference

Bourner, T., & Greener, S. (2016). The research journey: Four steps to success. In T. Greenfield & S. Greener (Eds.), Research methods for postgraduates (pp. 7-12). John Wiley & Sons.

Image by LaterJay Photography from Pixabay

How do you approach writing a literature review?

This narrated whiteboard video aims to demystify the process of writing a literature review and provide suggestions for how to get organized to write. The video uses a cocktail party analogy to illustrate the approach. Click for transcript.

Looking for more information and examples? Please visit Literature Reviews in the Types of Academic Writing guide.

If you'd like help with any aspect of finding sources for your literature review, please contact the Library and/or schedule an appointment with a librarian.

If you'd like help with any aspect of writing your literature review, please contact the Writing Centre and/or schedule an appointment with the Writing Centre.