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A literature review is a description, summary, and critical evaluation of scholarly works on a certain topic. A literature review combines both summary (a recap ...
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Literature Reviews What is a literature review? A literature review is a description, summary, and critical evaluation of scholarly works^ on a certain topic. A literature review combines both summary (a recap of important information) and synthesis (a reorganization of that information which reflects your approach to a research problem). You may be asked to write a literature review on a certain topic for a class, or you may need to include a literature review as one part of a research paper, thesis, or dissertation. What is the difference between an academic research paper and a literature review? The goal of a literature review is to summarize and synthesize the previous research and arguments of other scholars, without adding new contributions. The goal of a research paper is to develop a new argument, and typically includes some form of data collection and analysis. A research paper usually includes a literature review as one of its components (often labeled as the “Background” or “Theoretical Background” section). Why are literature reviews necessary? A literature review demonstrates the author’s understanding of the existing research on a topic and the author’s ability to relate previous research to their own questions or ideas. Literature reviews provide solid background for a research paper’s investigation, allowing the author to situate their own question within the larger academic conversation on a given topic. A literature review with sufficient breadth and depth reflects the credibility of the author and the author’s research. Literature reviews address common beliefs or debates on a topic, offer definitions and frameworks necessary to understand a topic, and incorporate recent (and sometimes historical) scholarship on that topic. Because they summarize and synthesize literature on a specific topic, literature reviews can function as a general overview to that topic for readers. Types of literature reviews You can adopt different approaches to the literature review depending on the type of analysis underpinning your research. Argumentative review : This type of literature review examines literature in a selective way in order to address a specific argument, assumption, or philosophical standpoint that is firmly established in the literature, typically with the goal of developing an alternative viewpoint. Integrative review : This type of literature review generates new frameworks and perspectives on a topic. This type of literature review includes all known studies addressing a specific question or hypothesis. Historical review: This type of literature review focuses on examining research throughout time, often starting with the first time the topic emerged in the literature and then examining how approaches to that topic have changed over time. The goal of this type of review is to provide historical context for the research question.
Methodological review : This type of literature review does not focus on scholars’ findings but instead on how they came to their conclusions (the methods they used to reach their findings). This type of review is useful for exploring the validity of different types of methods used to examine a given topic and provide guidance about which methods should be used in the future. Systematic review : This type of literature review provides an overview of evidence addressing a specific, clearly defined research question. It incorporates standardized methods for identifying and reviewing the literature that should be clearly explained in the literature review, with the goal of including all relevant studies on the given topic. Theoretical review: This type of literature review explores the different theories used to approach a given topic, including the pros and cons of different theories, the relationships between theories, and the ways that different theories have been tested and investigated. Steps to complete a literature review: