Literature Review

Don't be mistaken! A literature review is not the same as a book review, nor is it entirely based upon the subject of literature. In fact, it's all about reviewing academic work, and it can cover any subject. While this may sound complex, once it's broken down, the literature review can be an interesting, satisfying way to research a topic in depth. Let's define the term and explore what contributes to a successful literature review.

Literature review definition

A literature review is defined as:

This compilation of scholarly material helps the writer and reader better understand key concepts, controversies, and debates surrounding a chosen subject.

Types of literature review

Although there are many variations of the literature review, let's look at some key variations.

Fig. 1 – A shop chock-full of books.

Narrative literature review

A narrative (also known as traditional) literature review is the most common type of literature review and is a comprehensive yet often generalised analysis of academia on a topic. Conclusions are drawn from a selected range of literature to attempt to answer a particular question. They are prone to bias, as some researchers may pick articles that best suit their argument without considering alternatives.

Scoping literature review

A scoping literature review aims to synthesise evidence existing across a wide field and assess the range of a topic.

This is the perfect choice when there are unclear research questions, and it is necessary to explore an extensive subject. A 'scoping' search can be employed to help determine which questions need to be asked and what the next steps are.

Systematic literature review

A systematic literature review meticulously covers all bases. Unlike the scoping review, a clear question is set out from the very beginning, and there is an effort to locate every single piece of relevant academic information that could impact the answer. Each scholarly article is questioned to a high standard, and every aspect of the methodology is transparent and reproducible.

Components of a literature review

Let's look at some of the key components of a quality literature review.

Providing insight into the scope of your topic

By summarising your research aims and establishing your point of view, the literature review should help define your topic, both for you and your reader. It is important to help the reader understand how far the scope of your topic extends.

Assessing content for strengths and weaknesses

One of the most critical components of a literature review is to gather relevant academic material whilst also considering the value of each argument encountered. Which works of literature are making a key contribution to the debate on the topic, and which works aren't?

In writing a literature review, it's crucial to review the literature that is being compiled, not just acknowledge it. The goal is to assess the strengths and weaknesses of different arguments and to begin to take a stance concerning key debates. In this way, a correctly completed literature review will allow a better understanding of further questions that need to be asked and the direction an overall argument will take.

Identifying academic gaps

Another important component of a literature review is to identify crucial gaps that haven't been covered on a topic. It is these gaps that regularly form the basis of research questions. For this reason, literature reviews are often one of the first tasks completed when beginning a new project.

Contextualising your study

Identifying unknown areas within a chosen topic helps put your work into context alongside existing scholarly material.

This means that readers can understand the importance of your essay and answer key questions: what gaps will it fill, how will it contribute to a debate, and how will it interact with other available academic material?

Literature review structure

Now that we understand everything about the literature review let's look at how to structure one.

Introduction

Your introduction should provide an overview of your topic and the reasons you are conducting your literature review. It should also help the reader to understand how you have organised your review and the scope of your investigation.

Body

The body of your work should feature all of the academic literature that you have chosen to research. It should present this in an organised way. Two of the most common methods of organisation are chronological and thematic.

The body should assess the strengths and weaknesses of each piece of work and aim to tie the wider contexts into the specific areas of your research.

Conclusion

A successful conclusion should summarise the most important patterns, discussions and debates that have arisen from your research.

It is important to come to offer an evaluation of the overall state of the topic, including any gaps in the existing body of work. This will allow you to propose areas where further research is necessary.

Literature review dissertation

Creating a literature review is a crucial aspect of any university dissertation. It shows your tutor that you have an advanced understanding of the relevant material surrounding your area of research. It also helps you narrow down your argument, leading to a more concise, focused essay.

As time is limited during the dissertation process, you will need to be selective of the academia you review. Therefore, it's crucial to choose a balanced selection of materials. Try and find a wide selection of books, articles and academic journals that propose different theories to avoid bias.