Learning Lab Vietnam

The literature review

In many university courses, students need to write literature reviews as part of their studies.

A literature review is:

• a review of writings, or literature, on a particular subject/topic
• a review of the most relevant, recent and scholarly work in the subject/topic area
• a piece of writing that supports, evaluates and critiques your research topic.

A literature review is not:

• a summary of articles, texts or journals; or
• an analytical, opinionative or argumentative essay.

The purpose of a literature review is to:

• establish a theoretical framework for your topic/subject area
• define key terms, definitions and terminology
• identify studies, models, case studies, etc., supporting your topic
• define/establish your area of study, i.e. your research topic.

The three key points of a literature review are:

• what the research says (theory)
• how the research was carried out (methodology)
• what is missing, i.e. the gap that your research intends to fill.

The next step in planning your literature review is to read and research.