What is Literature Review? Definition, Types and Examples

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A literature review is a comprehensive overview of all the knowledge available on a specific topic till date.  

What is a literature review in a research paper? 

When you decide on a research topic, usually the first step you take in the direction of conducting research is learn more about the previous research published on the topic, and this eventually translates into literature review when you write your research paper. Many researchers struggle when it comes to writing literature reviews for their research paper. 

Literature review definition:

A literature review is a comprehensive review and analysis of published literature that relates to a particular research topic or question being studied. Various forms of literature are reviewed that can include journal articles, books, magazine and blog articles, published abstracts, conference proceedings, and dissertations. Literature review in research is one of the pillars on which your research idea stands since it provides context, relevance, and background to the research problem you are exploring.   

What are the types of literature review? 

Literature reviews can be categorized as experimental and theoretical. Experimental literature review basically refers to surveying all the information available on a particular topic and critically analyzing the gaps that need to be worked upon. In this sense, it essentially forms the first experiment of any research project. The more extensive the review, the more precise and systematic the research project will be. Therefore, it is one of the most critical parts of one’s research.  

How to write the literature review for a research paper 

Every research report, thesis, dissertation and research article begins with an introduction to the topic of research. This forms the literature review for the article. The literature review’s main purpose is to introduce readers to the need for research. A literature review should begin with a thorough literature search using the main keywords in relevant online databases.  

The Background of a literature review introduces the readers to the field of study. Recent progress on the study topic which can be organized thematically or chronologically. Once a problem statement has been defined, the strengths and pitfalls of other studies that have tackled the problem statement should be discussed. This is important for outlining the need and novelty of the research.  

A literature review should be a critical and analytical summary of the selected literature that guides the readers through the central theme of the research.  

Other types of Literature reviews include: 

1. Stand-alone reviews 

2. Literature reviews for research reports, dissertations, theses. 

Stand alone articles fall into 2 categories, narrative reviews and systematic reviews.

Narrative reviews 

These are theoretical discussions of relevant information on a particular topic and its critical analysis. These are mostly qualitative in nature similar to the review sections of larger articles.  

Systematic reviews  

Systematic reviews follow a well-planned methodology to qualitatively or quantitatively analyze a defined number of studies. They usually focus on a single question and have clear study objectives that are worked on systematically.  

Before starting to write a review, it is important to determine what kind of review you want to write and follow the appropriate style and guidelines. An effective literature review is important for the complete life cycle of a research from defining the right research goals to correctly interpreting and presenting the research results.