Literature Reviews

A literature review is an evaluation of the current literature on a specific topic that is being researched. The literature review should describe, summarize, and clarify the literature being reviewed. A literature review should be more than just writing about the current literature on a topic. It should give information that can be read, analyzed, and evaluated. The purpose of a literature review is to find literature on a topic and do a careful evaluation of it. It is important to use the most recent information available. The literature review should provide a context for the research such as for a dissertation. It should show how the research supports the thesis of a research project. A literature review surveys scholarly journal articles, books, dissertations, and relevant websites. The literature review should have a conclusion presenting an argument about the importance of the literature review.