The following guides have been created for you by the Student Learning Advisory Service. For more detailed guidance and to speak to one of our advisers, please book an appointment or join one of our workshops. Alternatively, have a look at our SkillBuilder skills videos.
What is a literature review?
A literature review is...
- simply a summary of existing scholarship on a particular topic
- commonly a prelude to further research
- usually near the beginning of a thesis or dissertation, directly after the introduction. There are exceptions to this, so it is always advisable to confirm this with your supervisor
- based on secondary sources – that is, what other people have already written on a subject
- not concerned about discovering new knowledge or information
- almost entirely focused on relevant academic literature and the data collected or theories put together by recognised experts in the field. Popular or non-academic sources may be brought in occasionally to illustrate a point, but the central focus is always on academic sources
A literature review will...
- try to look at as much of this existing research as possible
- review major scholarly books in the relevant area
- also take a keen interest in journal articles, which in many subjects give more up-to-date material than books