Help

Researching and Writing Literature Reviews

Home | What is a literature review? | Why do a literature review? | What does a literature review do? | Components of the literature review | Things you should do before beginning your literature review | Beginning the literature review | Critical analysis of materials | Tools | Additional assistance & further information |

Components of the literature review

  • The overview of the subject

    This is where you'll briefly discuss your area of inquiry and present the questions you're investigating and your preliminary thesis, placing your research in context within your field of inquiry and making a case for the importance of your research to that field and its value in answering unanswered questions and settling controversies.

  • Division of works into categories

    Here's where you'll divide the available resources that pertain to your research into categories, and discuss their roles in addressing your thesis.
    • Possible ways to categorize resources:

      • "Pro"; "Con"; alternative views

      • By theoretical/philosophical approach: empirical, structural, poststructural, etc.

      • Original/primary sources; secondary sources; bibliographies (not recommended, except as a tool to help you organize your thoughts and research)

    • Regardless of division, each category should be accompanied by thorough discussions and explanations: strengths, weaknesses, value to the overall survey, and comparisons with other, similar sources.

  • Conclusions

    How does the available research and existing scholarship support your research? How does it contradict your research? How will your research resolve the difference?