Literature+Review+-+How+to+do

=WHAT IS A LITERATURE REVIEW?=

A **literature review** offers an overview of the relevant and signficant literature on a research area. It reviews the critical points of current knowledge on a particular topic - ie. a survey of articles, books, conference papers, theses etc. It is usually limited to a particular timeframe, and should include a description, summary and critical evaluation of the materials presented.

A literature review is **__not__** a list describing or summarising one piece of literature after another.

The **purpose** of a literature review is: //to demonstrate your ability to identify the relevant information and outline existing knowledge; identify the "gap" in the research that your work will address; produce a rationale or justifiction for your study//.


 * Remember ** : There is no one single correct method to writing a literature review.


 * This page is intended as a guide only. Check with your supervisor / lecturer / school to ascertain whether there are any specific requirements for your literature review before proceeding**.

Useful Links:
Examples of webpages which offer various approaches to conducting a literature review include:

[|How to write a literature review] Brief and to-the–point guide from University of California, Santa Cruz.

[|The Literature Review: A Few Tips On Conducting It] More informative guide from University of Toronto. Includes good questions to ask yourself as you do a literature review

[|Preparing Scholarly Reviews of the Literature: A Webtutorial] Very comprehensive and thorough web tutorial, from George Washington University, which will answer questions you may have on the subject. Guidance on searching is very useful, although specifics about search tools are obsolete. Worth checking out.

[|PhD: first thoughts to finished writing]. University of Queensland

[|Preparing a Literature Review]This was prepared by one of our sister libraries in the IOTI sector.

[|Conducting a Literature Review]Produced by the University of Melbourne

[|The Literature Review: a few Tips on Conducting it] Written by Dena Taylor, University of Toronto 

Locate earlier literature reviews in your subject:
Search the databases in your subject to locate earlier journal articles using the terms"literature review", as you may find a good quality literature review which you can then update.
 * Databases:**

The [|WebPAC] holds books on doing a literature review. Using **keyword**, search for "literature review". For example: // Hart, C. (1998) Doing a Literature Review: releasing the social science imagination. London. Sage //
 * Library Catalogue**:


 * Library Website**: Click on [|Web Links by subject]and search some of the sources featured there and /or contact one of our Liaison Librarians.