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A literature review provides an overview of a topic using the published literature. In a literature review publication, the entire article is an overview of a topic. Although research articles include a literature review in them to provide background about their research topic, the research article's purpose is to explain the authors' research experiment and project.
The primary purpose of a literature review is to give the reader context for your research question and to demonstrate how it is connected to the larger body of knowledge in the disciplines.
The searches to create your literature review will likely continue throughout your entire project. Your research will help you get started on your project but will also not stop there. As you learn about a topic, you will be able to better focus your topic's information but new knowledge is published all the time. For a long project, it takes continual monitoring to stay abreast of what is known about the topic.
You can look for examples of literature reviews to see how they are done in the professional literature. They often have a title of "A Review of Influenza" or "Diabetes: A Literature Review." (Yes, scientists are very literal.)
Why you are writing the literature review will tell you much about what you want it to be.
If you are writing a literature review for an undergraduate paper, then you will be working within the amount of time available during your class and you may be limited by your level of knowledge of the discipline at this time. Your professor may also not expect as much from an undergraduate as from a graduate student.
What comprises a "good" topic may be discipline specific. Some disciplines may value topics with practical applications. Some may value more current subjects. Utilize your instructor and librarian to help you refine your topic into something appropriate.
Only you can decide what interests you and what you think is important. But the best topics are felt to be important to others, too, either because others already feel it is important or because you manage to persuade them that it is important.
Literature reviews can organize the literature in a variety of ways. When you've chosen a method of organizing your supporting literature, your paper will be divided into sections and/or subsections depending on your choice. Frequently, more than one organization type might be used; for example, list publications chronologically within geographical sections.
A common way to organize undergraduate literature reviews is by theme.
Thematic
Thematic reviews of literature are organized around a topic or issue, rather than the progression of time. Thematic reviews would shift between time periods within each section according to the point made.
First, there is no one right way to do research, especially across a multitude of disciplines. We will present a series of research strategies and techniques. You will need to experiment and select the ones that work for you.
The general rule of thumb is to start broad and then narrow in. Learn the general information on your topic and then focus in on the details, identifying the key theories, the key ideas, the key researchers, and any missing information.
It is not unexpected to change your mind regarding what you think about your topic. After all, as we learn new things, they can change our perspectives. Professors and instructors know that sometimes projects move in a new direction as you learn about them. Check with your instructor if you are unsure if any change is appropriate for the assgnment.
Overview
To gain an overview of your topic, you may use reference works or review articles. Reference works, such as encyclopedias and dictionaries, may be general or specialized for a discipline. Depending on the discipline, a dictionary may provide only a definition of terminology or it may feature data or short articles concerning a term or phrase. Specialized encyclopedias can vary greatly in content even within a discipline. Chemistry reference books can contain very different content from one to another.
Entries in reference works are usually written by an expert on that topic. Look for publications by that author. They also include references which may be used to gather more information. A good overview can get you started with key theories and concepts.
Professional Literature Reviews in Medicine
In a professional literature review, physicians want to find and cite the original research articles (primary sources). There is value in seeing for yourself what the original researchers say about their own research project. However, secondary sources are useful to help you find primary sources. A secondary source like a literature review can often explain a topic for you and then you can use the references within the paper to find the original research publication.
The presentation of the thesis and its supporting research in the final paper should hold the reader's attention. The presentation of the literature review should tell a story.
Be sure you understand what is expected of your assignment. It would be disappointing to be in the middle of the project only to find out you had been doing it wrong or had not done something correctly.
