Broadly defined, a literature review is an analysis of the scholarly writings (the literature) which are relevant to your research topic. It usually forms the foundation of a research project (whether this is a research proposal, thesis, dissertation or a journal article) as it provides the context for your research.
The overall purpose of a literature review is to:
- position your research in the context of the scholarly work that has been conducted and the knowledge that has been reached in your research area
- identify a gap in the existing knowledge
- situate your planned research within this context. This entails indicating where your planned research fits in relation to the gap and therefore why your research is original and significant.
A literature review analyses relevant sources critically. It does not simply summarise different sources. It also needs to evaluate the literature. As such, a literature review differs from an annotated bibliography as it does not constitute a list of summaries of relevant sources.