What is critical Literature review?

A literature review is a critical analysis of published sources, or literature, on a particular topic. It

is an assessment of the literature and provides a summary, classification, comparison and
evaluation. At postgraduate level literature review scan be incorporated into an article, a research
report or thesis.

What is the importance of literature review?

To conduct a literature review, researchers must first find all previous research done on the topic
they are studying. This review of the literature provides a thorough introduction to the reader on
the topic and presents all the analyses and findings of previous studies. Current researchers use
these findings to develop their own research questions and eventually to create their own
hypotheses on the topic that provides a focus for their explorations and analyses. The findings of
the current research can then be compared and contrasted with previous findings and used as take
off point for further research.

Literature reviews are required by academic degree committees, peer-review panels and
organizations that set guidelines for research such as the American Psychological Organization.
These reviews not only help to establish trust with readers, but they also help researchers avoid
inadvertent plagiarism. Researchers cite all previous research done on a specific topic and detail
how such research has been used to develop the current project.

Why do one needs to do a literature review?

- Demonstrates that you know the field. This means more than reporting what you've read
and understood. Instead, you need to read it critically and to write in such a way that shows you
have a feel for the area; you know what the most important issues are and their relevance to your
work, you know the controversies, you know what's neglected, you have the anticipation of
where it's being taken. All this would allow you to map the field and position your research
within the context.

- Justifies the reason for your research. This is closely connected with demonstrating that
you know the field. It is the knowledge of your field which allows you to identify the gap which
your research could fill. However, it is not enough to find a gap. You have also to be able to
convince your reader that what you are doing is important and needs to be done.

- Allows you to establish your theoretical framework and methodological focus. Even if
you are proposing a new theory or a new method, you are doing so in relation to what has been
done.
How to write a good literature review.

- Remember the purpose

- Read with a purpose

- Write with a purpose

- Use evidence (as in academic paper)

- Be selective