Video: What is a Literature Review?

What is a literature review? What purpose does it serve in research? What should you expect when writing one? Find out here!

• Transcript

  Hello, I am Elan, and I am Cas and we’re here to talk about literature reviews. Literature reviews are common assignments in classes, as well as vital components of larger research projects.

  The goal of the literature review is to learn enough information about the topic to form or clarify a research question. During the literature review process you will read and review the existing research - or literature - on a given topic. Many research articles include a literature review section, but sometimes the review is the whole paper. 

  In this video we will share strategies and processes for synthesizing literature to address a research question. This video won’t cover strategies for finding research articles – for guidance on literature searching, check out our other videos or get in touch with the Ask Us desk! Before we get into literature review strategies, let’s talk about the length and scope of your review.

  The number of sources you’ll review depends on the topic and the purpose of the literature review. If you are writing this review as an assignment for a semester-long course, your instructor may require a minimum number of sources. 

  If this is part of your master's thesis or dissertation, the review will be much more thorough and will provide a comprehensive view of the major scholarly works published on your topic. 

  So, how do you know when you’ve done enough research and you’re ready to begin writing? There’s no easy answer to this question. A good indicator is when you’re no longer learning new details, and you’re not finding leads on any new resources. At this point you're ready to begin writing and are in the synthesis stage. 

  Synthesis goes beyond simply summarizing each source you’ve found. Synthesizing requires organizing the resources and arguments into subtopics by tracing the connections between what you’ve found and your larger research topic. You’ll be discussing, comparing, contrasting, or otherwise connecting smaller topics and arguments to tell the “story” of the research.  

  You can think of the synthesis process like baking a pie. When you eat a slice of apple pie, you can’t taste the individual ingredients – flour, eggs, sugar, and butter all combine to form a new creation. Literature reviews are the same – you don’t want to focus too much on any individual source. Instead, you’re transforming the sources that you found into an entirely new creation that addresses your research question and is written in your voice. 

  Keep in mind that research is an iterative process. 

  Once you begin writing your literature review you may find that you haven’t fully addressed your research question and need to go back to search for more sources.  There are multiple strategies that can help you synthesize the literature that you found.  One way to get started is with an annotated bibliography, which is a list of citations accompanied by a descriptive and critical summary. 

  The annotations summarize each source, assess its usefulness, and reflect on its benefit to your topic. An annotated bibliography can help you identify themes and serve as a foundation to your literature review. 

  However, it is important to move beyond a summary because a literature review synthesizes the information presented in the sources. Another strategy that can be used to plan and organize your review is a Synthesis Matrix synthesis-matrix. 

  The synthesis matrix is a chart that allows you to sort and categorize different arguments presented on an issue. Across the top of the chart are the spaces to record sources, and along the side of the chart are the spaces to record the main points of argument on the topic at hand. 

  Organize your literature by taking notes on the main ideas of each article. After your chart is complete, you’ll notice patterns of information. You may find that your sources discuss very similar material, or that they deal with completely different aspects of your topic. These patterns can be useful in creating a thesis statement that can guide your writing and keep you focused as you begin your draft. 

  When examining how each source ties into your research question, some important considerations that can influence how you synthesize your findings include: 

  • The background & credibility of the author
  • The main focus or purpose of the work 
  • How useful the source is to your research topic 
  • The methods or theories used in the study and how they compare to each other 
  • Limitations or gaps mentioned in the sources that you find 
  • Special features of the work that you found unique or helpful and
  • Conclusions or observations reached by the author and by you! 

  Depending on what fits your topic best, here are a few options for organizing your review (Transition to ANI slate)

  • Chronological: This approach shows how findings progressed over time. (example articles- Timeline one old train of thought compared to new)
  • Thematic: This would include subheadings specifically related to your topic. A thematic structure shows how different components of the literature tie into your argument (example- schools of thought- )
  • Methodological: This approach focuses on the research methods used in all of the sources that you found. (example - different methods -same result - parts of the school of thought - engine cogs different)

  However you decide to organize your literature review and synthesize the information, the goal is still the same: to present your reader with a broad overview of the major research findings related to your topic. (Talking Head)

  For help with your literature review, finding articles in Libraries databases, or keeping track of your citations, check out our other Research Tips videos or ask a librarian for help!