What is a literature review?
A literature review synthesizes important scholarship relevant to a topic, from books, journal articles, conference proceedings, and other sources. The lit. review establishes credibility by demonstrating that the authors are knowledgeable of previous research in the field.
A typical literature review accomplishes many of the following:
Most scholarly writing includes a Literature Review section that typically follows an Introduction. Sometimes, literature reviews are included in the Introduction section instead. When in doubt, look for the section that has the densest concentration of works cited (references, footnotes, or endnotes).
Literature reviews may also be a stand-alone assignment or publication. These may be "review articles" or evidence-based synthesis (such as systematic reviews).