A literature review is a survey of the scholarly literature published on a given issue, research topic, or theory. Rather than providing a new research insight, a literature review lays the groundwork for an in-depth research project analyzing previous research. Type of documents surveyed will vary depending on the field, but can include:
A thorough literature review will also require surveying what librarians call "gray literature," which includes difficult-to-locate documents such as:
A literature review is also the component of your assignment, article, or other academic work which synthesizes what you found in your research; it provides a description, summary, and critical evaluation of each work. Your literature review should include: