Literature review

Literature review should include:

• compare and contrast different authors' views on an issue

• group authors who draw similar conclusions

• criticise aspects of methodology

• note areas in which authors are in disagreement

• highlight exemplary studies

• highlight gaps in research

• show how your study relates to previous studies

• show how your study relates to the literature in general

• conclude by summarizing what the literature says

The purposes of the review are:

• to define and limit the problem you are working on

• to place your study in an historical perspective

• to avoid unnecessary duplication

• to evaluate promising research methods

• to relate your findings to previous knowledge and suggest further research