Writing a literature review

This resource provides you with tips and guidelines for researching and writing a literature review.

What is a literature review

In many university courses, students need to write literature reviews as part of their studies. A literature review is:

• a review of the writings, or literature, on a particular subject / topic
• a review of the most relevant, recent and scholarly work in the subject / topic area
• a piece of writing that supports, evaluates and critiques your research topic.

What a literature review is not

• A literature review is not just a summary of articles, texts or journals.
• A literature review is not an analytical, opinionative or argumentative essay.

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The purpose of a literature review