A literature review is a specific type of research paper that focuses on published

literature on a given topic. It is often the first step in doing original research,
either scientific or otherwise. It is more than a mere summary of the literature,
however, as it presents analysis, patterns, and critiques of individual sources,
groups of sources, and the body of literature as a whole.

Not to be confused with a book review, a literature review surveys scholarly

articles, books and other sources (e.g. dissertations, conference proceedings)
relevant to a particular issue, area of research, or theory, providing a description,
summary, and critical evaluation of each work. The purpose is to offer an
overview of significant literature published on a topic that critically analyzes a
segment of a published body of knowledge through summary, classification, and
comparison of prior research studies, reviews of literature, and theoretical
articles. Someone reading a literature review should gain an understanding of
trends, issues, unresolved questions, controversies, and the importance of the
scholarly knowledge related to a specific question (topic).

The literature review format can vary by discipline, according to the purpose for
the review, or with different venues for publication. A review may be an end in
itself or a preface to and rationale for engaging in primary research. A review is
usually a required part of grant and research proposals and often a chapter in
theses and dissertations.
No matter what literature review format you use, WhiteSmoke's all-in-one writing
software with Englishgrammar checker, spell checker, an online dictionary,
thesaurus and unique writing enhancement feature will be critical to your success
in writing a literature review, as it will catch your errors, suggest adjectives and
adverbs, and help your writing shine.

Stages in conducting a literature review:

1.      Problem formulation:  which topic or field will you explore? What
specific question will you research? What are the components within the
question? . It's useful to conduct preliminary library searches at this point.
2.      Literature search: finding materials relevant to the subject being
explored
3.      Data evaluation: determining which literature makes a significant
contribution to the understanding of the topic, comes from reliable sources, and
 relates to your question in particular (remember, a literature review uses
scholarly literature)
4.      Analysis and interpretation: analyzing components and patterns in the
literature, discussing the overall findings, critiquing the literature, and forming
conclusions                                                    
Elements included when writing a literature review:
1.      An overview of the subject, issue or theory under consideration, along
with the objectives of writing the literature review
2.      Division of works under review into categories (e.g. those in support of
a particular position, those against, and those offering alternative theses
entirely)
3.      Explanation of how each work is similar to and how it varies from the
others
4.      Conclusions as to which pieces are best considered in their argument,
are most convincing of their opinions, and make the greatest contribution to the
understanding and development of their area of research.
In every element of the literature review, it is essential to use correct English
grammar and spelling. WhiteSmoke's grammar and spell check will assure that
you do. It will also help you correct punctuation. In addition, with its dictionary,
thesaurus, and writing enhancement tools, WhiteSmoke will allow you to write
precisely what you mean to say. Its online, all-in-one-solution will make writing a
literature review easier than ever.

A common format for writing a literature review:

     Introduction
1.    Define or identify the general topic, issue, or area of concern, thus providing
an appropriate context for reviewing the literature.
2.    Point out overall trends in what has been published about the topic; or
conflicts in theory, methodology, evidence, and conclusions; or gaps in research
and scholarship; or a single problem or new perspective of immediate interest.
3.    Establish the writer's reason (point of view) for reviewing the literature;
explain the criteria to be used in analyzing and comparing literature and the
organization of the review (sequence); and, when necessary, state why certain
literature is or is not included (scope).
     Body
1.    Group research studies and other types of literature (reviews, theoretical
articles, case studies, etc.) according to common denominators such as qualitative
versus quantitative approaches, conclusions of authors, specific purpose or
objective, chronology, etc.
2.    Summarize individual studies or articles with as much or as little detail as each
merits according to its comparative importance in the literature, remembering
that space (length) denotes significance.                                      In assessing each
piece, consideration should be given to:
1.    Provenance: What are the author's credentials? Are the author's arguments
supported by evidence (e.g. primary historical material, case studies, narratives,
statistics, recent scientific findings)?
2.    Objectivity: Is the author's perspective even-handed or prejudicial? Is
contrary data considered or is certain pertinent information ignored to prove the
author's point?
3.     Persuasiveness: Which of the author's theses are most/least convincing?
4.    Value: Are the author's arguments and conclusions convincing? Does the
work ultimately contribute in any significant way to an understanding of the
subject?                                                                                                           Provide the
reader with strong "umbrella" sentences at beginnings of paragraphs, "signposts"
throughout, and brief "so what" summary sentences at intermediate points in the
review to aid in understanding comparisons and analyses.
     Conclusion
1.    Summarize major contributions of significant studies and articles to the body
of knowledge under review, maintaining the focus established in the introduction.
2.   Evaluate the current "state of the art" for the body of knowledge reviewed,
pointing out major methodological flaws or gaps in research, inconsistencies in
theory and findings, and areas or issues pertinent to future study.
3.   Conclude by providing some insight into the relationship between the central
topic of the literature review and a larger area of study such as a discipline, a
scientific endeavor, or a profession.
Writing tips:
1.     Open web sources (somebody's home page, as opposed to peer-reviewed
online journals or licensed database sites that provide access to scholarly works)
are not usually considered reliable sources for academic research and should be
used sparingly, if at all, and only after careful research into the sponsors of a site.
In other words, don't use generally available internet search engines for your
literature review.
2.     Place each work in the context of its contribution to the understanding of the
subject under review
3.     Describe the relationship of each work to the others under consideration
4.     Identify new ways to interpret, and shed light on, any gaps in previous
research
5.     Resolve conflicts among seemingly contradictory previous studies
6.    Identify areas of prior scholarship to prevent duplication of effort
7.    Point the way forward for further research
8.     Place one's original work (in the case of theses or dissertations) in the
context of existing literature--remember, however, that a literature review does
not present new primary scholarship.
9.     Always use WhiteSmoke English grammar software to check your grammar.
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