Literature On Report Writing

What is a literature review?

Some definitions

A literature review is a description of the literature relevant to a particular field or topic. It gives an overview of what has been said, who the key writers are, what are the prevailing theories and hypotheses, what questions are being asked, and what methods and methodologies are appropriate and useful. As such, it is not in itself primary research, but rather it reports on other findings.

A literature review may be purely descriptive, as in an annotated bibliography, or it may provide a critical assessment of the literature in a particular field, stating where the weaknesses and gaps are, contrasting the views of particular authors, or raising questions. Such a review will not just be a summary but will also evaluate and show relationships between different material, so that key themes emerge. Even a descriptive review however should not just list and paraphrase, but should add comment and bring out themes and trends.

On what other occasion is a literature review relevant?

A literature review will generally be part of a thesis or dissertation, forming an early context-setting chapter. It may also form a useful background where you are outlining a piece of research, or putting forward a hypothesis.