Writing the literature review in a research paper

By Priya Chetty on June 20, 2010

The literature review is a very essential part of the research, indicating that you are well-versed with the topic and all its previously published elements. Rather than simply representing a conjunction of literature by other authors, it actually proves your level of understanding the different advancements, arguments and theories in the scope of the research.

Issues in writing the Review of Literature

A number of students face difficulties in writing the review of literature. They are unable to understand the difference between the literature review and an annotated bibliography. They find it difficult to comprehend as they have never made one before. So much so, many are not even aware what exactly a review of literature contains.

One can write the literature review for a research paper by following simple steps:

  • The review of literature is a comparison of the relevance of works published by previous authors.
  • An argument is created between the literature, citing the opinions of different authors.
  • It is essential to establish the relationship between your work and the previous work.
  • It is also important to mention the gaps in the current available data and provide recommendations as to where further research is needed.

Discuss