A literature review is a summary and evaluation of significant research on a particular subject. Lit reviews are often at the beginning of a larger research article, to introduce a topic and provide its history and development, but they could also stand on their own as separate publications.
Lit reviews are not simply summaries of the different articles written on a topic. They should take a critical eye to published research to provide insight on the topic.
"Literature" covers everything relevant that is written on a topic: books, journal articles, newspaper articles, historical records, government reports, theses and dissertations, etc. However, your teacher may have specific guidelines as to what type of materials you may include.
A literature review follows a different style, format and structure from a research article.
Lit Review Article | Research Article | |
Describes what? | Reports on the work of others. | Reports on the authors' original research. |
Purpose |
To examine and evaluate previous literature, identifying how author's ideas fit or add to the literature. |
To test a hypothesis and/or make an argument. May include a short literature review to introduce the subject. |