A literature review is an explanation of what has been published on a subject. Occasionally you will be asked to write one as a separate assignment (sometimes in the form of an annotated bibliography), but more often it is part of the introduction to a research report, essay, thesis or dissertation.

It's not just a summary of sources. You should provide a new interpretation of old material. It should:

• Connect your references
• Synthesize what you've read
• Evaluate your resources.

A literature review should do these things:

• Be organized around and related directly to the thesis or research question you are developing
• Synthesize results into a summary of what is and is not known
• Identify areas of controversy in the literature
• Formulate questions that need further research

• To trace the progression of a field
• To evaluate your sources. Does one article have different conclusions or results from your other resources?
• To develop a better understanding of the field. It can be very helpful if you want to do your own research in the field.
• To give a new interpretation to previous research.