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