Literature Reviews: Home

A qualitative summary of the evidence on a general topic or specific question using informal or subjective methods to collect and interpret studies. 

A literature review helps the author:

• Understand the scope, history, and present state of knowledge of a specific topic
• Understand application of research concepts such as statistical tests and methodological choices
• Create a research project that complements the existing research or fills in gaps
• Identify sources of information or data that might be useful to you

A literature review helps the reader:

• Understand how your research project fits into the existing knowledge and research in a field
• Understand that a topic is important/relevant to the world
• Evaluate the state of research on the topic.

Based on a guide created by Amy Chatfield, Norris Medical Library, University of Southern California.