Literature Reviews
These are surveys of current debate and research, taking multiple sources from across a topic, bringing them together, and evaluating them. Whether you are comparing, contrasting, or providing a history of the topic, the literature review shows your audience where the debate is, what the gaps are, and how you will weigh in.
What does a literature review look like?
Literature reviews appear in research papers. Maybe your instructor asked for one or maybe you need to provide detailed context for your reader. Regardless of the reason, they operate like their own chapter with an introduction, body paragraphs/sections, and a conclusion.
• Introduction
This is where you will inform the reader of the history and growth, the current debates, and any other important context.
You will also identify the gaps and your review's thesis.
Body Paragraphs
This is where you evaluate the sources. You can organize them in many ways, but their order and length should always depend on their relevance to your thesis.
This includes sources directly for and against your thesis.
• Conclusion
This is where you detail the gap in the research, how you fit into it, and how it will change the debate.
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