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Conducting a Literature Review: Lit Review Basics

This guide will walk you through the basics of conducting a literature review.

Conducting a Lit Review

A literature review is an account of what has been published on a topic by credible scholars and researchers. The purpose of a literature review is to summarize what knowledge and ideas have been established on a topic, and what their strengths and weaknesses are.  

A LIT REVIEW MUST DO THESE THINGS

  1. Be organized around and related directly to the thesis or research question you are developing
  2. Synthesize results into a summary of what is and is not known
  3. Identify areas of controversy in the literature
  4. Formulate questions that need further research
  5. Include sources from multiple perspectives

 

Lit Review Examples

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