Category: Literature Reviews

A literature review is a comprehensive summary and analysis of existing research on a particular topic or area of study. It involves systematically searching for, evaluating, and synthesizing relevant scholarly articles, books, and other sources to provide an overview of the current state of knowledge. The purpose of a literature review is to identify gaps in the existing research, highlight significant findings, and situate new research within the context of what is already known. It serves as a critical foundation for new research projects, helping to establish the significance of the new study, justify the research questions, and frame the methodology. Literature reviews can be standalone documents or sections within academic papers, theses, or dissertations. They may be categorized into various types, such as narrative reviews, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses, each with distinct purposes and approaches. Literature reviews are crucial in academia as they facilitate the advancement of knowledge by connecting different studies and providing insight into trends, inconsistencies, and emerging themes within a field.