Literature Reviews and Annotated Bibliographies

A literature review offers a comprehensive overview of existing research by analyzing existing research on a topic and summarizing key findings, perspectives, and debates. It highlights significant trends, debates, and gaps in the literature, situating the new research within the broader academic context. The literature review demonstrates how the latest study builds upon, challenges, or fills existing literature gaps, advancing the topic's understanding.

Goals of a Literature Review:

• Provides an overview of current knowledge
• Demonstrates why a topic is significant 
• Provides a historical overview
• Informs potential directions for future research 
• Identifies major themes, concepts, and researchers on a topic 
• Identifies gaps, flawed methodology, and bias 

Types of Literature Reviews:

• Traditional or narrative reviews 
• Argumentative
• Chronological 
• By trend 
• Thematic (important themes) 
• Theoretical (how theory has shaped) 
• Methodological 
• Scoping | Systematic | Meta-Analysis 

Each review type varies in scope and workload, depending on your project objectives, and can sometimes be combined to meet your specific research needs. ****This guide will not cover systematic, scoping, or other types of reviews.****