Introduction 
- Purpose:
- To explain the focus and establish the importance of the subject
- In general, your introduction should
- provide the framework, selection criteria, or parameters of your literature review
- provide background or history
- outline what kind of work has been done on the topic
- briefly identify any controversies within the field or any recent research that has raised questions about earlier assumptions
- conclude with a purpose or thesis statement
- In a stand-alone literature review, this statement will sum up and evaluate the current state of this field of research
- In a review that is an introduction or preparatory to a thesis or research report, it will suggest how the review findings will lead to the research the writer proposes to undertake.
Body
- Purpose:
- To summarize and evaluate the current state of knowledge in the field
- To note major themes or topics, the most important trends, and any findings about which researchers agree or disagree
- Structure:
- Often divided by headings/subheadings
- If the review is preliminary to your own thesis or research project, its purpose is to make an argument that will justify your proposed research. Therefore, the literature review will discuss only that research which leads directly to your own project.
Conclusion
- Purpose:
- To summarize the evidence presented and show its significance
- Rather than restating your thesis or purpose statement, explain what your review tells you about the current state of the field
- If the review is an introduction to your own research, the conclusion highlights gaps and indicates how previous research leads to your own research project and chosen methodology.
- If the review is a stand-alone assignment for a course, the conclusion should suggest any practical applications of the research as well as the implications and possibilities for future research.
References
- Find out what style guide you are required to follow (e.g., APA, MLA, ASA)
- Follow the guidelines to format citations and create a reference list or bibliography
- Cite Your Sources
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. adapted from UofG,McLaughlin Library
