Literature Review
A structured survey and critical evaluation of existing research on a topic, used to situate a new study within what is already known.
A literature review is a structured survey and critical evaluation of published research on a topic. Rather than summarizing sources one by one, it organizes them around themes, debates, methods, or chronology, showing how the field has developed and where scholars agree or disagree. A good review is analytical: it compares findings, weighs the strength of evidence, and identifies patterns and contradictions across studies.
In a thesis, the literature review does double duty. It demonstrates to examiners that you know the field, and it builds the argument for your own study by exposing the gap your research question fills. Every later chapter leans on it: your methodology is justified against prior approaches, and your discussion chapter returns to it to show what your findings add. Draft it early, but expect to revise it as your project evolves.
Writing the thesis this term belongs to?
CiteDash takes a thesis from research question to a compiled document, with AI that cites only real papers and verifies every claim against its source.