DNP Library Resources

What is a literature review?

A literature review is a systematic review of the published literature on a specific topic or research question.  The literature review is designed to analyze-- not just summarize-- scholarly writings that are related directly to your research question.  That is, it represents the literature that provides background information on your topic and shows a correspondence between those writings and your research question.

A literature review is not an annotated bibliography in which you summarize each article that you have reviewed; it goes beyond basic summarizing to focus on the critical analysis of the reviewed works and their relationship to your research question. A literature review is not a research paper where you select resources to support one side of an issue versus another; it should explain and consider all sides of an argument in order to avoid bias, and areas of agreement and disagreement should be highlighted.

Why is a literature review important?

A literature review is important because it:

• Explains the background of research on a topic.
• Demonstrates why a topic is significant to a subject area.
• Helps focus your own research questions or problems.
• Discovers relationships between research studies/ideas.
• Suggests unexplored ideas or populations.
• Identifies major themes, concepts, and researchers on a topic.
• Tests assumptions; may help counter preconceived ideas and remove unconscious bias.
• Identifies critical gaps, points of disagreement, or potentially flawed methodology or theoretical approaches.
• Indicates potential directions for future research.

Source: University of Pittsburgh, Literature Reviews