LibGuides: Basics of Social Research: Literature Reviews

Literature Reviews

Literature reviews are designed to do two things:

give your readers an overview of sources you have explored while researching a particular topic or idea, and
demonstrate how your research fits into the larger field of study. (from Purdue OWL)

Learn more about literature reviews with these links:

Literature Review - Purdue OWL
Literature review help from the Purdue Online Writing Lab. Based on social work research, but useful for all social sciences.
What is a Literature Review - Royal Literary Fund
Describing the literature review in two different ways. From the Royal Literary Fund of London.
Literature Review workshop - Purdue OWL
A web-based handout for creating literature reviews. From a graduate student workshop on literature reviews, created by the Purdue Online Writing Lab.