literature review
Scholarly source survey
A literature review is a survey of existing scholarship on a particular topic, synthesizing what researchers have already written.
In academic work, it establishes context for new research by identifying gaps, debates, and established findings: The literature review revealed that no previous study had examined this population.
A literature review demonstrates familiarity with the field and positions the author's contribution within ongoing scholarly conversation.
Formal research publications
- journalsPeriodicals or personal logs
- citationsAcknowledged source mentions
- bibliographyList of cited works
- publicationsWorks issued to readers
research · studies · dissertations · theses · monographs · references · abstracts · discourse
Detailed evaluative analysis
- evaluationDetermining worth or quality
- assessmentFormal evaluation of worth
- examinationMethodical assessment or review
- appraisalEstimation of worth
findings · gaps · limitations · scope · relevance · framework · methodological · qualitative
Combining into a whole
- themesMain ideas throughout
- summaryCondensed account of essentials
- narrativeAccount of events
- consolidationCombining into unified whole
coherence · distillation · contextualization · conceptualization · patterns · trends · connections · overview
Covering all possibilities
- thoroughComplete in every detail
- comprehensiveIncluding all elements
- methodicalOrganized and deliberate
- rigorousExtremely thorough and careful
structured · reproducible · screening · selection · protocol · transparent · replicable · databases
scholarly articles
Formal research publications
- journalsPeriodicals or personal logs
- citationsAcknowledged source mentions
- bibliographyList of cited works
publications · research · studies · dissertations · theses · monographs · references · abstracts · discourse · scholarship
critique
Detailed evaluative analysis
- evaluationDetermining worth or quality
- assessmentFormal evaluation of worth
- examinationMethodical assessment or review
appraisal · findings · gaps · limitations · scope · relevance · framework · methodological · qualitative · quantitative
integration
Combining into a whole
consolidation · coherence · distillation · contextualization · conceptualization · patterns · trends · connections · overview · convergence
exhaustive
Covering all possibilities
- thoroughComplete in every detail
- comprehensiveIncluding all elements
- methodicalOrganized and deliberate
rigorous · structured · reproducible · screening · selection · protocol · transparent · replicable · databases · keywords
- academiaprofessors, universities, graduation cap, biology department, professor
- academicsprofessor, course, university professors, math, professors
- documentsdocument, news, email, report, letter
- researchstudy, research papers, researching, archive, investigating
- social sciencessociology, anthropology, psychology, economics, political science
- presentationspresentation, slides, slide, keynote, slideshow
literature revieworiginal research
Newly conducted investigation
primary research · empirical study · experimental research · field research · data collection
literature reviewdirect experience
Unmediated personal encounter
raw data · primary sources · empirical evidence · field observation · eyewitness account
review, letters, literature, reviews, literary, reviewed, lettered, literate, literacy