A literature review surveys scholarly sources on a certain topic. It provides an overview of current knowledge, permitting the identification of relevant theories, methods, and gaps in the existing research. Accordingly, it is expected to support the whole study.
Make the literature review as exhaustive and comprehensive as possible, covering a wide spectrum . Only then can you identify the research gap. Relate your findings in your field to the literature .See how far your findings are supported/not supported by the literature. In this manner you can understand how far your findings are novel.
If you want to review how a whole discussion in a field of study has evolved, and how your own research fits into it, then it is important to find the key arguments/players/publications within that field. Your own knowledge of that field will broaden the more you read, because you are able to notice what, how, and whose arguments are cited and discussed. It is helpful to start reading an overview or introductory articles or books on a subject manner. However, such a procedure has the negative effect that one identifies key players quickly, who often tend to be well-known academics, and does not notice valid, surprising, and original voices not as well-known or disseminated. Here, it is necessary to correct oneself and to try to look deeper into the material. A thorough literature research is indispensible, academic search machines like WorldCat are immensely helpful because they list books that are available in university libraries.
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