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WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A

LITERATURE REVIEW AND SEARCH?

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What is a ‘Literature search’?

A search designed to identify existing research and information about your chosen topic.

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Why is it important?

A good literature search will:

•Provide academic basis for your topic•Clarify your ideas and findings•Find potential issues with the work you plan to do•Identify useful research methods

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What is literature?

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What is a “Literature review”?

A select analysis of existing research which is relevant to your topic, showing how it relates to your investigation.

It is not a straightforward summary of everything you have read on the topic and it is not a chronological description of what was discovered in your field.

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So?

A literature search is:

the identification and retrieval of research relevant to your topic.

A literature review is:

where the research that has been found is analysed. It is critical of what has been written, highlights areas of controversy, and notes gaps in the research. At all times it is relevant to your topic.