A literature review is a written work that provides an overview of published research in a certain subject area, on a specific topic, or related to a research question. It summarizes the arguments that key sources make, but it also synthesizes them by analyzing and discussing them in relation to each other. As a component of a longer essay, a literature review provides background information and context for a reader and can help you demonstrate the relevance or significance of your argument.
Literature reviews are common course assignments, but they also take other forms, including standalone journal articles. They are also commonly included as sections of longer books and journal articles, although they are rarely identified explicitly as such.
In order to write a literature review, you need to gather sources related to your topic matter. For most topics, there is far too much research for any one person to read and understand. After you conduct initial searches, narrow down the sources that you will include by reading abstracts, looking at keywords, and considering how many times a source has been cited, which can indicate how influential it has been on other researchers.
Many databases allow you to set up search alerts so that you receive updates when new articles related to a topic are published. You can also set up similar alerts in Google Scholar.
A citation manager is a software tool that helps you keep track of, properly cite, and organize your research.
Academic Writer is a tool that provides the resources necessary to learn, research, write, and publish in APA Style, directly from the creators of and experts on APA Style, the American Psychological Association. This includes creating citations and drafting papers in APA format. Use this link and make an account in Academic Writer to access the full functionality.