What is the purpose of a literature review?
What is the purpose of a literature review?
Researchers can write an entire paper that is based only on a comprehensive literature review, summarizing research around a topic and providing guidelines for further research. More commonly, however, the literature review is presented at the beginning of an empirical study to lay the foundation on which the researcher’s subsequent data collection and analysis is based. Researchers conduct literature reviews to avoid reinventing the wheel and ensure they are looking at the most updated existing knowledge on their topic of research. Reviewing relevant articles provides a solid foundation and context for the research, helping to establish where the new research fits within the existing body of work.
A literature review also helps build a theoretical framework, which guides the study and helps interpret the findings. By engaging with existing conclusions, theories, and models, a researcher ensures the study is connected to a broader scholarly conversation and the research topic is approached with a well-informed perspective. A literature review is the primary means through which researchers construct their arguments to justify the need for their research. Rather than “only” summarizing previous research, the literature review should clearly explain the author’s reasoning for why studying this topic or research problem is important and contributes novel and interesting knowledge.
Another critical purpose of a literature review is to contextualize the new research within the existing body of knowledge. The researcher can demonstrate relevance by comparing their research objectives with those of previous studies. This comparison helps them understand how their new study addresses gaps or adds new insights. For example, a qualitative study on workplace motivation might build upon existing research, adding depth to our understanding of employee experiences and the nuances of motivational factors.
Finally, a researcher doing a thorough literature review of previous research can provide a roadmap for future studies. By conducting the review, the researcher will discover the gaps of knowledge that can be filled by their research as well as discover roadmaps of knowledge that other researchers can uptake. For example, in the field of education, a literature review might reveal a lack of qualitative studies on the different, numerous experiences of students with a disability, prompting further research in this area overall. The literature review solidifies the research focus and enhances the quality and relevance of the study.
When it comes to conducting a literature review for a qualitative study, it is important to recognize that the literature review is a highly iterative process, often occurring before, during, and after data analysis. While some highly inductive qualitative studies may delay engaging with a literature review until after their data has been analyzed, no researcher begins their study with a purely “blank mind” and has no familiarity with any relevant literature. For example, researchers read relevant literature to understand what is currently known about their research problem and what questions remain unanswered. In addition, reading key studies can provide researchers with “sensitizing concepts”, or ideas about key concepts worth pursuing further in one’s research and data collection (Blumer, 1969). After data has been analyzed, it is also crucial to revisit the literature in light of one’s findings and highlight how these findings contribute to broader scholarly conversation. In other words, regardless of when qualitative researchers engage with the literature review, all researchers need to engage in literature reviews to understand current conversations around their topic and discern how they can contribute something new and interesting to this ongoing conversation
