Literature Review Tutorial 

Select the images to listen to researchers speak about why it is important to do a literature review:

 Associate Professor Steve McKillup

 Dr Ben Scown

 Dr Peter Reaburn

 Dr Tony Ward

In general, the literature review should:

• provide a context for the research
• justify the research
• ensure the research hasn't been done before (or if it is repeated, that it is marked as a "replication study")
• show where the research fits into the existing body of knowledge
• enable the researcher to learn from previous theory on the subject
• illustrate how the subject has been studied previously
• highlight flaws in previous research
• outline gaps in previous research
• show that the work is adding to the understanding and knowledge of the field
• help refine, refocus or even change the topic