UCD Library - Literature Review / Systematic Review

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A general guide to writing a literature review.

What is a Literature Review?

A literature review is a critical, in-depth evaluation of research already undertaken on a specific topic.
It allows you to demonstrate your ability to identify relevant information and to outline existing knowledge.
It will also identify the gap in the research that your work will address and produce a rationale for your own research.
A literature review is not a list of all previous research, but rather an assessment of the research.

Where to locate previous research in your subject

Use databases: You can search our databases in your subject area to locate earlier journal articles. Use the search term "literature review", and you may find a good quality literature review which you can update.
Use the catalogue: Search the catalogue for theses similar to your own research. This may help you develop ideas for your own literature review.

Some suggestions on how to do a literature review

Library Catalogue
The library has books on how to do a literature review. Do a search on “literature review” to see what is available.
How to write a literature review
Brief and concise guide from University of California, Santa Cruz
The Literature Review: A Few Tips On Conducting It
A more informative guide from University of Toronto
Preparing Scholarly Reviews of the Literature: A Webtutorial
Very comprehensive and thorough web tutorial from George Washington University
PhD: first thoughts to finished writing
A guide created by the University of Queensland

What you can do next...

This page provides general guidance - check with your supervisor/lecturer/school to find out if there are any specific requirements for your literature review before proceeding.