Definition

Literature review

A synthesis of existing research on a topic that maps what is known, where the field disagrees, and what gap the new work fills.

A literature review is an argument, not an inventory: organized by themes and debates rather than paper-by-paper, weighing evidence quality, and landing on the gap that motivates the author’s work. It appears as a thesis chapter, a section of every empirical paper, and as standalone review articles.

The spectrum of formality runs from narrative reviews (expert selection and judgment) through scoping reviews (mapping breadth) to systematic reviews (documented protocol). Choosing and naming the right one matters — each carries different methodological obligations.