SWK 450: Applied Research: The Literature Review

A literature review surveys books, scholarly articles, and any other sources relevant to a particular issue, area of research, or theory, and by so doing, provides a description, summary, and critical evaluation of these works in relation to the research problem being investigated. Literature reviews are designed to provide an overview of sources you have explored while researching a particular topic and to demonstrate to your readers how your research fits within a larger field of study.

• Literature reviews can give you an overview or act as a stepping stone. 
• Literature reviews are useful reports that keep professionals up to date with what is current in his or her field.
• Literature reviews emphasizes the credibility of the writer in his or her field.
• Literature reviews provide a solid background for a research paper’s investigation.