When you review the literature in your field you are conducting research about the research others have done, so the written review is a report of your findings. In the same way that you construct an argument to present the findings from your data, you need to make an argument in your literature review.

An argument is the main statement of a poem, an essay, a short story, or a novel, which usually appears as an introduction, or a point on which the writer will develop his work in order to convince his readers. Literature does not merely entertain. It also intends to shape the outlook of readers.

A good argument in literature:

1. Narrows the paper’s focus. You could say, “Mr.
2. Goes beyond the prompt. Often teachers provide a simple prompt as a starting point.
3. Focuses on the literary work, not the paper or its author.
4. Engages with specific evidence.
5. Suggests a new way to “read” the text.

A literature review is a type of critical review in which you analyze and evaluate many sources on a specific topic. The purpose is to provide your reader with an overview of the research that has been done on your topic, and to evaluate the sources you are reviewing.

One common way to approach a literature review is to start out broad and then become more specific. Think of it as an inverted triangle: First briefly explain the broad issues related to your investigation; you don’t need to write much about this, just demonstrate that you are aware of the breadth of your subject.

You show your understanding by analysing and then synthesising the information to:

• Determine what has already been written on a topic.
• Provide an overview of key concepts.
• Identify major relationships or patterns.
• Identify strengths and weaknesses.
• Identify any gaps in the research.
• Identify any conflicting evidence.