ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses different types of literature reviews. Research background reviews are the one type of review that supports the development of a specific research project. With respect to the literature review, a professor reviewing a student and a dissertation might expect a general literature review to demonstrate the student’s general command of the field. If a research background review does a good job of explaining why a study should be carried out, the reader may be sufficiently persuaded to accept the project, even if the literature review is not what the professor had requested. Many writers try to be organized and systematic by defining a set of necessary themes/issues in their work, and then try to give a general literature review for each theme. For a research study, inclusion criteria are pretty much essential, while for a summary overview, especially an informal one, such criteria might not be needed.
