ABSTRACT
The background and rationale that you provide for your literature review should enable the reader to understand what the review will be about, and why you decided to undertake it. Reviewing the background literature on the subject that you want to study is an essential precursor to developing the review question, aims and methodology. The things that may be relevant to include in the background to your review include: the historical context of the subject; policies; theories; perspectives; ideas; issues or problems that make the review necessary; and any definitions that will be used in the review. Avoid spending a significant part of your word allowance on a purely descriptive account of the historical background to your study. The background to a study that uses literature review methodology provides a literature-based justification for conducting the review. Your task in the study background is, then, to faithfully, but critically, represent the existing evidence.
