What is a Review of

Related Literature?
A review of related literature is an
integral part of theses or
dissertations. It may also be a
required part of proposals.

The main purpose of a review of

related literature is to analyze
scientific works by other researchers
that you used for investigation
critically.
A review of related literature may
contain previous research studies
conducted in the past by other
researchers. It is expected that the
results of such studies, the findings
and conclusions, have bearing and
relevance to the ongoing study.
How to Write the
Introduction of a Review of
Related Literature
In order to make the Introduction
elaborately, take the following steps:

1.Identify the general topic of the

sources under discussion. Thus,
you will provide the context of your
review of related literature;
2. Discuss what was already
presented about the topic of your
paper: conflicts in a theory,
conclusions, gaps in research and
scholarship, etc
3. Explain why the literature used is
worth reviewing.
How to Write the Body of
a Review of Related
Literature
When writing the Body,
do the following:
 Group the sources according to their
common denominators (approaches,
objectives or any specific chronologies);
 Give the examples of how to sort out
these groups. Use quotations, evidences,
data, etc. They will make your review of
related literature more valid.
 To make the Conclusion,
do the following
 Summarize the contributions of the
literature sources made to the area of
study you investigate. Maintain the
central focus in the Introduction;
 Give a kind of insight into the
relationship between the topic of your
review and a larger study area (e.g. a
discipline, a scientific endeavor, etc.)
Spice your writing/keep your
paper alive
 Author A found out
 Author B found out
 demonstrate
 presented evidence for
 supported
 observed
 reported
Spice your writing/keep your
paper alive
 examined
 concluded
 Early in the 1980’s, author A
 Sample Review of Related Literature
This chapter presents survey of related literature and
writing of recognized experts, both of which have
significant bearing or relation to the problem under
investigation.
 Sample Foreign Literature
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is an
agency of the United States Department of Health
and Human Services and is the primary agency of
the United States government responsible for
biomedical and health-related research. It consists
of 27 separate institutes and offices which includes
the Office of the Director. Francis S. Collins is the
current Director. The network is a key component
of IT infrastructure that covers all of the software,
hardware and transport capabilities needed to
provide connectivity across the NIH (National
Institutes of Health) of Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
 Sample Local Literature
In the old days, business was done using papers and
flat registers. The organization of these registers
was difficult and the storage of huge amounts of
data was a real problem. Also, the process of
preparing a report takes a lot of time. But when
computers were introduced into the business field,
everything had changed. Databases were used to
store huge amounts of data and organize them.
Instead of spending many hours (or maybe days)
preparing a report, a query consisting of a number
of statements can perform the job in some seconds.
 Sample Review of Related Literature
Books were read and reviewed which helped the
proponents to find some important information that
is associated with their study. The proponents are
analyzing a network architecture that will eventually
lead to application of network for future reference
in their study, and because of this, it is important to
know what network architecture really means.