What is a literature review and what do I include in it?

A literature review is a common assignment for many students enrolled in English courses.  However, many learners are unclear about what to include in literature reviews, even when they have written many in the past.  The information that should be included in literature review papers may vary based on the assignment and course.  However, the basic content should generally follow the same structure, regardless of the type of literature review that a student needs to write.

In order to understand that types of information need to be included in literature review papers, students need to first understand the purpose of a literature review.  A literature review is an assignment that helps a learner to analyze the content of a particular literary work and then provide criticism of the content.  

In many cases, a professor will provide the literary document that a student needs to review.  However, there are cases in which a learner will be able to select his or her own literary works to review.  One of the reasons that professors assign literary works for students to review is so that they can assess the accuracy and validity of students' analysis and interpretation of literary sources.  

First, the student should provide an introduction into the literary document that he or she is reviewing.  This introduction should include background information about the document itself and, in many cases, about the author.  Students should then include a discussion of the effectiveness of certain devices that were used in the literary work(s).  For example, students may want to discuss how the author(s) used strategies to develop characters or themes.  The student should make a list of all topics that he or she wishes to discuss before actually writing the review in order to ensure that he or she addresses each topic.  

Students should be aware that there are differences between what should be included in literature reviews and what should be included in book reports.  Both book reports and literature reviews provide feedback on a literary work.  However, a book report is usually a remedial assignment that calls for objective, factual reporting.  Literature reviews, on the other hand, are generally advanced projects that call for a student's subjective interpretations and opinions about the given literature.

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