Parts Of Literature Review

A literature review has three main components namely, introduction, body, and conclusion. The introduction introduces the problem as well as the relevant context. The body refers to building up of the work further by examining the past research in the concerned topic, theoretical developments, etc. Finally, conclusion refers to the summary of what has been discussed in the review. Preparing a literature review may be a time-consuming process. Here, you are required to identify the research areas or themes. Further, it would be better if you try to obtain a sample review regarding the same topic and search for the appropriate sources.  

Another important aspect of a review is the arrangement of resources or structure. The reference material could be segregated as per the relation they bear with the current research, i.e. the supporting material could be given first and then the opposing theories. Moreover, the structure can be on the basis of date of publication or chronological order. Some writers prefer to use the alphabetical order for arranging the resources within the chapter. Whatever be the chosen structure, it must lend clarity to the matter.

Some colleges ask for a tabular compilation of all resources used in the study at the end of the chapter. This is for the ease of reviewers and helps them get a glimpse of the entire chapter in a concise form.