| A literature review is... | A literature review is NOT... |
|---|---|
| An analysis of scholarly work that relates to your topic | Just a summary of sources |
| A representation of the literature that provides a background on your topic | A group of broad, unrelated sources |
| An attempt to find the gaps or themes in the literature | "Everything" that has been published on a topic |
| Considered "secondary literature" because they summarize existing research | A book review |
Source: Hempel, Susanne. Conducting Your Literature Review. American Psychological Association, 2020.