ENG102

Review of Literature Section

Overview

The purpose of the review of literature is to introduce your readers to the topic and to give them an idea of what has been said on the topic. This is the place to set up your issue and give the arguments you are going to raise some context. This can be adapted from the Findings section of your I-search paper, but should be refocused a bit more.

Things you might consider doing:

Give a Little History
Take a couple of paragraphs to tell your readers the history of the issue. What led up to the issue? What cultural and technological developments helped create the issue? How long as it been an issue? Why, if at all, is it particularly critical now?

Establish Your Definitions
Is there a lot of jargon that needs to be understood? Events that will be referenced a lot? Terminology? Take some time to explain these things so that your reader is familiar with them.

Lay the Groundwork
The review of literature often introduces the existing theories and arguments that you're going to situate your own argument among. You don't want to give away your own arguments here, but instead set up the controversies, much the same way you did in the Findings Section.