Researchers using the Schomburg Collection in 1938 when it was the 135th Street Branch (Source: New York Public Library)
Literature reviews are a particularly useful tool when doing research. They are a specific kind of writing that focuses on the issues involved in a research question and discusses the debates among scholars. Literature reviews map out the intellectual landscape succinctly and give you the major landmarks in terms of key authors and significant titles that will provide greater understanding. They can bring you up to speed on important issues very quickly.
Learn how these surveys of current scholarship can improve your research. Find out how to locate literature reviews quickly.
Explains what a literature review does and provides advice on researching and writing one.