Reviewing the literature

An ability to review relevant literature is a useful skill to develop as it adds reasoned judgment to your
work. Conducting a literature review will help you to organise and structure an academic argument and
engender your own independent thoughts. However, it is worthy to note that reviewing the academic
literature is no easy task, it is often time-consuming and difficult. You may have found this in previous
modules that you have taken.

There are two main reasons for conducting a literature review in the context of a research project. The first
is to generate and formulate ideas for your research project. The second forms part of your actual project
and adopts a critical stance, introducing the topic that you are exploring. Many academic journals have
different terms for this section. You may see a literature review presented as ‘background’, ‘introduction’,
or ‘review’.

Presenting the literature as part of your project is key for demonstrating your understanding of the topic,
key theories, and key ideas. The value of your research will be judged by what already exists and what
you are adding to current findings. Indeed, it is crucial that previous research informs your project.

For the vast majority of you, the literature review will be performed at the start of your research project.
However, reviewing relevant literature should occur regularly throughout, as it is important to remain
abreast with any recent developments. Normally in the early stages of the review you will begin to define
your research questions and objectives.

In terms of business and management research, these projects often adopt a wide range of literature, with
information arriving from many other disciplines. You do not necessarily need to restrict yourself to
business journals or business materials alone.