literature review and critical review

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Difference between a Literature Review and a Critical Review

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Charlesworth Author Services
08 October, 2021

As you read research papers, you may notice that there are two very different kinds of review of prior studies. Sometimes, this section of a paper is called a literature review, and at other times, it is referred to as a critical review or a critical context . These differences may be more commonly seen across different fields. Although both these sections are about reviewing prior and existing studies, this article aims to clarify the differences between the two.

Literature review

A literature review is a summary of prior or existing studies that are related to your own research paper . A literature review can be a part of a research paper or can form a paper in itself . For the former, the literature review is designed as a basis upon which your own current study is designed and built. The latter forms a synthesis of prior studies and is a way to highlight future research agendas or a framework.

Writing a literature review

In a literature review, you should attempt to discuss the arguments and findings in prior studies and then work to build on these studies as you develop your own research. You can also highlight the connection between existing and prior literature to demonstrate how the current study you are presenting can advance your knowledge in the field .

When performing a literature review, you should aim to summarise your discussions using a specific aspect of the literature, such as by topic, time, methodology/ design and findings . By doing so, you should be able to establish an effective way to present the relevant literature and demonstrate the connection between prior studies and your research.

Do note that a literature review does not include a presentation or discussion of any results or findings – this should come at a later point in the paper or study. You should also not impose your subjective viewpoints or opinions on the literature you discuss.

Critical review

A critical review is also a popular way of reviewing prior and existing studies. It can cover and discuss the main ideas or arguments in a book or an article, or it can review a specific concept, theme, theoretical perspective or key construct found in the existing literature .

However, the key feature that distinguishes a critical review from a literature review is that the former is more than just a summary of different topics or methodologies. It offers more of a reflection and critique of the concept in question, and is engaged by authors to more clearly contextualise their own research within the existing literature and to present their opinions, perspectives and approaches .

Given that a critical review is not just a summary of prior literature, it is generally not considered acceptable to follow the same strategy as for a literature review. Instead, aim to organise and structure your critical review in a way that would enable you to discuss the key concepts, assert your perspectives and locate your arguments and research within the existing body of work.

Structuring a critical review

A critical review would generally begin with an introduction to the concepts you would like to discuss. Depending on how broad the topics are, this can simply be a brief overview or it could set up a more complex framework. The discussion that follows through the rest of the review will then address and discuss your chosen themes or topics in more depth.

Writing a critical review

The discussion within a critical review will not only present and summarise themes but also critically engage with the varying arguments, writings and perspectives within those themes. One important thing to note is that, similar to a literature review , you should keep your personal opinions, likes and dislikes out of a review. Whether you personally agree with a study or argument – and whether you like it or not – is immaterial. Instead, you should focus upon the effectiveness and relevance of the arguments , considering such elements as the evidence provided, the interpretations and analysis of the data, whether or not a study may be biased in any way, what further questions or problems it raises or what outstanding gaps and issues need to be addressed.

In conclusion

Although a review of previous and existing literature can be performed and presented in different ways, in essence, any literature or critical review requires a solid understanding of the most prominent work in the field as it relates to your own study. Such an understanding is crucial and significant for you to build upon and synthesise the existing knowledge, and to create and contribute new knowledge to advance the field .

Read previous (fourth) in series: How to refer to other studies or literature in the different sections of a research paper

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Writing a Literature Review

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A literature review is a document or section of a document that collects key sources on a topic and discusses those sources in conversation with each other (also called synthesis ). The lit review is an important genre in many disciplines, not just literature (i.e., the study of works of literature such as novels and plays). When we say “literature review” or refer to “the literature,” we are talking about the research ( scholarship ) in a given field. You will often see the terms “the research,” “the scholarship,” and “the literature” used mostly interchangeably.

Where, when, and why would I write a lit review?

There are a number of different situations where you might write a literature review, each with slightly different expectations; different disciplines, too, have field-specific expectations for what a literature review is and does. For instance, in the humanities, authors might include more overt argumentation and interpretation of source material in their literature reviews, whereas in the sciences, authors are more likely to report study designs and results in their literature reviews; these differences reflect these disciplines’ purposes and conventions in scholarship. You should always look at examples from your own discipline and talk to professors or mentors in your field to be sure you understand your discipline’s conventions, for literature reviews as well as for any other genre.

A literature review can be a part of a research paper or scholarly article, usually falling after the introduction and before the research methods sections. In these cases, the lit review just needs to cover scholarship that is important to the issue you are writing about; sometimes it will also cover key sources that informed your research methodology.

Lit reviews can also be standalone pieces, either as assignments in a class or as publications. In a class, a lit review may be assigned to help students familiarize themselves with a topic and with scholarship in their field, get an idea of the other researchers working on the topic they’re interested in, find gaps in existing research in order to propose new projects, and/or develop a theoretical framework and methodology for later research. As a publication, a lit review usually is meant to help make other scholars’ lives easier by collecting and summarizing, synthesizing, and analyzing existing research on a topic. This can be especially helpful for students or scholars getting into a new research area, or for directing an entire community of scholars toward questions that have not yet been answered.

What are the parts of a lit review?

Most lit reviews use a basic introduction-body-conclusion structure; if your lit review is part of a larger paper, the introduction and conclusion pieces may be just a few sentences while you focus most of your attention on the body. If your lit review is a standalone piece, the introduction and conclusion take up more space and give you a place to discuss your goals, research methods, and conclusions separately from where you discuss the literature itself.

Introduction:

An introductory paragraph that explains what your working topic and thesis is
A forecast of key topics or texts that will appear in the review
Potentially, a description of how you found sources and how you analyzed them for inclusion and discussion in the review (more often found in published, standalone literature reviews than in lit review sections in an article or research paper)
Summarize and synthesize: Give an overview of the main points of each source and combine them into a coherent whole
Analyze and interpret: Don’t just paraphrase other researchers – add your own interpretations where possible, discussing the significance of findings in relation to the literature as a whole
Critically Evaluate: Mention the strengths and weaknesses of your sources
Write in well-structured paragraphs: Use transition words and topic sentence to draw connections, comparisons, and contrasts.

Conclusion:

Summarize the key findings you have taken from the literature and emphasize their significance
Connect it back to your primary research question

How should I organize my lit review?

Lit reviews can take many different organizational patterns depending on what you are trying to accomplish with the review. Here are some examples:

Chronological : The simplest approach is to trace the development of the topic over time, which helps familiarize the audience with the topic (for instance if you are introducing something that is not commonly known in your field). If you choose this strategy, be careful to avoid simply listing and summarizing sources in order. Try to analyze the patterns, turning points, and key debates that have shaped the direction of the field. Give your interpretation of how and why certain developments occurred (as mentioned previously, this may not be appropriate in your discipline — check with a teacher or mentor if you’re unsure).
Thematic : If you have found some recurring central themes that you will continue working with throughout your piece, you can organize your literature review into subsections that address different aspects of the topic. For example, if you are reviewing literature about women and religion, key themes can include the role of women in churches and the religious attitude towards women.
Qualitative versus quantitative research
Empirical versus theoretical scholarship
Divide the research by sociological, historical, or cultural sources
Theoretical : In many humanities articles, the literature review is the foundation for the theoretical framework. You can use it to discuss various theories, models, and definitions of key concepts. You can argue for the relevance of a specific theoretical approach or combine various theorical concepts to create a framework for your research.

What are some strategies or tips I can use while writing my lit review?

Any lit review is only as good as the research it discusses; make sure your sources are well-chosen and your research is thorough. Don’t be afraid to do more research if you discover a new thread as you’re writing. More info on the research process is available in our "Conducting Research" resources .

As you’re doing your research, create an annotated bibliography ( see our page on the this type of document ). Much of the information used in an annotated bibliography can be used also in a literature review, so you’ll be not only partially drafting your lit review as you research, but also developing your sense of the larger conversation going on among scholars, professionals, and any other stakeholders in your topic.

Usually you will need to synthesize research rather than just summarizing it. This means drawing connections between sources to create a picture of the scholarly conversation on a topic over time. Many student writers struggle to synthesize because they feel they don’t have anything to add to the scholars they are citing; here are some strategies to help you:

It often helps to remember that the point of these kinds of syntheses is to show your readers how you understand your research, to help them read the rest of your paper.
Writing teachers often say synthesis is like hosting a dinner party: imagine all your sources are together in a room, discussing your topic. What are they saying to each other?
Look at the in-text citations in each paragraph. Are you citing just one source for each paragraph? This usually indicates summary only. When you have multiple sources cited in a paragraph, you are more likely to be synthesizing them (not always, but often
Read more about synthesis here.

The most interesting literature reviews are often written as arguments (again, as mentioned at the beginning of the page, this is discipline-specific and doesn’t work for all situations). Often, the literature review is where you can establish your research as filling a particular gap or as relevant in a particular way. You have some chance to do this in your introduction in an article, but the literature review section gives a more extended opportunity to establish the conversation in the way you would like your readers to see it. You can choose the intellectual lineage you would like to be part of and whose definitions matter most to your thinking (mostly humanities-specific, but this goes for sciences as well). In addressing these points, you argue for your place in the conversation, which tends to make the lit review more compelling than a simple reporting of other sources.

Literature and Studies Reviews

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Literature and studies reviews are essential components of academic research, providing a foundation for any study by examining existing work in the field.

These reviews explore theoretical frameworks, empirical studies, and key findings, helping researchers build on previous knowledge, identify gaps, and clarify unresolved issues.

What is a literature and studies review.

A literature and studies review is a structured process where researchers evaluate, synthesize, and summarize existing research related to a specific topic. It aims to:

Establish a theoretical and empirical foundation for new research
Identify gaps in knowledge
Propose directions for further investigation

The process provides context by organizing key insights from previous studies, laying the groundwork for new research endeavors.

The Purpose of Literature and Studies Reviews

The primary goals of literature and studies reviews are:

Summarizing Existing Knowledge : Reviews consolidate prior research, giving a comprehensive understanding of what has already been studied and discovered.
Identifying Gaps : Critical analysis of existing literature helps pinpoint areas where further research is required.
Establishing a Framework : Literature reviews help establish the theoretical and conceptual framework for the study.
Preventing Redundancy : By acknowledging past research, reviews prevent unnecessary repetition and encourage novel contributions.
Improving Methodology : Past studies offer insights into methodologies that can be adapted or applied in future research.

Types of Literature and Studies Reviews

There are three main types of reviews, each serving a unique purpose:

Review of Related Literature (RRL) : Focuses on theoretical concepts, frameworks, and models that help explain the topic. It forms the theoretical basis for understanding the subject.
Review of Related Studies (RRS) : Concentrates on empirical research, including data-driven studies, experiments, and surveys related to the topic.
Review of Related Literature and Studies (RRLS) : This comprehensive approach integrates both theoretical concepts (RRL) and empirical research (RRS), offering a more complete perspective.

Differences Between Types of Literature and Studies Reviews

While these three types of reviews serve the purpose of summarizing existing research, they differ significantly in their focus, purpose, and approach:

Focus : Primarily theoretical, discussing concepts, models, and frameworks.
Purpose : Lays the groundwork for understanding the subject by addressing existing theories.
Approach : Abstract and conceptual, emphasizing theoretical perspectives without focusing on empirical data.
Focus : Centers on empirical studies and data-driven research.
Purpose : Summarizes research findings and methodologies to show how empirical evidence supports or refutes theories.
Approach : Practical and evidence-based, providing an overview of real-world studies and experiments.
Focus : Combines both theoretical and empirical perspectives.
Purpose : Provides a holistic view of the topic by integrating theories with empirical evidence.
Approach : Comprehensive, synthesizing both theoretical insights (from RRL) and empirical findings (from RRS).

The Importance of Literature and Studies Reviews

Literature and studies reviews serve several key functions:

Clarifying the State of Knowledge : They provide a detailed overview of what is known, debated, and still uncertain within the topic area.
Guiding Future Research : Reviews identify unexplored areas, suggest new questions for research, and highlight unresolved issues that need investigation.
Shaping Research Methodology : They inform the choice of methodologies, guiding the design of new studies based on past research.
Highlighting Strengths and Weaknesses : A well-constructed review assesses both the strengths and limitations of past studies, helping future researchers avoid pitfalls.

Critical Analysis in Literature and Studies Reviews

A high-quality literature review goes beyond summarizing previous studies it also involves critical analysis. Researchers should:

Assess the Quality of the research by evaluating methodologies, sample sizes, and the reliability of findings.
Identify Limitations in previous studies, such as biases, small sample sizes, or gaps in data.
Compare Findings across different studies to identify patterns, agreements, or contradictions.

This critical analysis helps researchers draw conclusions that are grounded in evidence and ensures that their research adds value to the field.

The Role of Citation and Referencing

Citing sources correctly is crucial for maintaining academic integrity. It:

Gives credit to the original researchers
Allows others to trace the sources used
Contributes to transparency and credibility in the research process

Proper citation practices are essential in a literature review, and various citation styles (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago) offer specific formatting rules to follow.

Technology and Literature Reviews

Advancements in technology have made literature reviews more efficient. Tools like Google Scholar , Zotero , and EndNote provide researchers with access to a vast array of literature. These resources help researchers:

Find relevant studies quickly
Organize and manage citations
Streamline the review process

These technological tools ensure that literature reviews are comprehensive and up-to-date.

A well-constructed literature and studies review is essential for any academic research project. It helps consolidate existing knowledge, informs the research process, and highlights areas for further investigation. By synthesizing past research, critically analyzing findings, and providing direction for future studies, literature reviews ensure that new research contributes meaningfully to the field.

Arvie Montesor

Hey there! I’m Arvie Montesor, part of the PhilScholar team. I’m all about helping writers and exploring cool tech stuff. I got into writing back in school, and now I’m here, diving into different topics and sharing what I learn. At PhilScholar, I write about writing tips, cool tools, and how technology is changing education. But that’s not all! I also keep an eye out for scholarship opportunities, because I believe everyone should have a chance to reach their academic goals.