What is a Literature Review

The purpose of the literature review section is to give a detailed overview of what has already been done by other scholars in relation to the general research area and one’s research problem. While some topics (and research problems) may be novel, the importance of pursuing other topics may seem less evident to the reader, calling for substantial evidence to show why they are worth exploring.

Writing this section should thus allow the author to:

demonstrate one’s knowledge of the research area and problem by connecting it to the existing body of knowledge
show how the proposed study fits into the broader context
identify and give credit to major studies that have laid the groundwork for one’s own research
identify and discuss major theories or conceptual framework(s) that the present study will build on
provide definitions of key concepts and terms one will be using (where necessary)
demonstrate one’s ability to identify and critically assess both the merits and inconsistencies (drawbacks) in other scholars’ works, and draw your own conclusions about the areas of inquiry which have yet to be addressed (research gaps)
show how the study can address the gap(s) to advance current research on the topic.

The research and study skills that are key to preparing a high quality literature review are:

locating information that is relevant to the proposed research
evaluating and selecting most relevant works related to the research problem
reading critically and taking notes on the material from source texts
grouping information into logical clusters
synthesizing and integrating information from selected sources as one presents a critical discussion of the findings from the sources (their weaknesses and strengths in addressing the issues at hand)
acknowledging the sources properly (referencing) to avoid plagiarism
using compelling and coherent language to build one’s line of argument.

For many students, especially non-native speakers of English, the complexity of writing the literature review section lies in:

doing extensive research and selecting relevant works on their topic
limiting the scope of their search (which at some point can appear to be never ending)
analyzing and evaluating information in connection to their research problem and the overall purpose of the study
identifying and presenting key concepts, themes, and empirical results to inform their reader about the current state of knowledge on the topic while using quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing strategies effectively
making a strong argument for why new research within their area of scholarly inquiry is necessary.

Sample extract from a Literature Review section

Here is an adapted extract from a literature review to a research proposal in the field of economics:

New Products Introduction into Foreign Markets: Empirical Investigation of an Optimal Entry Strategy

¹This research relates to the research area that focuses on new product introductions in international markets. ²A number of studies have been found that focus on strategic issues, such as introduction timing of a new product (Bayus, Jain, & Rao, 1997; Golder & Tellis, 1993; Krider & Weinberg, 1998; Shankar, 1999). ³These studies generally focus on whether one should be an early or a late entrant in a particular market (pioneer versus follower), and how the decisions of competing firms influence this timing decision… [giving a broad overview of studies]. ⁴Yet, these studies include only one market / country, i.e., the domestic country, and therefore do not indicate how first-mover advantages translate into an international context (Lieberman & Montgomery, 1998).

[Moving on to more specific aspects of the study and reporting the results of single studies]

⁵A study by Mascarenhas (1997), however, does investigate first-mover advantages in an international context. It examines entries by 187 firms into 68 international markets for four offshore drilling products over an 18-year period (1966-1984), and finds that a first entry (before other foreign entrants) results in higher long-term international market share and survival. ⁶The major conclusion that can be drawn from this study is that first-mover advantages also hold in international markets—a conclusion that is confirmed in a study by Pan, Li, and Tse (1999). ⁷However, not much can be concluded about the optimal timing and sequence of entering multiple foreign markets or the factors that influence these decisions [adding criticism].

⁸The only study that provides some answers to the optimal entry timing and sequencing is a study by Kalish, Mahajan, and Muller (1995). ⁹Using innovation diffusion models in a monopoly and competitive game theory framework, it analyzes under what market place conditions a waterfall (entering one market at a time) with respect to sprinkler strategy (entering all target markets simultaneously) is optimal. ¹⁰The results of the study suggest that in today’s market place a sprinkler strategy be strongly suggested, but that under certain circumstances, such as a very long product life cycle or weak competitors in the foreign market, a waterfall strategy may be the preferred strategy. ¹¹This study, however, has a number of potential limitations [adding criticism]. ¹²First of all, it includes only two markets and two competitors in their analysis, which is not very realistic as today most large companies operate in many countries, all over the world, and face competition from both local and global players.

¹³Furthermore, the cross-country influences, i.e., the interaction between individuals in one country with individuals in another country, have not been explicitly included. ¹⁴In their study, Putsis, Balasubramaniam, Kaplan, and Sen (1997) have found different mixing patterns (cross-country interactions), and suggest investigating the implications of different mixing patterns on the choice between a waterfall and sprinkler strategy. ¹⁵So far, this has not yet been done [adding criticism]. ¹⁶Another limitation is that the authors test their theory with a hypothetical example. ¹⁷For real-life support they refer to a publication by Riesenbeck and Freeling (1991). ¹⁸However, this latter study does not describe the results of an empirical study about the appropriateness of either a waterfall or a sprinkler strategy, but only gives some examples of recent product introductions following a sprinkler strategy in a descriptive way.

[Stating how the present study will address the gap] ¹⁹The purpose of this research is to extend this research by formulating a conceptual framework which will describe the process of a product launch in international markets and to include a complete set of variables that influence both the timing and sequencing of entering into foreign markets. ²⁰The proposed framework should be applied to real-life, realistic data, in order to be able to provide reliable suggestions to international marketing managers who have to make global launch decisions.

Adapted from:

Loughborough University. (2016). New products introduction into foreign markets: Empirical investigation of an optimal entry strategy. Retrieved from http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/sbe/research/phd-mphil/researchstudentproposals/