In research, a body of literature is a collection of published information. This body of literature is often used a source of data for answering a question. When one is trying to find information for a particular research project the first and most important thing they should do is to examine all the relevant literature that has already been prepared on the subject. The compilation of works by various authors on the subject could include journals, books, audio tapes, video tapes and white papers. It could also include newspapers, magazines and films. The Internet has also become a valuable source of information for conducting secondary research.
One of the important reasons for looking through all the literature is so that the student does not waste time doing research on material that has already been worked on. For one thing the student needs to know that the question that he is undertaking for research is original in nature. He should not get a rude surprise once he is halfway through his project to know that a certain amount of work has already been done on the project by somebody else. Another vital reason for reading through the literature is that if there is already content on a certain subject then there is no reason for the researcher to gather fresh data. Doing a literature review also helps the researcher in finding out the relevant gaps that there are in his knowledge. If there are gaps in his knowledge or in his way of working then he can address them quickly by examining the available literature on the subject.
One of the most important aspects of doing a literature review is that it should be focused. There are many researchers who no doubt have a good time spending hours scanning through databases and bibliographies of their favorite authors. But this might not lead them anywhere. After spending hours going through various sources of material they might find that they have not accomplished anything. That is why it is essential they have certain targets or certain questions in mind for which they need answers. They should only browse through that literature that helps them accomplish these items. A literature review also needs a good plan to be successful. Just like working on a project cannot be accomplished without the right plan of action, in the same way a literature review cannot be accomplished successfully without an ideal plan of action.
