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POLS 297: Qualitative Methods : Literature Reviews

Purpose

The purpose of a literature review is to:

  • Provide foundation of knowledge on topic
  • Identify areas of prior scholarship to prevent duplication and give credit to other researchers
  • Identify inconstancies: gaps in research, conflicts in previous studies, open questions left from other research
  • Identify need for additional research (justifying your research)
  • Identify the relationship of works in context of its contribution to the topic and to other works
  • Place your own research within the context of existing literature making a case for why further study is needed. 
  • Source: University of South Carolina Upstate Library

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Mary Broussard
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