The purpose and essential qualities of a focused, thorough, and well-designed literature review. By: Dennis Govender Course: BTEMC 2 Subject RSMG101 Contents 1 Introduction 2 Definition 7 The review process 8 Sources 9 Writing the review report 10 Evaluating the research review Introduction As part of the research there must be a means of evaluating what is currently known about the research topic and a once the topic and purpose of the study has been identified. Brink et al (2012, p.70) Literature review as part of the research process serves the researcher to familiarize himself with the topic and understand whether it should be studied or not. Brink et al (2012, p.70) The following will describe what makes a review focused, thorough and well-designed rather than one that is fragmented, poorly planned and incomplete. What is a literature review? A literature review is performed before the research is done as a way to analyze everything that is known about the topic being researched. It is not a collection of notes but a critical analysis of the literature in question. Brink et al. (2012)Clarify the topic and purpose of the study. Identify the literature that will be reviewed. Articles and information can be searched using Google Scholar or another search engine using key study descriptors (descriptors should be noted). The university library can also be of help in this regard. It may also be advisable to look for other literature reviews that have been done. Be sure to include key or baseline studies performed. Analyze the literature Read the articles, then group them into topics, subtopics, and publication date. Define key terms......middle of the paper......and advance theory, conclusions and implications, suggestions for future research towards the end of the review.1. Complete your outline with the details of your analysisWriting the reviewDeveloping a coherent essayConclusionThe author has outlined the qualities of an effective, well-planned literature review. The main functions are to provide what is currently known about the research topic, with the collection of data whether statistical or qualitative, a context in the design and implementation of the research through the critical evaluation of the data collected. Identify gaps in the research already carried out and comparatively analyze the different sources. It should be noted that the review must be an analysis of the research carried out and not simply a collection of referenced paragraphs as this may be an ineffective way to start a research topic.