Communication Studies: Lit Review & Annotated Bibliography

major program; core classes

What is in a literature review?

A literature review surveys books, scholarly articles, and any other sources relevant to your research topic or thesis statement. It should provide a theoretical summary or critical evaluation of these scholarly works. You will need to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize the research that you’ve found on your topic. A literature review should give context to your thesis and, if possible, reveal any gaps in current literature.

A literature review usually has an organizational pattern and combines both summary and synthesis, often within specific conceptual categories. 

  • A summary is a recap of the important information of the source
  • A synthesis is a re-organization, or a reshuffling, of that information in a way that informs how you are planning to investigate a research problem.

What is the purpose of a literature review?

  • To demonstrate to your readers what you know about your topic
  • To bring your readers up-to-date and fill them in on what has been published on your topic
  • To allow you a better understanding of your topic

Examples of Annotated Bibliographies

Video tutorials

Subjects: Communications
  • Last Updated: Feb 22, 2024 12:35 PM
  • URL: https://libguides.gvsu.edu/communications