Literature review is reviewing and analysing the studies that have already been done. It gives a correlation of what has already been done and what further steps are required in a particular area or subject.
Irrespective of the topic and the area of research, literature review acts as a support to the subject and issue taken up. Reviewing the research and the studies that have already been done, helps in coming out with the areas where research work is still required.
While doing a review of the past research work, it gives a critical review by coming out with the strengths and weaknesses of the research done in the past related to the topic and issue.
It helps in analysing the past research work and highlighting the issues and areas which have not been touched in the research work done earlier. The issues which the previous scholars have not touched can easily be highlighted with the help of literature review.
After highlighting the areas where research work is required, a research scholar will then do the research work in the form of thesis. Here a research scholar can pose a question, and his or her research and point of view could be the answer of that question.
Literature review combines both summary and synthesis. A summary is the recap and review of the past research whereas a synthesis is a reorganisation of information that tells about how further research work will take place.