12. Literature Review And Previous Work

Demonstrate that your work fits within the state of the art of your field

Following your introduction, the second section of your academic or professional report should generally be the Literature Review, also known as the Previous Work section. This is absolutely essential: it demonstrate to your reader that you have research the state of the art of what your report will be discussing, but it also proves the relevance of what you are undertaking by relating it to previous work undertaken, thus showing the relevance of the work you are about to present. Furthermore, this is a very useful section for you, the writer, as studying  similar work performed before might provide you with valuable insights into what you are about to start, thus allowing for self-reflection.

A tip I often given to colleagues and students, is to go and read the second section of the reports or articles they are studying. Why is that? Simply because that second section will be the literature review, a concise and condensed review of the best and most up to date work that has been done in your field. This is a gold mine of information to conduct efficient research in a limited amount of time, so do not pass on such a fantastic opportunity.

It is good practice, especially from an academic point of view to achieve better grades, to ensure that there is a chronological order to your literature review. You may start from a historical discovery of application, moving onto some of the key progresses made, and ending with the most up to date knowledge and discoveries. This should be reflected in the publication dates of the authors you are citing as part of that literature review. Finally, emphasis where your work fits with respect to the literature review you have conducted, what gaps you are hoping to fill, and how far forward are you planning to move the present knowledge.