The review of literature is one of the important early sections of a dissertation. In the review of literature, the student surveys research papers, dissertations, theses, and any books that are relevant to his or her dissertation topic and presents a discussion of the current body of related knowledge. One reason for including a review of literature in the dissertation is to highlight what has been covered in the literature as well as any questions that remain yet unanswered. It is these unanswered questions that new dissertations must address. |