Page | 1 THE IMPORTANCE OF LITERATURE REVIEW IN RESEARCH BY KABASO OLIVER 2023 A literature review is a comprehensive summary of previous research on a topic. ... The review should enumerate, describe, summarize, objectively evaluate and clarify this previous research. It should give a theoretical base for the research and help you (the author) determine the nature of your research (Mouton, 2001). It is “A literature review is a systematic, explicit and reproducible method for identifying evaluating and interpreting the existing body of recorded work produced by researchers, scholars and practitioners”, (Fink, 1998, p.3). The literature review is integral to the success of academic research. It ensures the researchability of the topic. It is designed to identify related research and to set the current research project within a conceptual and theoretical context. The literature review is a written overview of major writings and other sources on a selected topic. Sources covered in the review may include scholarly journal articles, books, government reports, Web sites, etc. The literature review provides a description, summary, and evaluation of each source. The purpose of a literature review is to: • Provide a foundation of knowledge on the topic • Identify areas of prior scholarship to prevent duplication and give credit to other researchers • Identify inconstancies: gaps in research, conflicts in previous studies, open questions left from other research • Identify the need for additional research (justifying your research) • Identify the relationship of works in the context of its contribution to the topic and other works