What is your definition of a literature review?

Question

I've just come out of a meeting with five other colleagues in which we tried to pin down the parameters for a literature review we want our students to complete next semester.

The only thing we were able to agree on so far is that each of us have an entirely different view on what a literature review is.

My question to you is:

What do you think it is?

I really need a little help here now.

Thanks.

Answer 1

For my dissertation, I completed a literature review which boiled down to a discussion of all the journals/periodicals/websites that I found that were somehow connected to my topic.

For my students, however, I require an annotated bibliography of their research topic. I make them complete between 10-15 annotated entries that are connected to their junior/senior research papers.

Answer 2

This is not an answer but a question.

Since you all disagree on what a literature review is, why do you all want one?  

Surely there is something you each think a literature review (whatever it is) would accomplish. It might be more productive to investigate that common desire than to focus on your differences.

Just a thought........

Linda