This is your initial review . At this stage in the process nobody would expect you to know all there is to know and be aware of everything that has been published in relation to your intended research . At this stage your review of available has two main functions: to acquaint you with current thinking in your subject area, and to find out about methods and research processes used by other researchers investigating this topic . The contents of this review will depend very much on the topic of your research . There may already be an extensive body of literature specifically focusing on your topic; in this case you will be expected to have . identified the major theories in your area and be aware of the most prominent researchers in the field . You are providing a broad overview of the topic area, identifying what is already known and what is not known or remains largely neglected in terms of empirical research . The ‘newness’ of your proposed research will depend very much on the level and nature of the project . An undergraduate research project is unlikely to be attempting anything completely new , whereas an element of ‘newness’ and contribution to knowledge is a requirement of doctoral research . These are the two extremes and there are many variations in between . A small-scale , localized study may be seeking to investigate a particular phenomenon only as it relates to the local setting . Here novelty and ‘newness’ are not the issue , what matters is that the researcher has knowledge of current thinking on that particular phenomenon and how theories have been developed .