The Step-by-Step Approach: Guidelines for Writing a Literature Review Globally, students and researchers are presented with the task of developing a literature review. This process may seem daunting to the novice writer, however, there is no need to proceed by trial and error as there are known procedures and guidelines created to make this task easier. A background literature review can be defined as “A written document that develops a case to establish a thesis. This review summarizes current knowledge related to the research question (Machi & McEvoy, 2012)”. A literature review is an organized way of researching a topic and is considered the foundation of a research study (Polit & Beck, 2013). According to Lawrence A. Machi and Brenda T. McEvoy (2012), the purpose of a literature review depends on the nature of the investigation. Core literature reviews summarize and evaluate topics that have been previously explored. Advanced literature reviews are slightly more challenging because they apply the knowledge gleaned from a basic literature review and incorporate that knowledge as the basis for formulating a new question and original research. Machi and McEvoy (2012), authors of The Literature Review: Six Steps to Success describes the following six steps of the literature review process: 1. Select a topic, 2. Search the literature, 3. Develop the argument, 4 . Examine the literature, 5. Criticize the literature, 6. Write the review. This article will describe and evaluate the steps involved in writing a literature review. The first step in conducting a literature review is selecting a topic. Selecting a discussion topic requires at least two activities. First, find a personal interest. Most research topics are based on everyday reviewing, following these steps should conclude in a literature review that highlights significant aspects of a topic in a logical order that allows the reader to understand the context and relationship to a research question (Polit & Beck, 2013). References Aaron, L. (2008). Writing and research. write a literature review article. Radiologic Technology, 80(2), 185.Burns, N., & Grove, S. K. (2010). Understanding nursing research: Building evidence-based practice. Elsevier Health Sciences.Machi, L.A., & McEvoy, B.T. (2012). The literature review: six steps to success. Sage.Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2013). Essentials of nursing research: Evaluating the evidence for nursing practice. Wolters Kluwer Health. Randolph, J. J. (2009). A guide to writing your thesis literature review. Practical assessment, research and evaluation, 14(13), 2.