Final answer:
A literature review is a systematic examination and interpretation of the literature for the purpose of informing further work on a topic.
Step-by-step explanation:
A literature review is a systematic examination and interpretation of the literature for the purpose of informing further work on a topic. It involves identifying and studying all existing studies on a topic to create a basis for new research. This step helps researchers gain a broad understanding of work previously conducted on the topic at hand and enables them to position their own research to build on prior knowledge.