Literature reviews are undertaken by academics and students to collate, analyse, and critique the ideas and arguments presented in a range of research studies in order to understand where research boundaries are located, to identify areas where knowledge is missing or contested, and where future research may be undertaken. Literature reviews are set as student assignments in a variety of modules to broaden understanding of particular research topics and to enable students to practice critically appraising ideas and arguments. Being comfortable with appraising and synthesizing ideas is a fundamental skill which is core to successful longer projects, dissertations, or independent studies, where the literature review sets the framework and provides the context for the research. Whatever the situation, being able to assimilate information and present a good argument in a report is a skill that employers value. This Directions outlines the key features of a literature review and the characteristics of a successful one, in the context of preparing a geography project or dissertation. The general principles apply to all literature reviews.