The term "literature review" can mean different things in different contexts. All share in common the idea of examining the scholarly literature on a topic. It is the end result that differs:
An Annotated Bibliography is "a bibliography that includes brief explanations or notes for each reference" (from Dictionary.com) The notes may be evaluative or simply a summary.
A literature review can be free-standing article. "A review article or review of the literature article considers the state and progress of current literature on a given topic or problem by organizing, integrating, and evaluating previously published books and articles. In short, a review article is a critical evaluation of material that has already been published." (Writing Literature Reviews) "The purpose is to offer an overview of significant literature published on a topic." (Write a Literature Review)
A literature review is a vital part of research papers including theses and dissertations. "Surveying the literature is necessary because scholarship is cumulative -- no matter what you write, you are standing on someone else's shoulders. Scholars must say something new while connecting what they say to what has already been said." (Writing Literature Reviews);
Below are some useful links for writing a literature review.
Literature Review: A Few Tips on Conducting It - University of Toronto
Genre in the Classroom by 
Conducting Research Literature Reviews: from the internet to paper, 5th ed by
Providing readers with an accessible, in-depth look at how to synthesize research literature, Conducting Research Literature Reviews: From the Internet to Paper is perfect for students, researchers, marketers, planners, and policymakers who design and manage public and private agencies, conduct research studies, and prepare strategic plans and grant proposals. Bestselling author Arlene Fink shows readers how to explain the need for and significance of research, as well as how to explain a study's findings. Offering a step-by-step approach to conducting literature reviews, the Fifth Edition features new research, examples, and references from the social, behavioral, and health sciences, expanded coverage of qualitative research, updated and revised meta-analysis procedures, a brand new glossary of key terms, double the number of exercises, and additional examples of how to write reviews.
Succeeding with Your Literature Review by
An excellent and accessible text that will help all students and scholars to develop a strong review and enable them to outline and analyse the key ideas for their study. The structure of the book is really well thought out and the chapters are written in a way which readers will find helpful and easy to understand.
The Handbook of Social Work Research Methods by
This volume is the definitive resource for anyone doing research in social work. PART III Conceptual Research - Literature Reviews
Getting Published in the Life Sciences by
The goal of this book is to make it easier for scientists, especially those new to scientific writing, to write about their results and to get their manuscripts accepted in peer-reviewed journals.
Chapter 16 Introduction: Rationale, Review of Literature, and Statements of Objectives.
Systematic Approaches to a Successful Literature Review by
Reviewing the literature is an essential part of every research project. This book takes you step-by-step through the process of approaching your literature review systematically, applying systematic principles to a wide range of literature review types. Through numerous examples, case studies, and exercises, the book covers often neglected areas of literature review such as concept analysis, scoping, and mapping.
The Literature Review, 2nd ed. by
This Second Edition of Diana Ridley's bestselling guide to the literature review outlines practical strategies for reading and note taking, and guides the reader on how to conduct a systematic search of the available literature, and uses cases and examples throughout to demonstrate best practice in writing and presenting the review. New to this edition are examples drawn from a wide range of disciplines, a new chapter on conducting a systematic review, increased coverage of issues of evaluating quality and conducting reviews using online sources and online literature and enhanced guidance in dealing with copyright and permissions issues.
