Review of related literature functions – UGC NET Question

Statements A, B, D and E capture the main purposes of a review of related literature, while statement C is incorrect. Statement A is true because reviewing earlier studies helps to locate gaps in existing knowledge. Statement B is correct since understanding existing work helps the researcher refine the research problem and formulate or adjust hypotheses, and statement D is accurate because knowledge of prior studies prevents unnecessary duplication. Statement E is also true, as review of literature provides theoretical and conceptual frameworks for the study, whereas statement C is false because review is typically conducted before data collection, not only after it.

Option A:
Option A brings together A, B and D but omits E. Although A, B and D are true, excluding E means the important role of literature review in building theoretical and conceptual frameworks is not reflected. Since all four of A, B, D and E are correct, leaving one out makes this option incomplete and therefore incorrect.

Option B:
Option B correctly combines A, B, D and E, which together summarise the key functions of a literature review. It recognises that review helps to identify gaps, refine problems and hypotheses, avoid duplication and build conceptual frameworks. It also implicitly excludes statement C, which wrongly postpones literature review to only after data collection. Because it includes all and only the true statements, this option is the correct answer.

Option C:
Option C groups B, D and E but leaves out A. While B, D and E are true, A is also correct because identifying research gaps is a central reason for conducting a literature review. Omitting A leads to an incomplete specification of the review’s functions, so this option cannot be accepted.

Option D:
Option D includes A, D and E but also incorporates C, which is false. By suggesting that literature review is conducted only after data collection, statement C misrepresents standard research practice. Since this option mixes a false statement with true ones, it does not provide a valid set of correct statements.