People usually refer to this as the ‘Literature review’. But it is important to emphasize its purpose: It should provide the rationale for the project. It presents a structured argument, based on critical appraisal of existing research (‘the literature’) for why the topic and research questions are important and why your method is appropriate. This chapter should take the form of a critical analysis of existing research drawn from a number of sources, such as books, journal articles, reports or audio-visual material. The focus on the literature review should be on providing the rationale for your research question(s) AND for the method. It should also discuss any ethical issues affecting your study. This chapter should present an argument that leads up logically to a clear statement of your research question(s) or hypotheses.

The research questions are:
1. Is there a significant difference between the direct referral rejection rate of the audiology department and the NHS trust overall.
2. Does the quality of General Practitioners direct referrals result in effective referrals?
3. Does sociodemographic status influence the quality of direct referrals sent?