As a student, conducting a literature review is a vital part of any research project. Whether you are writing a thesis, dissertation, or term paper, reviewing relevant literature helps establish a theoretical framework and provides context for your own research question and hypotheses. However, knowing where to start and how to navigate the vast amount of information available can seem like an overwhelming task. This guide provides a structured approach to conducting a literature review, from developing effective search strategies to analysing sources and synthesising key themes.
With diligence and patience, you can develop a thoughtful, well-crafted literature review to provide a solid foundation for your own academic work.
Table of Contents
What is a Literature Review?
A literature review is a survey of existing literature on a particular topic. It provides an overview of the existing knowledge and helps you identify relevant theories, methods and gaps in the existing literature on the topic that you can use later in your paper, thesis, or dissertation topic.
Good literature does more than just summarise sources – it analyses, synthesises and critically evaluates to give a clear picture of the state of knowledge on the subject.
Understanding the Purpose and Importance of a Literature Review
The purpose of a literature review is to gather relevant research on the topic of your choice, analyse it, and then synthesise it into a cohesive summary of the existing research in the field. This is an important part of the research process that prepares you for making your own argument on your topic or helps you in conducting your own original research.
A literature review gives you a chance to demonstrate your familiarity with the topics and scholarly content it has on it. It helps you develop a theoretical framework and methodology for your research. Additionally, with the help of a literature review, you can show how your research addresses a gap or contribute to a debate.
Step – 1 Gathering the Literature
To conduct a literature review, you must first gather the relevant research on your topic. This involves searching academic databases, journals, books and other credible sources to find material that is directly related to your research question.
Make use of keywords and phrases, when searching databases. You can also use synonyms and related terms to find relevant articles and studies. In addition to online sources, explore your library’s physical collection. Search for books, anthologies and literature reviews on your topic. Obtain recommendations from professors or a research librarian as well. They can suggest works or point you to subject-specific resources
We would recommend using a spreadsheet or reference management tool like Zotero or Mendeley to keep a record of your searches and sources. Note the publication details, abstract and your own comments. This will help you in organising your research and creates a foundation for the actual literature review.
Step – 2 Selecting and Evaluating Strong Supporting Evidence
You will be able to gather a multitude of sources to synthesise into literature. But remember, more is not always better. Focus on quality over quantity by choosing credible, authoritative and relevant sources that help you achieve your research goals. A well-constructed literature review backed by reputable references will give your own work credibility and authority.
You likely won’t be able to read everything that you come across, so you must evaluate every source to find out which sources are most relevant to your research question. To evaluate which source is relevant and credible, ask the following question:
- What question or problem is the author addressing?
- What are the key concepts and how are they defined?
- What are the key theories, models and methods?
- Does the research use established frameworks or take an innovative approach?
- What are the results and conclusion of the study?
- How does the publication relate to other literature in the field? Does it confirm, add to, or challenge established knowledge?
- What are the strengths and weaknesses of the research?
Carefully evaluating sources for both relevance and credibility is key to developing a literature review that is authoritative and helps establish your own expertise on the topic.
Step – 3 Organising Your Sources
Organise the selected sources in a logical structure based on chronology, thematic content, methodology, or other criteria to facilitate a coherent discussion of the literature. You can even combine several of these strategies:
- Thematic – organise around a topic or issue
- Chronological – sections for each vital time period
- Methodological – focus on the methods used by the researchers/writers
A well-organised literature review supported by relevant, credible sources will provide a solid grounding for your own research or argument.
Step – 4 Synthesising the Literature
To synthesise the literature on your topic, you need to identify common themes, gaps, and disagreements in the research.
Identify Common Themes
Look for recurring ideas, frameworks, theories, methods, or results across multiple sources. These commonalities point to established knowledge and areas of consensus in your field. Summarise the main themes concisely while noting differences in terminology or definitions.
Find Gaps and Disagreements
Not all studies will align perfectly. Look for areas that have not yet been explored (gaps) or that have contradictory findings (disagreements). Gaps represent opportunities for future research, while disagreements highlight the need for more evidence to draw a conclusion. Discuss possible reasons for the inconsistency, such as variations in methodology, measurements, or samples. Propose how future work could help reconcile the conflicting results.
Determine How Sources Relate
Explain how the sources you reviewed connect or contradict each other. Create a synthesis by including evidence from multiple sources to strengthen your review. However, be careful not to overgeneralize or make claims that are not well supported.
Identify Significance and Implications
Discuss why these themes, gaps, and disagreements are important to the overall understanding of your topic. Explain how they influence practice and what the implications are for future research. Your synthesis should add value by integrating separate works into a coherent whole and articulating insights that would not have been possible from a single study alone.
Step – 5 Drafting and Revising: Putting It All Together
Organise and Structure
Now that you have gathered all your sources and notes, it’s time to organise them into a coherent structure. Group sources and ideas into logical categories to establish a clear flow and narrative for your literature review. An effective structure includes:
- An introduction that establishes the topic, its importance, and your objective. Briefly state the scope and focus of your review.
- Body paragraphs focused on specific themes, theories, methodologies, or arguments. Summarise and synthesise sources under each theme. Use topic sentences to transition between ideas.
- A conclusion that reinforces your objective and main findings. Discuss the implications and significance of your review. Suggest future research directions.
Write the Literature Review
With your literature review outline and structure in place, you can now write your literature review. Aim for a professional yet accessible tone to engage readers. Use the following tips:
Start with your introduction to set the context, then compose each body paragraph. Finish with your conclusion. For each source, first state the author and publication details. Then summarise the key findings, arguments, and evidence. Compare and contrast different views. Use transition words and topic sentences to link sources and create a flow between paragraphs. Repeat key terms to tie it all together.
Quote selectively from sources to emphasise important points, but do not overuse quotes. Paraphrase and synthesise as much as possible. Be concise but comprehensive. Cover all relevant sources and aspects of the topic. Remove unnecessary details and repetition. Once you are done, revise and improve your first draft. Get feedback from others if possible.
Conclusion
As you have seen, writing a literature review or a systematic literature review requires diligent research, critical analysis, and synthesis of sources. By following the steps outlined here, you can craft a compelling literature review.
