Skip to Main Content

How to write a literature review: How to write a literature review

What is a literature review? How to write one? Check this guide to know more.

Different purposes of a literature review

Literature reviews can be found:

  • In the introduction section of original articles, to provide background information and context for the original study
  • As part of argumentative essay
  • In master's thesis or PhD dissertations
  • In research reports and research proposals
  • As a standalone article, in the form of a more comprehensive review of the literature or as a systematic review

Determining the purpose of your literature review can guide you about the length of the review, which topics need to be covered, whether addressing historical trends or theoretical evolution of the field is necessary (something more common in standalone literature review articles), and whether you need to report in detail how the review was conducted (required for systematic reviews).

Examples of literature reviews in various contexts

Writing a lit review in 5 steps

  1. Start by giving a brief description of your central theme, its main issues, and your objectives with this review. This is your introduction.

  2. Organize the body of your review into themes or categories. For example, begin by analyzing the sources that share similar ideas, and then write a separate paragraph or section about the sources that oppose or offer alternative interpretations. Depending on your topic, this organization can also be by date of publication of each source (chronological) or according to the methods used by each author (methodological).

  3. Summarize and synthetize your sources. Keep your own voice by explaining the ideas presented by the authors, how those ideas were developed, their strengths and weaknesses, and how they relate to other sources. Remember that every mention to ideas, theories, or work by other authors requires a citation.

  4. Write a conclusion: what have you drawn from the literature review? What would you recommend for further research?

  5. Review your work: are all citations and references correct? Are there spelling/grammar mistakes? Are the ideas presented in your review following a clear and logical organization?

Citing help & Avoiding plagiarism

Writing Assistance @ YukonU

Writing Workshop Videos

Additional resources