University Library

Write a literature review.

  • Examples and Further Information

More Information

An example of a literature review in stages, from annotated bibliography to lit review, may be found at:

Ashton, W. Writing a Short Literature Review

A published, peer-reviewed literature review from the JSTOR database may be found at the link below:

Allen, R.C. (1996). Socioeconomic Conditions and Property Crime: A Comprehensive Review and Test of the Professional Literature. The American Journal of Economics and Sociology, 55 , 293.

Further information on the literature review may be found in:

Cooper, H. (2010). Research Synthesis and Meta-Analysis: A Step-By-Step Approach Los Angeles: Sage. (McHenry Stacks H62 C5859)

Machi, L.A. (2009). The Literature Review: Six Steps to Success. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press. (McHenry Stacks LB1047.3 M33)

Deakin University. (2009). Literature Review. Geelong, Victoria, Australia: Author. Retrieved December 7, 2022 from the World Wide Web: https://www.deakin.edu.au/students/studying/study-support/academic-skills/literature-review

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center. (2009). The Writer's Handbook: Learn How to Write a Review of Literature. Madison, Wisconsin: Author. Retrieved December 7, 2022 from the World Wide Web: https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/assignments/reviewofliterature/

  • << Previous: Home

spacer bullet

Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License except where otherwise noted.

Library Twitter page

Land Acknowledgement

The land on which we gather is the unceded territory of the Awaswas-speaking Uypi Tribe. The Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, comprised of the descendants of indigenous people taken to missions Santa Cruz and San Juan Bautista during Spanish colonization of the Central Coast, is today working hard to restore traditional stewardship practices on these lands and heal from historical trauma.

The land acknowledgement used at UC Santa Cruz was developed in partnership with the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band Chairman and the Amah Mutsun Relearning Program at the UCSC Arboretum .

Deakin University Australia

  • Deakin Home
  • Student news
  • StudentConnect
  • Help and contact us

Preparation of literature review

Typically the initial stages of an HDR are spent conducting a review of the relevant literature which then forms the basis of the conceptual chapters of the thesis. The following information is designed to help you prepare this document.

Searching the literature

Deakin Library, provides a basic overview of database searching in terms of both search tips and also technical information on how to access different databases. It also contains information on inter-library loans. Articles and books not available online can be requested from other libraries via the inter-library loans service.

The library website also contains a 'My Library' section where you can login and renew your loans online.

Using Endnote

Endnote is a tool for managing articles you use during your HDR. It can maintain a library of your references which can be integrated into your thesis document saving a substantial amount of time in terms of referencing and formatting. Endnote can be downloaded from the  Deakin software library .

Video tutorials describing how to use Endnote can be accessed via the following link – http://deakin.libguides.com/endnote.

Writing a literature review

The Deakin Library has produced a guide outlining what a literature review is, along with some useful resources to help along the way.

Learn how to approach your literature review

We use cookies to improve your experience. You consent to the use of our cookies if you proceed. Visit our Privacy policy for more information.

  • My Playlists

Deakin<span class=\"brand-emphasis\">Air</span>

  • Advancement only
  • Campus Services only
  • Deakin International only
  • Deakin Learning Futures only
  • Deakin Research only
  • Digital Services only
  • Cybersecurity
  • Digital Workplace
  • Diversity and Inclusion only
  • Finance only
  • Governance Services only
  • Graduate Employment only
  • Human Resources Division only
  • Infrastructure and Property Group only
  • Internal Audit Unit only
  • Marketing Division only
  • Planning and Integrity only
  • Risk and Compliance Unit only
  • Strategic Intelligence and Planning Unit only
  • Student Services only
  • University Solicitor's Office only
  • Faculty of Arts and Education only
  • School of Communication and Creative Arts only
  • School of Education only
  • School of Humanities and Social Sciences only
  • Deakin Business School only
  • Deakin Law School only
  • Faculty of Business and Law only
  • Faculty of Health only
  • School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences only
  • School of Health and Social Development only
  • School of Medicine only
  • School of Nursing and Midwifery only
  • School of Psychology only
  • Faculty of Science Engineering and the Built Environment only
  • School of Architecture and Built Environment only
  • School of Engineering only
  • School of Information Technology only
  • School of Life and Environmental Sciences only
  • CloudDeakin

Writing for research - Literature Review

  • UWF Libraries

Literature Review: Conducting & Writing

  • Sample Literature Reviews
  • Steps for Conducting a Lit Review
  • Finding "The Literature"
  • Organizing/Writing
  • APA Style This link opens in a new window
  • Chicago: Notes Bibliography This link opens in a new window
  • MLA Style This link opens in a new window

Sample Lit Reviews from Communication Arts

Have an exemplary literature review.

  • Literature Review Sample 1
  • Literature Review Sample 2
  • Literature Review Sample 3

Have you written a stellar literature review you care to share for teaching purposes?

Are you an instructor who has received an exemplary literature review and have permission from the student to post?

Please contact Britt McGowan at [email protected] for inclusion in this guide. All disciplines welcome and encouraged.

  • << Previous: MLA Style
  • Next: Get Help! >>
  • Last Updated: Aug 8, 2024 11:00 AM
  • URL: https://libguides.uwf.edu/litreview

A person wearing a lab coat and hair net looks through a microscope

July 17, 2024

Literature review modules for health research

The library has published the first three modules in a series on literature reviews for health research . These modules cover three key areas essential for starting the review process.

Designed for health research students and researchers, the modules aim to impart knowledge and skills for conducting various types of literature reviews, such as systematic, rapid and scoping reviews.

Users can work asynchronously, exploring modules as needed or complete them all at once. Each module ends with an optional quiz, and passing it provides a certificate, offering stronger evidence of learning than merely attending a session or watching a video.

These modules were developed collaboratively by various library teams – including STEMM Scholarly Services Librarians, the Expert Searching and Consulting Lead, the Visual Design Lead, a Learning Designer and a Library Partner – to ensure an evidence-based, holistic and consistent learning experience.

Later this year, we plan to publish additional modules covering the basic steps of conducting any type of literature review.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Join the conversation

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * in their own special way.

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

Your email:

  • Deakin Library

Module 1: Choose review type

Review types, module 1: choose review type: review types.

  • Purpose and resources
  • Review guidelines
  • Return to Hub

Review types

Literature reviews in health research.

Health research is essential for evidence-based practice as it evolves understanding, informs decision-making and supports effective care. Literature reviews ground high-quality Health research by:

  • providing better context
  • informing methodology
  • avoiding duplication in research
  • strengthening innovation in research areas of health

Explore common review types

There are many different types of literature reviews with varied methods and search requirements. Familiarising yourself with all possible review types is challenging.

This module focuses on seven commonly-used review types. Click the plus icons below to explore purpose, recommended time frames, and other information.

Traditional literature reviews

Review purpose .

Traditional literature reviews are designed to provide a broad overview or increase self-knowledge of an area of specialisation. They may also provide background to a research thesis.  

Recommended time frame 

1+ week  

Reviewers required 

1 or more   

Example review 

Smoking Cessation for People Living With HIV/AIDS: A Literature Review and Synthesis  

More information 

Traditional literature reviews (also known as narrative reviews) are unlikely to be published as stand-alone pieces of work. Instead, they provide context for subsequent work and form a smaller part of a larger piece. Literature reviews function well as a topic overview for readers by succinctly outlining the area of research development.  

Authors can select and appraise papers subjectively, without predetermined criteria. The search method or strategy for identifying the papers included in the review is often ambiguous or left unexplained.  

A traditional review can be completed in as little as a week depending on the scope of the review.

  • Scoping reviews

Scoping reviews comprehensively summarise evidence to inform practice, programs and policy. Scoping reviews explore and establish overall themes or determine the extent of available evidence.  

2-6 months 

1 or more 

Tobacco use cessation interventions for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer youth and young adults: A scoping review.  

Scoping reviews are interested in broader questions and understanding 'what is known' about a topic. Scoping reviews can be undertaken as a stand-alone project, especially where an area is complex or has not been reviewed in depth previously. This makes them particularly useful for an emerging health area or to determine if a systematic review is therefore required.  

Search strategies for scoping reviews are still expected to be systematic, transparent and replicable. A key difference to systematic reviews is the absence of a critical appraisal stage. 

The lack of study appraisal in scoping reviews means they can be conducted with a single author. However, multiple reviewers will reduce bias in the study selection stage.

  • Rapid reviews

Rapid reviews seek to synthesise research evidence with minimal bias to assist with best practices.  

2 – 6 months 

2 or more  

Cost-Effectiveness of Lifestyle-Related Interventions for the Primary Prevention of Breast Cancer: A Rapid Review  

Rapid reviews (also known as rapid evidence assessment) are often conducted in response to: 

  • requests from policymakers that are time-sensitive 
  • constraints on finances or other resources 

Rapid reviews use similar methods to systematic reviews but are less comprehensive and are completed in a much shorter time frame (e.g. two to six months). Searching is systematic and transparent, but less exhaustive than a systematic or integrative review. 

Some aspects of the systematic review process are omitted or shortened to enable shorter timeframes. This could involve one or more of the following: 

  • Searching a smaller selection of databases 
  • Omitting grey literature and/or hand searching 
  • Restricting to a particular study type 
  • Reviewing reviews 
  • Limiting the number of outcomes being included 
  • Quality assessed at study design level, rather than appraising individual studies 
  • Limiting the amount of analysis and interpretation 

The details of steps omitted in the rapid review process will be listed in the article, often in the limitations section, (see ‘The rollercoaster of follow-up care’ after bariatric surgery: a rapid review and qualitative synthesis ).

  • Systematic reviews

Systematic reviews aim to find, evaluate and combine elements from all available evidence, in relation to a specific and focused question. Often systematic reviews compare actions (such as interventions) to decide which is the most effective, although they not limited to that purpose. 

6 months – 2 years 

At least 2 or more 

Internet-based interventions for smoking cessation  

Systematic reviews are concerned with reducing bias in the review process. As such, they typically include these features: 

  • Pre-determined selection criteria, and methods for research appraisal and data synthesis, published with other details as a protocol prior to commencing the review 'proper'. 
  • Resources gathered from search strategies undergo a selection process to determine the quality of the study (e.g., biases and study data) which are included in the final review.  
  • Systematic reviews should be conducted with two or more people involved in the study selection and appraisal stages.  

Notably, the work of finding available evidence requires an effective, transparent and reproducible search strategy. The search strategy typically tends to lean towards sensitivity, a high number of search results. This is at the expense of precision, as the proportion of those search results that are subsequently relevant to the review question.

Mixed method reviews

Mixed methods reviews have multiple questions or several aspects to their research question to provide a more in-depth picture of the issue. A mixed methods review may look to determine both the effect of an action (intervention) and when that action is clinically appropriate, which usually requires multiple searches, and quantitative and qualitative research data, to address subtopics. 

12 – 18+ months 

Large review team 

Example reviews 

  •   A mixed-methods systematic review of the effects of mindfulness on nurses . (An example of how qualitative data is incorporated into a synthesis can be seen in) 
  •   Managing pain for people experiencing pressure ulcers  

Mixed methods reviews (also known as Mixed-methods systematic reviews) are best suited to: 

  • topics that are multidisciplinary or  
  • topics with a body of literature  

Mixed method reviews usually include evidence or data from quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods studies, in order to produce meaningful connections around a topic. 

A distinguishing feature of mixed method reviews is that the exact question may be broad in nature. This means that the planning phase will be long as you will be required to gather a lot of resources. 

Questions or hypotheses may emerge throughout a mixed method review. Therefore, protocols for your review will generally be developed over time, rather than in a predetermined manner.  

There are currently no universally adopted methods for conducting mixed methods reviews. As these reviews are highly repetitive in nature, meaning they are less transparent and not inherently reproducible.

  • Umbrella reviews

Umbrella reviews are essentially systematic reviews of existing reviews. Their aim is to focus on broad conditions or problems, for which there are competing interests, and to reduce duplication. 

3-6 months 

Environmental risk factors for inflammatory bowel diseases: an umbrella review of meta-analyses  

Umbrella reviews (known as the "review of reviews") have a broader focus than a systematic review. They aim to locate and summarise all the evidence from research syntheses related to a topic or question.  

This evidence informs guidelines and clinical practice by: 

  • considering different treatment or management options for the same condition 
  • examining the same intervention and condition, but with different outcomes 
  • evaluate the same intervention but when applied to a different condition, situation or population 

Each comparison is considered separately and used to summarise or synthesise the findings. Where appropriate meta-analyses are performed. Umbrella reviews are most useful where an area has been researched extensively. 

Often, umbrella reviews will use only systematic reviews as the eligible study type. 

Generally, there is no search for primary studies and there is an expectation of multiple authors to reduce bias.

  • Integrative reviews

Integrative reviews aggregate experimental data, non-experimental data and theoretical information into a combined synthesis in order to answer specific questions.  

12+ months 

2 or more 

Passive interventions in primary healthcare waiting rooms are effective in promoting healthy lifestyle behaviours: an integrative review.  

Integrative reviews can be useful for informing policy and practice, and for developing theory. Because of the complexity inherent, expect an integrative review to take more than 12 months with a team of at least two reviewers.  

The pool of eligible studies for an integrative review is much larger than for a systematic review exploring a similar area. 

The search strategy for an integrative review should aim to be exhaustive and systematic. Reporting of the search strategy is required for transparency.

* timeframe may vary from this guide, depending on the number of eligible articles included in the review and other demands on the reviewers’ time.

literature review example deakin

Detailed information on different types of literature reviews is covered in " Meeting the review family " (PDF), or the training session " Selecting review type ".

literature review example deakin

Read through the statements below. Drag the review type to match the purpose statements.

Text version

Activity overview

This activity (Match the review type to the review purpose) outlines 7 review purpose statements and a list of 7 review types. Each of the review types can be dragged into a text field next to each purpose statement. The aim of the activity is to match the correct review type to its purpose statement.

Purpose statements

The 7 purpose statements are outlined below. Think about which review type matches each of these statements.

  • Provide fast answers for clients on best evidence
  • Include data from qualitative and quantitative sources
  • Inform and develop new theory and influence policy in healthcare
  • Synthesise all evidence to determine best practice
  • Analyse other reviews to summarise the information in a field
  • Look at a broad topic and identify themes within
  • Provide a topic overview without following clear methodology

The 7 review types are listed below. Can you match each of the review types with their purpose statement above?

  • Traditional reviews
  • Mixed methods reviews

Answers  

The purpose statements match the review types as follows: 

Statement number Statement Review Type letter Review Type
1 Provide fast answers for clients on best evidence b Rapid review
2 Include data from qualitative and quantitative sources f Mixed methods reviews
3 Inform and develop new theory and influence policy in healthcare a Integrative reviews
4 Synthesise all evidence to determine best practice e Systematic reviews
5 Analyse other reviews to summarise the information in a field d Umbrella reviews
6 Look at a broad topic and identify themes within g Scoping reviews
7 Provide a topic overview without following clear methodology c Traditional reviews

Remember and reflect  

Key takeaway.

There are different types of literature reviews. Your selection of a review type depends on your research question, your purpose, and the available resources you have.

Pause and clarify your needs before beginning a literature review. Planning involves determining which review type best responds to your research requirements. Clearly define your research question to evaluate this. Each review type has different strengths and weaknesses. Time constraints and required amount of reviewers are critical to selecting the right review type.

  • << Previous: About
  • Next: Purpose and resources >>
  • Last Updated: Aug 23, 2024 10:25 AM
  • URL: https://deakin.libguides.com/choose-review-module

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

  • Knowledge Base

Methodology

  • How to Write a Literature Review | Guide, Examples, & Templates

How to Write a Literature Review | Guide, Examples, & Templates

Published on January 2, 2023 by Shona McCombes . Revised on September 11, 2023.

What is a literature review? A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources on a specific topic. It provides an overview of current knowledge, allowing you to identify relevant theories, methods, and gaps in the existing research that you can later apply to your paper, thesis, or dissertation topic .

There are five key steps to writing a literature review:

  • Search for relevant literature
  • Evaluate sources
  • Identify themes, debates, and gaps
  • Outline the structure
  • Write your literature review

A good literature review doesn’t just summarize sources—it analyzes, synthesizes , and critically evaluates to give a clear picture of the state of knowledge on the subject.

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Upload your document to correct all your mistakes in minutes

upload-your-document-ai-proofreader

Table of contents

What is the purpose of a literature review, examples of literature reviews, step 1 – search for relevant literature, step 2 – evaluate and select sources, step 3 – identify themes, debates, and gaps, step 4 – outline your literature review’s structure, step 5 – write your literature review, free lecture slides, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions, introduction.

  • Quick Run-through
  • Step 1 & 2

When you write a thesis , dissertation , or research paper , you will likely have to conduct a literature review to situate your research within existing knowledge. The literature review gives you a chance to:

  • Demonstrate your familiarity with the topic and its scholarly context
  • Develop a theoretical framework and methodology for your research
  • Position your work in relation to other researchers and theorists
  • Show how your research addresses a gap or contributes to a debate
  • Evaluate the current state of research and demonstrate your knowledge of the scholarly debates around your topic.

Writing literature reviews is a particularly important skill if you want to apply for graduate school or pursue a career in research. We’ve written a step-by-step guide that you can follow below.

Literature review guide

Receive feedback on language, structure, and formatting

Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on:

  • Academic style
  • Vague sentences
  • Style consistency

See an example

literature review example deakin

Writing literature reviews can be quite challenging! A good starting point could be to look at some examples, depending on what kind of literature review you’d like to write.

  • Example literature review #1: “Why Do People Migrate? A Review of the Theoretical Literature” ( Theoretical literature review about the development of economic migration theory from the 1950s to today.)
  • Example literature review #2: “Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines” ( Methodological literature review about interdisciplinary knowledge acquisition and production.)
  • Example literature review #3: “The Use of Technology in English Language Learning: A Literature Review” ( Thematic literature review about the effects of technology on language acquisition.)
  • Example literature review #4: “Learners’ Listening Comprehension Difficulties in English Language Learning: A Literature Review” ( Chronological literature review about how the concept of listening skills has changed over time.)

You can also check out our templates with literature review examples and sample outlines at the links below.

Download Word doc Download Google doc

Before you begin searching for literature, you need a clearly defined topic .

If you are writing the literature review section of a dissertation or research paper, you will search for literature related to your research problem and questions .

Make a list of keywords

Start by creating a list of keywords related to your research question. Include each of the key concepts or variables you’re interested in, and list any synonyms and related terms. You can add to this list as you discover new keywords in the process of your literature search.

  • Social media, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok
  • Body image, self-perception, self-esteem, mental health
  • Generation Z, teenagers, adolescents, youth

Search for relevant sources

Use your keywords to begin searching for sources. Some useful databases to search for journals and articles include:

  • Your university’s library catalogue
  • Google Scholar
  • Project Muse (humanities and social sciences)
  • Medline (life sciences and biomedicine)
  • EconLit (economics)
  • Inspec (physics, engineering and computer science)

You can also use boolean operators to help narrow down your search.

Make sure to read the abstract to find out whether an article is relevant to your question. When you find a useful book or article, you can check the bibliography to find other relevant sources.

You likely won’t be able to read absolutely everything that has been written on your topic, so it will be necessary to evaluate which sources are most relevant to your research question.

For each publication, ask yourself:

  • 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 conclusions 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?

Make sure the sources you use are credible , and make sure you read any landmark studies and major theories in your field of research.

You can use our template to summarize and evaluate sources you’re thinking about using. Click on either button below to download.

Take notes and cite your sources

As you read, you should also begin the writing process. Take notes that you can later incorporate into the text of your literature review.

It is important to keep track of your sources with citations to avoid plagiarism . It can be helpful to make an annotated bibliography , where you compile full citation information and write a paragraph of summary and analysis for each source. This helps you remember what you read and saves time later in the process.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

To begin organizing your literature review’s argument and structure, be sure you understand the connections and relationships between the sources you’ve read. Based on your reading and notes, you can look for:

  • Trends and patterns (in theory, method or results): do certain approaches become more or less popular over time?
  • Themes: what questions or concepts recur across the literature?
  • Debates, conflicts and contradictions: where do sources disagree?
  • Pivotal publications: are there any influential theories or studies that changed the direction of the field?
  • Gaps: what is missing from the literature? Are there weaknesses that need to be addressed?

This step will help you work out the structure of your literature review and (if applicable) show how your own research will contribute to existing knowledge.

  • Most research has focused on young women.
  • There is an increasing interest in the visual aspects of social media.
  • But there is still a lack of robust research on highly visual platforms like Instagram and Snapchat—this is a gap that you could address in your own research.

There are various approaches to organizing the body of a literature review. Depending on the length of your literature review, you can combine several of these strategies (for example, your overall structure might be thematic, but each theme is discussed chronologically).

Chronological

The simplest approach is to trace the development of the topic over time. However, if you choose this strategy, be careful to avoid simply listing and summarizing sources in order.

Try to analyze patterns, turning points and key debates that have shaped the direction of the field. Give your interpretation of how and why certain developments occurred.

If you have found some recurring central themes, you can organize your literature review into subsections that address different aspects of the topic.

For example, if you are reviewing literature about inequalities in migrant health outcomes, key themes might include healthcare policy, language barriers, cultural attitudes, legal status, and economic access.

Methodological

If you draw your sources from different disciplines or fields that use a variety of research methods , you might want to compare the results and conclusions that emerge from different approaches. For example:

  • Look at what results have emerged in qualitative versus quantitative research
  • Discuss how the topic has been approached by empirical versus theoretical scholarship
  • Divide the literature into sociological, historical, and cultural sources

Theoretical

A literature review is often the foundation for a theoretical framework . You can use it to discuss various theories, models, and definitions of key concepts.

You might argue for the relevance of a specific theoretical approach, or combine various theoretical concepts to create a framework for your research.

Like any other academic text , your literature review should have an introduction , a main body, and a conclusion . What you include in each depends on the objective of your literature review.

The introduction should clearly establish the focus and purpose of the literature review.

Depending on the length of your literature review, you might want to divide the body into subsections. You can use a subheading for each theme, time period, or methodological approach.

As you write, you can follow these tips:

  • Summarize and synthesize: give an overview of the main points of each source and combine them into a coherent whole
  • Analyze and interpret: don’t just paraphrase other researchers — add your own interpretations where possible, discussing the significance of findings in relation to the literature as a whole
  • Critically evaluate: mention the strengths and weaknesses of your sources
  • Write in well-structured paragraphs: use transition words and topic sentences to draw connections, comparisons and contrasts

In the conclusion, you should summarize the key findings you have taken from the literature and emphasize their significance.

When you’ve finished writing and revising your literature review, don’t forget to proofread thoroughly before submitting. Not a language expert? Check out Scribbr’s professional proofreading services !

This article has been adapted into lecture slides that you can use to teach your students about writing a literature review.

Scribbr slides are free to use, customize, and distribute for educational purposes.

Open Google Slides Download PowerPoint

If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

  • Sampling methods
  • Simple random sampling
  • Stratified sampling
  • Cluster sampling
  • Likert scales
  • Reproducibility

 Statistics

  • Null hypothesis
  • Statistical power
  • Probability distribution
  • Effect size
  • Poisson distribution

Research bias

  • Optimism bias
  • Cognitive bias
  • Implicit bias
  • Hawthorne effect
  • Anchoring bias
  • Explicit bias

A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources (such as books, journal articles, and theses) related to a specific topic or research question .

It is often written as part of a thesis, dissertation , or research paper , in order to situate your work in relation to existing knowledge.

There are several reasons to conduct a literature review at the beginning of a research project:

  • To familiarize yourself with the current state of knowledge on your topic
  • To ensure that you’re not just repeating what others have already done
  • To identify gaps in knowledge and unresolved problems that your research can address
  • To develop your theoretical framework and methodology
  • To provide an overview of the key findings and debates on the topic

Writing the literature review shows your reader how your work relates to existing research and what new insights it will contribute.

The literature review usually comes near the beginning of your thesis or dissertation . After the introduction , it grounds your research in a scholarly field and leads directly to your theoretical framework or methodology .

A literature review is a survey of credible sources on a topic, often used in dissertations , theses, and research papers . Literature reviews give an overview of knowledge on a subject, helping you identify relevant theories and methods, as well as gaps in existing research. Literature reviews are set up similarly to other  academic texts , with an introduction , a main body, and a conclusion .

An  annotated bibliography is a list of  source references that has a short description (called an annotation ) for each of the sources. It is often assigned as part of the research process for a  paper .  

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

McCombes, S. (2023, September 11). How to Write a Literature Review | Guide, Examples, & Templates. Scribbr. Retrieved August 26, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/dissertation/literature-review/

Is this article helpful?

Shona McCombes

Shona McCombes

Other students also liked, what is a theoretical framework | guide to organizing, what is a research methodology | steps & tips, how to write a research proposal | examples & templates, "i thought ai proofreading was useless but..".

I've been using Scribbr for years now and I know it's a service that won't disappoint. It does a good job spotting mistakes”

IMAGES

  1. Dissertation Literature Review Sample by Lit Review Samples

    literature review example deakin

  2. Literature Review

    literature review example deakin

  3. Literature Review Example (PDF + Template)

    literature review example deakin

  4. Literature-review-sample-and-language-tips Deakin-Study-Support

    literature review example deakin

  5. Dissertation Literature Review Sample

    literature review example deakin

  6. #how to write a paper #writing a research paper #kindergarten writing paper

    literature review example deakin

VIDEO

  1. What is Literature Review?

  2. 10X Faster literature review With Lateral |AI Tools

  3. Literature Review Process (With Example)

  4. Writing A Literature Review In Six Simple Steps

  5. Literature review structure and AI tools

  6. What is Literature Review?

COMMENTS

  1. Review: William Kent Krueger and Mindy Mejia's new mysteries hunt

    On first glance it might seem that Minnesota authors William Kent Krueger and Mindy Mejia's latest novels have little in common. Krueger's "Spirit Crossing" is a stellar example of eco ...

  2. PDF Literature Review

    things we don't see. Below is some extracts from an example of a very short literature review for an undergraduate assignment. As you progress into Honours, Masters or a Higher Degree by Research, you will be expected to write much longer and more detailed reviews. Sample literature review . Assignment instructions: You are required to ...

  3. Literature review

    The purpose of a literature review is to locate peer-reviewed sources that inform you of key ideas in your field of study. By 'literature' we mean books, academic journal articles and other sources. The information you gather from reading these sources can then be used to identify potential gaps in knowledge or to investigate new issues ...

  4. Lit review examples

    Send grades to CloudDeakin Gradebook: No

  5. PDF Literature review

    A literature search and a literature review are therefore the foundation upon which to build research. The search delivers the building blocks and the review demonstrates a detailed awareness of the nature of the information. Together they result in a comprehensive

  6. Systematic and systematic-like review toolkit

    Example review. Smoking Cessation for People Living With HIV/AIDS: A Literature Review and Synthesis. Further reading. This editorial piece notes that traditional narrative reviews are better for some topics due to their broader coverage but could benefit from by drawing on the rigour of systematic reviews. Collins, J. A., & Fauser, B. C. J. M ...

  7. Literature Review Sample and Language Tips

    Literature-review-sample-and-language-tips_Deakin-Study-Support - Free download as PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read online for free. The student literature review summarizes research on 18-year-olds' voting patterns in Australia since 2004. It finds that while early research showed low youth engagement, more recent studies have found both increasing involvement and declining turnout ...

  8. Honours:Lit review examples

    A scoping review is an example of a traditional review style. It summarises existing work to determine what is known but then critically evaluates research gaps to set a future research agenda. See below for an example of a scoping review: Retail food environments research in Canada: A scoping review

  9. Arts/Ed

    A literature review is an exploration of the published literature on a particular topic. By "literature" we mean books, academic journal articles, book chapters, and other sources. It is different to an essay in that it does not require you to build an argument on a particular issue. Rather it requires you to analyse and evaluate key ...

  10. Plan your literature search

    Plan your literature search. Just like conducting a higher degree by research (HDR) project, a comprehensive literature search starts with effective planning. A literature search plan can: Ensure your literature searching is comprehensive. Prompt you to think critically. Guide your searching to focus on your topic.

  11. HDR Literature Review Plan

    Developing a comprehensive literature review is one of the first steps of your HDR journey. While your research methods may vary from your peers, the approach to a high-quality literature review is very similar. This guide contains information from your librarians to help you develop your literature review. Read through the outlines below to ...

  12. Examples and Further Information

    An example of a literature review in stages, from annotated bibliography to lit review, may be found at: ... W. Writing a Short Literature Review. A published, peer-reviewed literature review from the JSTOR database may be found at the link below: Allen, R.C. (1996). ... Deakin University. (2009). Literature Review. Geelong, Victoria, Australia ...

  13. Manage your data

    Managing your data is an incredibly important part of any research project, even your literature review. Deakin broadly defines research data as: All data collected, observed, or created by researchers in the course of their work, for the purposes of analysis to produce original research results. All researchers are responsible for managing ...

  14. PDF Notetaking matrix for writing a literature review

    tetaking matrix for writing a literature review In a literature review, you are looking at a wide range of. terature to find commonalities and differences. Complete this notet. ing matrix for each source that you will review.After completing the matrix for a number of sources, place them side by side so you can easily s. the similarities and ...

  15. HDR Literature Review Plan

    To become an expert at finding theses, complete the online module: Exploring Library Resources: Theses on the Library HDR and Researcher Training CloudDeakin site. To access the site: Visit the CloudDeakin homepage: https://d2l.deakin.edu.au/d2l/home. Click the Self Registration menu on the right. Click on the unit "Library HDR and Researcher ...

  16. Literature-review-sample-and-language-tips Deakin-Study-Support

    Writing a literature review deakin.edu/study-support Language tip: Linking ideas A literature review should flow between sentences as well as paragraphs. One way to connect each theme to the next, is to use linking phrases to show agreement and disagreement between studies. Examples of phrases that you can use to express agreement:

  17. Literature

    The Deakin Library has produced a guide outlining what a literature review is, along with some useful resources to help along the way. Learn how to approach your literature review. Last updated: March 5, 2023 (7:37pm) Page custodian: Faculty of Health. Find out about literature searching, using Endnote and help on writing your literature review,

  18. Literature Review Example Deakin

    Literature Review Example Deakin - Free download as PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read online for free. literature review example deakin

  19. Literature-review-sample-and-language-tips Deakin-Study-Support

    Writing a literature review deakin/study-support Literature Review The purpose of a literature review is to look at what has been done and use that information to design new research on the 'blank spots or blind spots'- the things that might be missing or the things we don't see. Below is some extracts from an example of a very short ...

  20. Writing for research

    Dr Vittoria Grossi from Study Support offers advice on approaching a Literature Review for research students.

  21. Sample Literature Reviews

    Steps for Conducting a Lit Review; Finding "The Literature" Organizing/Writing; APA Style This link opens in a new window; Chicago: Notes Bibliography This link opens in a new window; MLA Style This link opens in a new window; Sample Literature Reviews. Sample Lit Reviews from Communication Arts; Have an exemplary literature review? Get Help!

  22. Literature review modules for health research

    These modules cover three key areas essential for starting the review process. Designed for health research students and researchers, the modules aim to impart knowledge and skills for conducting various types of literature reviews, such as systematic, rapid and scoping reviews. Users can work asynchronously, exploring modules as needed or ...

  23. Review Types

    Example review . Smoking Cessation for People Living With HIV/AIDS: A Literature Review and Synthesis More information . Traditional literature reviews (also known as narrative reviews) are unlikely to be published as stand-alone pieces of work. Instead, they provide context for subsequent work and form a smaller part of a larger piece.

  24. How to Write a Literature Review

    Examples of literature reviews. Step 1 - Search for relevant literature. Step 2 - Evaluate and select sources. Step 3 - Identify themes, debates, and gaps. Step 4 - Outline your literature review's structure. Step 5 - Write your literature review.