What is a Literature Review? How to Write It (with Examples)

A literature review is a critical analysis and synthesis of existing research on a particular topic. It provides an overview of the current state of knowledge, identifies gaps, and highlights key findings in the literature.¹ The purpose of a literature review is to situate your own research within the context of existing scholarship, demonstrating your understanding of the topic and showing how your work contributes to the ongoing conversation in the field. Learning how to write a literature review is a critical tool for successful research. Your ability to summarize and synthesize prior research pertaining to a certain topic demonstrates your grasp on the topic of study, and assists in the learning process. If you’re new to this, understanding the literature review meaning helps set the stage for your research journey.

What is a literature review?

A well-conducted literature review in research demonstrates the researcher’s familiarity with the existing literature, establishes the context for their own research, and contributes to scholarly conversations on the topic. It’s essential for answering the question: what is literature review in research and why is it a fundamental step in the academic writing process. One of the purposes of a literature review is also to help researchers avoid duplicating previous work and ensure that their research is informed by and builds upon the existing body of knowledge.

What is the purpose of literature review?

A literature review in research serves several important purposes within academic and research contexts. Here are some key objectives and functions of a review of literature in research:²

• Contextualizing the Research Problem: The literature review provides a background and context for the research problem under investigation. It helps to situate the study within the existing body of knowledge.
• Identifying Gaps in Knowledge: By identifying gaps, contradictions, or areas requiring further research, the researcher can shape the research question and justify the significance of the study. This is crucial for ensuring that the new research contributes something novel to the field
• Understanding Theoretical and Conceptual Frameworks: Review of literature in research helps researchers gain an understanding of the theoretical and conceptual frameworks used in previous studies. This aids in the development of a theoretical framework for the current research.
• Providing Methodological Insights: Another purpose of literature reviews is that it allows researchers to learn about the methodologies employed in previous studies. This can help in choosing appropriate research methods for the current study and avoiding pitfalls that others may have encountered.
• Establishing Credibility: A well-conducted literature review demonstrates the researcher’s familiarity with existing scholarship, establishing their credibility and expertise in the field. It also helps in building a solid foundation for the new research.
• Informing Hypotheses or Research Questions: The literature review guides the formulation of hypotheses or research questions by highlighting relevant findings and areas of uncertainty in existing literature.

Literature Review Example

Let’s delve deeper with a review of related literature example: Let’s say your literature review is about the impact of climate change on biodiversity.

You might format your literature review into sections such as the effects of climate change on habitat loss and species extinction, phenological changes, and marine biodiversity. Each section would then summarize and analyze relevant studies in those areas, highlighting key findings and identifying gaps in the research. The review would conclude by emphasizing the need for further research on specific aspects of the relationship between climate change and biodiversity.

The following literature review template provides a glimpse into the recommended literature review structure and content, demonstrating how research findings are organized around specific themes within a broader topic. 

How to write a good literature review?

Writing a literature review involves summarizing and synthesizing existing research on a particular topic. A good literature review format should include the following elements. 

Introduction: The introduction sets the stage for your literature review, providing context and introducing the main focus of your review. 

• Opening Statement: Begin with a general statement about the broader topic and its significance in the field.
• Scope and Purpose: Clearly define the scope of your literature review. Explain the specific research question or objective you aim to address.
• Organizational Framework: Briefly outline the structure of your literature review, indicating how you will categorize and discuss the existing research.
• Significance of the Study: Highlight why your literature review is important and how it contributes to the understanding of the chosen topic.
• Thesis Statement: Conclude the introduction with a concise thesis statement that outlines the main argument or perspective you will develop in the body of the literature review.

Body: The body of the literature review is where you provide a comprehensive analysis of existing literature, grouping studies based on themes, methodologies, or other relevant criteria. 

• Organize by Theme or Concept: Group studies that share common themes, concepts, or methodologies. Discuss each theme or concept in detail, summarizing key findings and identifying gaps or areas of disagreement.
• Critical Analysis: Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each study. Discuss the methodologies used, the quality of evidence, and the overall contribution of each work to the understanding of the topic.
• Synthesis of Findings: Synthesize the information from different studies to highlight trends, patterns, or areas of consensus in the literature.
• Identification of Gaps: Discuss any gaps or limitations in the existing research and explain how your review contributes to filling these gaps.
• Transition between Sections: Provide smooth transitions between different themes or concepts to maintain the flow of your literature review.

Conclusion: The conclusion of your literature review should summarize the main findings, highlight the contributions of the review, and suggest avenues for future research. 

• Summary of Key Findings: Recap the main findings from the literature and restate how they contribute to your research question or objective.
• Contributions to the Field: Discuss the overall contribution of your literature review to the existing knowledge in the field.
• Implications and Applications: Explore the practical implications of the findings and suggest how they might impact future research or practice.
• Recommendations for Future Research: Identify areas that require further investigation and propose potential directions for future research in the field.
• Final Thoughts: Conclude with a final reflection on the importance of your literature review and its relevance to the broader academic community.

How to conduct a literature review?

Conducting a literature review is an essential step in research that involves reviewing and analyzing existing literature on a specific topic. It’s important to know what is literature review in research and how to do one effectively. Here are the steps to follow:¹ 

Choose a Topic and Define the Research Question

Select a topic that is relevant to your field of study. Clearly define your research question or objective. Determine what specific aspect of the topic do you want to explore. 

Decide on the Scope of Your Review

Determine the timeframe for your literature review. Are you focusing on recent developments, or do you want a historical overview? Consider the geographical scope. Is your review global, or are you focusing on a specific region? Define the inclusion and exclusion criteria. What types of sources will you include? Are there specific types of studies or publications you will exclude? 

Select Databases for Literature Search

Identify relevant databases for your field. Consider searching in library catalogs, institutional repositories, and specialized databases related to your topic. Develop a systematic search strategy using keywords, Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT), and other search techniques. Record and document your search strategy for transparency and replicability. 

For an accelerated literature search, you can choose Paperpal’s AI Reference Finder and identify relevant literature from 250 million research papers. Ask a research question and Paperpal will answer it with a detailed summary followed by a list of research papers relevant to the topic. 

 

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Keep track of the articles, including publication details, abstracts, and links. To organize relevant references, you can just add the research papers to the citation library to refer to them later in your research phase.  

Review the Literature

Evaluate the relevance and quality of each source. Consider the methodology, sample size, and results of studies. Summarize key findings and arguments from each source. Compare and contrast different perspectives. Identify areas where there is a consensus in the literature and where there are conflicting opinions. Provide critical analysis and synthesis of the literature. What are the strengths and weaknesses of existing research? 

On Paperpal, you can find and chat with PDFs available in our repository of 250M+ research articles or upload any PDF on Paperpal and chat with it—from research papers to your own notes—and derive relevant insights. Once uploaded, Paperpal analyzes your PDF, generates a summary with all the critical points covered. 

Paperpal also suggests questions you can ask about your PDF. You can use these suggestions or create your own custom questions to get specific insights.

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Organize and Write Your Literature Review

Literature review outline should be based on themes, chronological order, or methodological approaches. Write a clear and coherent narrative that synthesizes the information gathered with Paperpal AI Writing Assistant.

Step 1: Upload your notes on the AI writing assistant using the attachment option on the bottom right of your web editor.

Step 2: Use the pre-set AI writing prompt to draft a literature review or add specific details using a custom prompts. 

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Step 3. Use the output generated as a starting point; refine text further using other AI writing prompts to create an impactful literature review.

Use proper citations for each source and ensure consistency in your citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.). Conclude your literature review by summarizing key findings, identifying gaps, and suggesting areas for future research. 

The literature review sample and detailed advice on writing and conducting a review will help you produce a well-structured report. But remember that a literature review is an ongoing process, and it may be necessary to revisit and update it as your research progresses. 

Frequently asked questions:

How do I choose credible and relevant sources for my literature review?

Focus on peer-reviewed journal articles, academic books, and reputable publishers. Evaluate each source for authority, accuracy, currency, and relevance to your research question. Avoid non-scholarly sites unless they offer essential context or primary data. 

What tools can I use to manage citations in a literature review?

Citation managers like Zotero, Mendeley, and EndNote help organize references and format them in your preferred style. You can also use Paperpal’s Citation Tool to save, manage, and quickly insert citations while writing—streamlining your entire literature review process. 

What are the differences between systematic, narrative, and other types of literature reviews?

A systematic review follows a strict, transparent protocol defining specific inclusion criteria and systematically searching all relevant studies. A narrative review is more flexible and thematic, offering a broad overview without strict selection rules. Other types, like scoping or meta-analysis, differ in scope and analytical depth scoping maps for broad topics, while meta-analyses use statistical methods to combine study results. 

How can I effectively synthesize findings from multiple studies in my literature review?

Start by grouping studies with similar themes or findings. Summarize key points, compare differing perspectives, and highlight patterns or contradictions. Use your own words to connect insights across sources, showing how they relate to each other and to your research focus. 

What databases or resources are best for conducting a literature review?

Use academic databases like PubMed, Web of Science, JSTOR, and ERIC, depending on your field. Tools like Google Scholar and library catalogs are also helpful. For a faster, smarter search, try Paperpal’s AI Reference Finder—it scans 250M+ research papers to instantly surface relevant sources for your topic. 

References 

1. Denney, A. S., & Tewksbury, R. (2013). How to write a literature review. Journal of criminal justice education, 24(2), 218-234.
2. Pan, M. L. (2016). Preparing literature reviews: Qualitative and quantitative approaches. Taylor & Francis.
3. Cantero, C. (2019). How to write a literature review. San José State University Writing Center.

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