How to Write the Literature Review Chapter of a Thesis

A literature review is the second chapter of a thesis. It is an analysis of academic sources that give a synopsis of the existing knowledge, enabling the scholar to recognize and outline significant philosophies, methodology, and identification of gaps in the existing research on a particular topic. It involves reviewing a collection of the most relevant and important publications related to that specific topic with the aim of providing a comprehensive examination of what has been studied on the topic; and by whom the study was conducted.

The major elements to consider when writing a literature review include a description of the publication or source and a summary of its main ideas, discussing the research gaps identified from the sources, and evaluating how the sources contribute to the research topic.

The Purpose of a Literature Review

Conducting a literature review at the beginning of research is very important for the following reasons;

• It demonstrates knowledge and proves to the reader that the scholar has read the existing research on the topic, understands what they are talking about, and are aware of the current trends related to the research topic.
• A thorough literature review helps prevent repetition of what has already been done by other researchers.
• Conducting an extensive review on the existing literature about a particular topic helps in identifying gaps and unresolved situations that can be further researched on. It highlights what is currently missing from the existing research, and explains how one’s research will fill those gaps or resolve the problems.
• It forms the basis for scholars to develop their theoretical framework and design methodology to use during research.
• Literature review helps in giving an overview of the main findings and arguments related to the research topic.
• Writing a literature review for a thesis provides a justification for the research topic, shows how one’s thesis relates to existing research, and what new insights it will contribute to the body of knowledge in that field.

Factors to Consider when Choosing a Literature to Review

Not every source or publication qualifies to be reviewed and used in a thesis. The existing literature must be analytically appraised before being reviewed. Factors to consider when choosing which works to review include the uniqueness of the sources, methodology, credibility of the publication, the authors objectivity, the tone, persuasiveness of the arguments, and the significance of the literature to the research topic and the entire field of knowledge.

Steps to Follow when Writing Literature Review

writing the literature review chapter for a thesis involves collecting relevant sources such as books and journals, objectively examining them, and explaining the findings. The process is made up of the following steps:

1. Searching for Relevant Literature

Once the scholar has clearly defined their research topic, they should search literature that is related to their research problem, objectives, and questions. In a situation that requires the literature review to be written as an independent assignment, one has to select an area or subject of focus and generate a fundamental question to guide their research.

2. Analyze and Select Relevant Sources

Because it is not possible to read absolutely everything that is already existing on the research topic, one has to evaluate and select the sources that are relevant in answering the research questions and achieving the objectives. Before settling for any sources to be reviewed, the scholar must ascertain that, it answers the research question, the main concepts are relevant, and that the publication significantly contributes to a better understanding of the research topic. Main insights and arguments, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the existing research must be outlined.

The credibility of each source selected should not be compromised. The topic of research and the discipline determines the scope of review. Reading the publications should be accompanied by note-taking. The notes taken can later be incorporated in the literature review. For each source, it is recommendable to compile complete citation information, write a summary and analyze data from each.

3. Identification of Gaps, Themes, and Arguments

Understanding the relationship between the sources and the research topic helps in organizing the structure and argument of the literature review. The points noted in the second step should help in identifying patterns and trends, recurring concepts or themes, debates and contradiction, influential theories, and gaps in the literature. In addition to showing the contribution of one’s research to the existing knowledge, this step also helps in designing the structure for the literature review.

4. Outline the Structure for the Literature Review Chapter

Before starting to write the paper, it is important to choose the strategy to use in organizing the main text of the review. The approach to be used depends on the length of the literature review, and includes chronological, thematic, methodological, and theoretical approaches.

5. Writing the Literature Review

The literature review comprises of the introduction, main body, and a conclusion. The contents of each section are determined by the general objective of the review, as discussed below.

• Introduction

When writing the introduction for a literature review, one should make sure that the focus and purpose of the chapter is clearly established. As the second chapter of a thesis, it is important to re-state the research problem, question, and briefly summarize the academic concepts obtained.

• The Body

The body of the literature review can be divided into subsections depending on its length. One should summarize the major points obtained from each source and synthesize them into a comprehensible document, analyze and interpret the findings, mention the strengths and weaknesses of the sources, and write down well-structured paragraphs.

• Conclusion

The main findings obtained from the literature review should be summarized and their importance emphasized.

Characteristics of an Effective Literature Review

The following are some of the features that an effective literature review possesses.

• Accuracy

A research that lacks accuracy also lacks validity and generalizability. In every step of the literature review, all the references should be accurately written down. Accuracy adds to the reliability and replicability of one’s research.

• Control

A research paper should be controlled and everything added to it is pre-planned, does not happen by chance. After choosing the research topic, the research process should be orderly till the end, measuring the consequences of each step on the overall research objective. In addition, the scholar should be able to regulate the external factors that could affect the research.

• Clarity

Clarity is an essential element of a research paper; without which it becomes incomprehensible to the reader. The literature review chapter can be made clear through the right choice of words, excellent grammar and usage, adopting the right style of academic writing, and avoiding ambiguities.

• Validity

The validity of a research paper is its actual strength. This is the most important characteristic that one should emphasize on when conducting a research.

• Brevity

Only the relevant and original content should be included in the research paper. Being concise with the literature review enhances the readers understanding. One does not have to stuff the paper with unnecessary details without adhering to the word limit requirements given by the institution.

• Verifiability

The scholar should be able to prove and verify the information included in the literature review chapter without leaving any loopholes.

• Generalizability

One should be able to generalize the research findings or apply them to a larger society or the study population.

Tips for Writing a Literature Review Chapter

The rules outlined below provides guidance on how to write a literature review chapter of a thesis.

1. Audience and Topic Determination

Before starting to review literature, the scholar must first define the topic that they want to review. There are so many topics in modern science to choose from. However, an excellent literature review can only result from a well-considered topic which has the following features:

• It must be interesting to the scholar
• The topic must be relevant in one’s field of study
• The issue presented in the topic must be well-defined

After choosing the topic for which to conduct a literature review, the audience should be clearly defined. Nevertheless, the audience is in most cases automatically defined by the chosen topic.

2. Conduct a Search and Re-search for the Literature

Having defined the audience and topic for review, the scholar should proceed to the next step of checking and analyzing the literature. During this checking and re-checking process, one should track the search record to facilitate replication of their search, maintain a list of inaccessible sources that can be retrieved later, adopt a paper management system, and seek previous literature reviews. Even if someone else has already tackled the topic being reviewed, discussing the approaches used, limitations, and conclusions of past reviews can also provide information for the literature review. Changing the point of view and incorporating new material accumulated in the field can also give new insights into an already reviewed topic.

3. Reading should be Done alongside Notetaking

It is recommendable to write down notes on interesting data and perceptions on the way to order the review while reading. This saves one the stress of having to recall who wrote what, and the impressions got when reading the materials if one has to take notes later. Taking notes while reading makes the work easier because by the time one is done reading through the literature, they will already have a rough draft of the review, which only requires rewriting and restructuring to form a logical argument. This refining is easier compared to starting everything from a blank paper, having spent time reading without writing anything.

4. Choosing the Type of Review to Write

With the notes taken while reading, there is a general idea pertaining the quantity of information available for review. This knowledge gives one an opportunity to make a decision on whether to conduct a full or a mini literature review. A mini-review is capable of getting more attention from readers with busy schedules because it simplifies some issues and is also shorter. However, due to space limitations, mini-reviews may leave out some relevant material.

A full review, on the other hand, gives the freedom of analyzing in detail the complex theories and concepts of a particular topic. However, the document may be too long and monotonous and some readers may never get time to read through. One can also choose between descriptive vs integrative, or narrative vs systematic reviews. The factors influencing the choice of review to be done include the nature of information retrieved for review, preferences of the target journals, time frames given for writing the review, and the number of co-authors.

5. Maintaining the Focus and Broad Interest of the Review

Despite the type of review, it has to be focused without just including pieces of information just because it is available. As an essential characteristic of an excellent literature review, focus must be well blended with the need to make the review significantly relevant to larger audience. This balance can be achieved through giving a discussion of the implications of the topic being reviewed to other disciplines.

6. Being Consistent

A good review summarizes and discusses the literature, identifies problems related to the methodology, and highlights gaps in the existing research. from reading the review, the reader should get to understand the main accomplishments in the field reviewed, main arguments, and possible research questions arising from the literature review. Successfully conducting an effective literature review requires consistency and critical thinking. In case of challenges, one should consider involving coauthors for an excellent review.

7. Present the Review in a Logical Structure

A good review should have a well-defined structure demonstrating the introduction of the context, the main body, and the conclusion. The course of the main text should be organized to make reader drawn in and guided when reading through the literature review.

8. Use Feedback

Feedback is very important for one to write an excellent review because it helps in improving the review draft before submitting it. When reviewers read it from a fresh mind perspective, they are able to identify inaccuracies, inconsistencies, or ambiguities that had not been noticed by the one writing the review. In order to obtain a diversity of opinions, one should seek feedback from various peers. This helps in reaching a consensus view on the issue being researched.

9. Objectively Include Own Research that is Relevant

Without bias, literature reviewers should include their own contribution to the field objectively, without leaning too much on their findings in the review even when they are not relevant to the topic. One should also be keen not to tone down their own findings even when they carry great importance to the review field. This objectivity differentiates between reviewers who can produce a well-organized methodological literature review chapter, with a clear course and logical sequence of ideas, and comprehensible to the readers.

10. Know the Current Trends in the Subject Field

In the contemporary world, technical research papers are being published continuously and very fast and it is possible for a review to be declared outdated even before being published. It is therefore important that literature reviewers get continually updated on the latest research and current trends, in addition to the overall direction and accomplishment of a research field.

However, it can be challenging to assess the role of new literature materials because there is no much perception or point of view from which to measure their importance and influence on the society.

Things to Remember When Writing a Thesis’ Literature Review

In every step of the review it is important for the scholar to remember the following:

• Always re-count each part of the literature review back to the research questions and objectives.
• It is not right to only include research that agree with one’s opinion and perspective. The conflicting results and theoretical positions must also be included in the literature review.
• There should be coherence and logical course in the sections of the review, each demonstrating a relationship with each other as well as the purpose of the research.
• One should be able to demonstrate their understanding and ability to accurately describe the review without relying on direct quotes.

Mistakes to Avoid when Writing Literature Review

Because of the objective difficulties in searching for literature and the processing of large volumes of data, this is considered the most difficult chapter of a thesis by most scholars. Some prefer writing the paper without seeking writing help from literature review writing experts. However, others decide to get a literature review writing service by hiring a person to write a thesis literature review for them. Whichever option the scholar might choose, he/she must be keen to avoid the following mistakes before submitting the paper.

• Not Having the Basic Idea on Why the Review

Articulating the main idea and the purpose of conducting the literature review should be the first thing that comes to the scholar’s mind before beginning to write the review. This must be done so as to describe what has already been addressed in previous researches and determine the role of the current research in adding insights and knowledge to the research topic.

• Lack of the Need to Conduct the Research

Without justification for the need for research, it would be a waste of time and energy to conduct one. The scholar must be able to identify and justify a gap that necessitates the need for further research in that particular field. The literature review should generally justify the need for conducting the research. Omitting this important point leads to writing a review chapter that lacks the main idea.

• Using the Wrong Structure to Present the Review

Using an irregular structure is a great mistake in writing the literature review because it can change the reads perception on the paper and its contents.

• Using Incorrect Writing Style

All academic writing works should be written in a logical writing style without any use of informal words and expressions.

• Including Irrelevant Content

The literature review chapter of a thesis should comprise of only the correct content, that corresponds to the research topic and answers the main questions of the study. Committing such a mistake implies that the one does not really know what they are doing.

• Failing to Meet the Supervisor’s Expectations

The supervisor’s expectations for the review must be understood because it is him/her who evaluates what the scholar has written. Failing to write satisfactorily can lead to poor grades and wastage of resources in case one has to repeat the course.

• Non-compliance with Required Number of Pages

The number of pages for a literature review chapter depends on the academic level. However, it is prudent to discuss with the supervisor and get their opinion about the volume required for the paper.

• Using Wrong Formatting Style

The links to the sources used for the review should be correctly formatted according to the guidelines given by the institution or department.

• Using Incorrect or Incomplete Bibliography

Most supervisors give much attention to the list of references for the literature sources. It is therefore very important to make sure that the share of foreign literature sources, number, age, and completeness of the review sources are correctly accounted for.

• Ignoring the Deadline for Submission

Untimely submission of the literature review can negatively affect the scholars grade even when the paper is of high quality. This is because it is their mistake that they failed to comply to the timelines given by their supervisors or departments.

Despite being considered the most difficult chapter of a thesis, the literature review gives the foundation for one’s research and career. It is therefore important to take enough time to read through as many sources as possible, depending on their relevance in one’s the topic of research. The notes taken during the reading session eases the task of putting together the information to form a coherent structure.

One should pay attention to organizing the references to demonstrate how their research problem evolves from the already existing research. For the scholars who may find it difficult to write this chapter from the scratch, they should seek writing help from a literature review writer. They can also buy a thesis literature review chapter that is custom-written to meet their needs. Editing and proofreading the chapter should be thoroughly done before submission.