How to Write a Literature Review – Comprehensive Guide

When starting any new research, a scientist first asks himself what is already known about the problem under consideration. Scientific papers are often based on predecessors’ works, gradually expanding and deepening existing knowledge rather than refuting them and offering something fundamentally new.

The literature review places the current study in the context of existing knowledge. The rationale for the research question is based on what is currently known, what gaps exist in that knowledge, and why it is important to fill those gaps. The main purpose of a literature review in a scientific article is to avoid spending effort, time, and money on rediscovering already-known facts.

Features of a good literature review

There is an opinion that a good literature review should be large. Thirty sheets and a hundred sources are weighty. In fact, even if size is important, it cannot be the only quality indicator. The signs of a good literature review are:

• Relevance to the research topic. The main purpose of a review is to tell what is known about a particular issue. To be distracted by extraneous matters simply confuses the reader and demonstrates to the reviewer a lack of logic and common sense.
• Sufficient breadth and depth of coverage. The main word here may be sufficient. The review should include all important works on the research topic. However, don’t start ab ovo. If you are going to refrain from debating with luminaries and refute established theories, focus on the key works of recent years.
• Consistency and clarity. Starting with a characterization of a broad scientific field, narrow the focus to a specific problem. The reader should understand how the works cited relate to each other and to the current research.
• Brevity. The scope of a literature review is a controversial issue; there are no uniform standards. It is important that the reader stays concentrated and maintains the train of thought.
• Analysis and synthesis. A review is not the same as a simple retelling of sources. Having paid tribute to his predecessors, the author must identify a gap in the existing body of knowledge, justify the research question and ways to solve the problem.

A literature review should be done before starting the study and, of course, before writing the article. Despite the apparent obviousness of this requirement, it is not always observed. For aspiring scientists, a literature review sometimes seems like icing on the cake to be thrown in at the last minute.

However, planning scientific work without knowing what your predecessors have already done is a big risk. Before planning a study, you need to make sure that the question you want to answer is really relevant.

Procedure for working on a literature review

Experienced researchers advise acting according to plan. By starting your review with a broad perspective and gradually narrowing your focus, you can ensure that you don’t miss anything important or include anything unnecessary.

It is wise to begin your literature review with sources that address key issues on the topic. These include:

• Textbooks. It is recommended to choose those that have gone through several reprints. They give a general idea of the existing body of knowledge. A good textbook shows the main ideas and concepts, their criticism and mentions works that have made significant contributions to the topic being studied. It is these works that will be the next stage of the literature review. Please note that no textbook reports on recent research, in this sense, it is only a starting point.
• Encyclopedias and reference books, especially specialized thematic publications. Their articles provide a brief overview of the topic’s current state and provide links to sources that discuss the issue in more detail. The works referenced in textbooks, encyclopedias, and reference books are fundamental.

After studying the main authoritative sources, you need to find out what new has appeared in the scientific field since their publication. To do this, they turn to logs and databases. First of all, look for review and analytical articles.

Do not exclude works that contradict your results and conclusions from your literature review. In the interests of the development of science, such conflicts need to be discussed and not dismissed out of hand.

Once your manuscript is complete, review recent publications to ensure that all of the latest research in your field is covered.

Finding sources for a literature review

In the modern world, a vast amount of scientific literature is published. If there is no system in the search, there is a serious risk of missing essential resources and wasting a lot of time on unimportant ones.

To search for sources, use:

• Library catalogs. If you know the author’s last name, his works can be found in the alphabetical catalog. The subject catalog offers a search by work titles and keywords.
• Currently, library catalogs exist not only in paper but also in electronic form. You can enter the electronic catalog from any computer; you don’t have to go to the library to search.
• Electronic catalogs can unite all libraries of a city and even a region. They contain not only paper but also electronic sources. You can find textbooks, monographs, dissertations, abstracts, and periodicals in the catalogs.
• Database. They are large aggregators of scientific publications around the world. The most popular are Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Open-access articles can be found on Sci-Hub. Standing apart is Pubmed, which accumulates publications on biology and medicine.
• Publications that are not publicly available can be found on ResearchGate, a free social network used by scientists worldwide. Through it, you can contact the author of the desired article and ask for private access.
• Online search. To find sources for an online literature review, first use your topic and keywords.
• The best way to expand your range of sources is to use the bibliography of the articles you have already found.

Searching for sources of information for a literature review outside your field of study can yield exciting results and lead to non-trivial ideas. The amount of interdisciplinary research in modern science is growing rapidly.

You can use paper cards or electronic files to keep records. Whenever you take notes, include the source (preferably in a specific citation style), the main idea, and the keyword it relates to. Don’t limit yourself to simple copying when collecting material. Express your thoughts in your own words and show how the quotes relate to the topic of your work.

How to write a literature review

When the main material has been collected, it is time to structure the information and present it in the form of a coherent text. A review is not a simple listing of sources and a statement of facts. He must present an analysis, identify trends, and justify the theoretical basis of his own research.

It is logical to begin the literature review by defining the scope of the study and posing the main research questions. Identify the problem and show that it really is relevant. Tell us what approaches to solving the problem exist and what new things you yourself offer.

Maintain logic and consistency. Each work under consideration must be related to the previous and subsequent ones. Works can be grouped by the time or place of research, the position of the authors, or other characteristics.

Do not quote large chunks of text unless absolutely necessary. Formulate the main points of the authors and connect them with your work. Remember that the purpose of a literature review is not to retell sources but to analyze and describe the overall picture.

The writing style should correspond to the nature of the target audience:

• If you are writing a dissertation, your audience is your supervisor, the university’s scientific council, or the highest certification commission. The style must comply with established rules.
• Publication in the journal must consider editorial requirements and readers’ interests. Articles by other authors in the same publication can serve as a guide.
• If a book is written for a wide audience, then its goal is to attract as many people as possible with different backgrounds and interests. Humor and living examples are very appropriate here.

Read the article on how to write a good introduction for a research paper. 

How to cite correctly in a literature review

One of the most important points that determine the quality of a scientific text in general and, especially, a literature review is a correct citation. Its purpose is to provide the reader with enough information so that he can find the source and conduct a critical analysis on his own without relying solely on the opinion of the author of the article.

Errors when quoting can be classified into two classes: incorrect indication of the source and shortcomings in the quotation formatting. In the first case, a serious problem arises since the reader cannot find the source at all using the specified link. In the second case, we are talking about incorrect use of punctuation marks, errors in names, titles and similar inaccuracies. You can still find the source using such a link, but it requires a lot of effort.

How not to overload your work with quotes and at the same time prevent plagiarism?

• Cite only those sources that you really consider necessary. You don’t need to transfer bibliographies from referenced articles into your work automatically. This leads to citation errors wandering from one article to another and never being corrected. Some authors limit themselves to reading abstracts, which also cannot be considered correct. If you have not read the entire source, do not cite it.
• Select reputable authors and articles from peer-reviewed journals: these sources have been reviewed by serious experts and can be relied upon.
• Don’t quote friends and colleagues just because they ask you to. If you want to be taken seriously, your own approach to research must be appropriate. One of the worst things that spoils the reputation of a scientist is the presence of sources in the reference list that are not related to the research.

How do you know if the number of citations is enough? Imagine that your article is being read by a university graduate or graduate student. Will he be able to understand your ideas well by studying the sources cited in the article?

At the same time, the number of links should not be excessive. I think many people have come across articles whose bibliographic lists take up more space than the text itself. There is an opinion that an author who has shoveled a mountain of literature deserves trust and respect. Before adding a dozen more sources to the citation list, consider whether reading all of these articles will be useful.

All of the above applies to self-citation. It is appropriate to cite your own work only when it actually helps to understand the issues discussed in the current work.

Conclusion

The main criteria for the quality of a literary review are simple language, logical development of the narrative, and clarity of argumentation. To see if your review matches them, do a simple test. Ask a scientist who is not an expert in your field of science to read the text. If he finds it interesting and understandable, the goal has been achieved.

Start your literature review with basic resources such as textbooks, encyclopedias, and reference books. Study the sources they cite. Then, move on to searching industry magazines and databases. Pay maximum attention to publications from recent years.

In terms of content, a good literature review should show that:

• the author is familiar with previous works on the topic;
• he understands their strengths and weaknesses;
• the research question posed does reflect an existing knowledge gap;
• convincing arguments are made about why it is important to fill this gap.

The volume and style of the review must correspond to the target audience’s needs: an article for a specialized journal, a dissertation, and a popular science book have different requirements.

Most importantly, do not forget that the review must be logically connected with other parts of the work. The analytical review of the literature includes the methods and design of the study, statistical processing of the data obtained, and a discussion of the results obtained.