Literature Reviews: How to Research & Write Literature Reviews

Writing a literature review takes time, so plan ahead. You’ll need time to find good sources using the library, read and analyze them, decide which sources to include, organize them in a logical way, cite them correctly, and write the review itself

If you are unfamiliar with using library resources, or if you are new to researching a specialized topic, you should set aside time to meet with a librarian.

Page Contents:

• Step 1: Gather Sources
• Step 2: Analyze Sources
• Step 3: Write your Literature Review

Step 1: Gather Sources
 

To write a literature review, you first need to gather secondary sources that address the topic by exploring relevant databases. If you are unsure where to start, review the Introduction to Library Research page or the Research Guides by Subject.

You may also want to search for professional literature reviews in your discipline to get an idea of what it should look like. For instructions see How to Find Literature Reviews.

Step 2: Analyze Sources

At this stage, you should carefully read the sources you find and analyze them to select the ones that will be included in your review. To analyze the sources you should: 

• Identify the thesis or main point of each source and ensure that the item is directly relevant to your research. For more information, read the Evaluate Your Sources section on the Introduction to Library Research guide .

• Group your sources into sub-categories that are most logical given the topic (e.g. by theme, time period, movement, notable individuals, etc.) and that can form a logical structure for your narrative. To help collect and organize your sources, you may consider using a bibliographic management tool such as Zotero.

• Review the bibliographies and notes in each source and identify the most frequently cited authors and material that both validates and challenges other research on the topic. You can search for sources found in bibliographies and notes using the instructions in the following library pages:

  • Finding Articles

• Obtain additional books and articles written by any frequently cited authors by search the library's catalog, and by using WorldCat and Google Scholar in conjunction with interlibrary loan services as necessary.

• Repeat these steps with any new sources you find. You can slow your search when you find that the sources are referring back to one another instead of leading you to new material.

Step 3: Write your Literature Review
 

Your literature review will likely answer many of the following questions. Be sure to read your assignment's prompt for specific requirements and check with your professor about what content should be included in your literature review.

• Summarize your key findings. Provide an overview of the themes that emerged during your source analysis.
• Analyze and interpret the sources by discussing their significance:
  • What themes emerged?
  • Which sources or group of sources present stronger/weaker arguments/theories and why?
  • Does the time of the writing matter – e.g. does an author writing 50 years ago have a different approach than someone writing more recently, and why? 
• Consider how the sources complement, contradict, or support one another.
• Explain how your review fits into existing research on this issue:
  • How does each source or group of sources contribute to knowledge on this topic?
  • Do the authors claim that a topic needs more research?
  • What questions about this topic have not been addressed or examined closely enough?
  • What perspectives are missing? 
• Create a bibliography of all the sources you used in your literature review. See the library’s Citing Sources guide for information about citing properly in a variety of styles.

For additional help writing literature reviews, make an appointment with a tutor at the Writing Center.