literature review table template

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Common Assignments: Literature Review Matrix

Literature review matrix.

As you read and evaluate your literature there are several different ways to organize your research. Courtesy of Dr. Gary Burkholder in the School of Psychology, these sample matrices are one option to help organize your articles. These documents allow you to compile details about your sources, such as the foundational theories, methodologies, and conclusions; begin to note similarities among the authors; and retrieve citation information for easy insertion within a document.

You can review the sample matrixes to see a completed form or download the blank matrix for your own use.

• Literature Review Matrix 1 This PDF file provides a sample literature review matrix.
• Literature Review Matrix 2 This PDF file provides a sample literature review matrix.
• Literature Review Matrix Template (Word)
• Literature Review Matrix Template (Excel)

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• Volume 24, Issue 2
• Five tips for developing useful literature summary tables for writing review articles
• Article Text
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• http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0157-5319 Ahtisham Younas 1 , 2 ,
• http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7839-8130 Parveen Ali 3 , 4
• 1 Memorial University of Newfoundland , St John's , Newfoundland , Canada
• 2 Swat College of Nursing , Pakistan
• 3 School of Nursing and Midwifery , University of Sheffield , Sheffield , South Yorkshire , UK
• 4 Sheffield University Interpersonal Violence Research Group , Sheffield University , Sheffield , UK
• Correspondence to Ahtisham Younas, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, NL A1C 5C4, Canada; ay6133{at}mun.ca

https://doi.org/10.1136/ebnurs-2021-103417

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Introduction

Literature reviews offer a critical synthesis of empirical and theoretical literature to assess the strength of evidence, develop guidelines for practice and policymaking, and identify areas for future research. 1 It is often essential and usually the first task in any research endeavour, particularly in masters or doctoral level education. For effective data extraction and rigorous synthesis in reviews, the use of literature summary tables is of utmost importance. A literature summary table provides a synopsis of an included article. It succinctly presents its purpose, methods, findings and other relevant information pertinent to the review. The aim of developing these literature summary tables is to provide the reader with the information at one glance. Since there are multiple types of reviews (eg, systematic, integrative, scoping, critical and mixed methods) with distinct purposes and techniques, 2 there could be various approaches for developing literature summary tables making it a complex task specialty for the novice researchers or reviewers. Here, we offer five tips for authors of the review articles, relevant to all types of reviews, for creating useful and relevant literature summary tables. We also provide examples from our published reviews to illustrate how useful literature summary tables can be developed and what sort of information should be provided.

Tip 1: provide detailed information about frameworks and methods

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Tabular literature summaries from a scoping review. Source: Rasheed et al . 3

The provision of information about conceptual and theoretical frameworks and methods is useful for several reasons. First, in quantitative (reviews synthesising the results of quantitative studies) and mixed reviews (reviews synthesising the results of both qualitative and quantitative studies to address a mixed review question), it allows the readers to assess the congruence of the core findings and methods with the adapted framework and tested assumptions. In qualitative reviews (reviews synthesising results of qualitative studies), this information is beneficial for readers to recognise the underlying philosophical and paradigmatic stance of the authors of the included articles. For example, imagine the authors of an article, included in a review, used phenomenological inquiry for their research. In that case, the review authors and the readers of the review need to know what kind of (transcendental or hermeneutic) philosophical stance guided the inquiry. Review authors should, therefore, include the philosophical stance in their literature summary for the particular article. Second, information about frameworks and methods enables review authors and readers to judge the quality of the research, which allows for discerning the strengths and limitations of the article. For example, if authors of an included article intended to develop a new scale and test its psychometric properties. To achieve this aim, they used a convenience sample of 150 participants and performed exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on the same sample. Such an approach would indicate a flawed methodology because EFA and CFA should not be conducted on the same sample. The review authors must include this information in their summary table. Omitting this information from a summary could lead to the inclusion of a flawed article in the review, thereby jeopardising the review’s rigour.

Tip 2: include strengths and limitations for each article

Critical appraisal of individual articles included in a review is crucial for increasing the rigour of the review. Despite using various templates for critical appraisal, authors often do not provide detailed information about each reviewed article’s strengths and limitations. Merely noting the quality score based on standardised critical appraisal templates is not adequate because the readers should be able to identify the reasons for assigning a weak or moderate rating. Many recent critical appraisal checklists (eg, Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool) discourage review authors from assigning a quality score and recommend noting the main strengths and limitations of included studies. It is also vital that methodological and conceptual limitations and strengths of the articles included in the review are provided because not all review articles include empirical research papers. Rather some review synthesises the theoretical aspects of articles. Providing information about conceptual limitations is also important for readers to judge the quality of foundations of the research. For example, if you included a mixed-methods study in the review, reporting the methodological and conceptual limitations about ‘integration’ is critical for evaluating the study’s strength. Suppose the authors only collected qualitative and quantitative data and did not state the intent and timing of integration. In that case, the strength of the study is weak. Integration only occurred at the levels of data collection. However, integration may not have occurred at the analysis, interpretation and reporting levels.

Tip 3: write conceptual contribution of each reviewed article

While reading and evaluating review papers, we have observed that many review authors only provide core results of the article included in a review and do not explain the conceptual contribution offered by the included article. We refer to conceptual contribution as a description of how the article’s key results contribute towards the development of potential codes, themes or subthemes, or emerging patterns that are reported as the review findings. For example, the authors of a review article noted that one of the research articles included in their review demonstrated the usefulness of case studies and reflective logs as strategies for fostering compassion in nursing students. The conceptual contribution of this research article could be that experiential learning is one way to teach compassion to nursing students, as supported by case studies and reflective logs. This conceptual contribution of the article should be mentioned in the literature summary table. Delineating each reviewed article’s conceptual contribution is particularly beneficial in qualitative reviews, mixed-methods reviews, and critical reviews that often focus on developing models and describing or explaining various phenomena. Figure 2 offers an example of a literature summary table. 4

Tabular literature summaries from a critical review. Source: Younas and Maddigan. 4

Tip 4: compose potential themes from each article during summary writing

While developing literature summary tables, many authors use themes or subthemes reported in the given articles as the key results of their own review. Such an approach prevents the review authors from understanding the article’s conceptual contribution, developing rigorous synthesis and drawing reasonable interpretations of results from an individual article. Ultimately, it affects the generation of novel review findings. For example, one of the articles about women’s healthcare-seeking behaviours in developing countries reported a theme ‘social-cultural determinants of health as precursors of delays’. Instead of using this theme as one of the review findings, the reviewers should read and interpret beyond the given description in an article, compare and contrast themes, findings from one article with findings and themes from another article to find similarities and differences and to understand and explain bigger picture for their readers. Therefore, while developing literature summary tables, think twice before using the predeveloped themes. Including your themes in the summary tables (see figure 1 ) demonstrates to the readers that a robust method of data extraction and synthesis has been followed.

Tip 5: create your personalised template for literature summaries

Often templates are available for data extraction and development of literature summary tables. The available templates may be in the form of a table, chart or a structured framework that extracts some essential information about every article. The commonly used information may include authors, purpose, methods, key results and quality scores. While extracting all relevant information is important, such templates should be tailored to meet the needs of the individuals’ review. For example, for a review about the effectiveness of healthcare interventions, a literature summary table must include information about the intervention, its type, content timing, duration, setting, effectiveness, negative consequences, and receivers and implementers’ experiences of its usage. Similarly, literature summary tables for articles included in a meta-synthesis must include information about the participants’ characteristics, research context and conceptual contribution of each reviewed article so as to help the reader make an informed decision about the usefulness or lack of usefulness of the individual article in the review and the whole review.

In conclusion, narrative or systematic reviews are almost always conducted as a part of any educational project (thesis or dissertation) or academic or clinical research. Literature reviews are the foundation of research on a given topic. Robust and high-quality reviews play an instrumental role in guiding research, practice and policymaking. However, the quality of reviews is also contingent on rigorous data extraction and synthesis, which require developing literature summaries. We have outlined five tips that could enhance the quality of the data extraction and synthesis process by developing useful literature summaries.

• Aromataris E ,
• Rasheed SP ,

Twitter @Ahtisham04, @parveenazamali

Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

Competing interests None declared.

Patient consent for publication Not required.

Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

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Literature Review Templates

50 smart literature review templates (apa).

A literary review template is a type of written work that discusses published information about a specific subject matter. The length of the review doesn’t matter. It can be as simple as a summary of sources or can be as long as several pages. An outline for literature review can also evaluate these sources and advise to the readers regarding what’s relevant depending on certain conditions.

Table of Contents

• 1 Literature Review Templates
• 2 Why do you need a literature review template?
• 3 Literature Review Formats
• 4 Tips for creating a literature review template
• 5 Outlines For Literature Review
• 6 Compose the literature review
• 7 Strategies for composing your literature review template

Why do you need a literature review template?

A literary review template can serve as a guide about a specific topic. If you’re under time constraints to conduct more research, a literature review outline example can do you good as it provides you with an overview of what you intend to research on.

Even professionals of various fields rely on literary reviews to keep them updated in terms of what’s current in their fields. As for scholars, they can detect a writer’s credibility in a certain field by reading their literature review format. You can also use these works as a foundation for the investigation of a research paper.

Literature Review Formats

Tips for creating a literature review template

Literary review templates are surveys of scholarly sources on a specific subject matter. It gives a general summary of information relevant to a certain research problem or question. Here are the steps to follow when creating a literary review.

• Gather, assess, and choose the appropriate literature Before researching for literature for a review, you must have a topic that’s narrowly-defined. If you were to write a review for some research work or dissertation, you have to gather information related to the research problem or question. Having to understand the state of knowledge of your subject is the first step in creating your outline for literature review. Composing a literature review outline example for stand-alone research shouldn’t be that difficult. You only have to a good focus, then come up with a question that directs your search. This should be an answerable question without the need to generate or collect new data. Start the process by making a list of relevant keywords for the research topic in question. Based on the list, whenever you discover useful articles, check your list of references to find other relevant articles. During this process, you can identify any significant publications which didn’t show up when you performed a keyword search through recurring citations. It’s impossible for you to read all the available sources about a single topic. The best thing to do first is to read the abstract and determine if the articles are of any use. You have to do some evaluations on which of the sources are of value and relevant to the question. Also, make sure to only choose credible sources. Make it a point to read major theories and landmark studies in the field of your research. Logically, your scope of work depends upon the discipline and topic you have chosen. Make it a habit of writing down notes while you’re reading. Later on, you can incorporate these notes in your literature review format. Also, consider keeping track of the sources you have cited to avoid any consequential plagiarism cases. Making an annotated bibliography is a good suggestion. Include here a written paragraph for the summary and the analysis for each cited source. This can also be very helpful in reminding you about what you have read.
• Look for themes and connections When you start organizing a literature review format, you should identify the relationships between all of the sources that you have read. Based on what you have read and the notes you have taken, look for: Patterns and trends: Are there approaches which become less or more popular as time goes by? Themes: Identifying concepts or questions that repeat constantly across the different literature. Conflicts, contradictions, and debates: At what points do the sources disagree or agree? Pivotal publications: Identify any influential studies or theories which affected the direction of the field. Gaps: Try looking for answers for the following questions – What’s missing from the literature? Did you find any weaknesses that you need to address? The answers to these questions can help organize the structure of the literary review. If applicable, you can include how your research contributes to the existing knowledge.
• Plan the structure of your literature review template You can organize the whole body of your literary review through various approaches but at this point, you should already have an idea of the strategy you want to use even before writing your review. Depending on how long your review will be, you can use the following strategies: Chronological This is the simplest strategy where you map out the development of your topic over a period of time. If you use this approach, you should avoid merely listing or summarizing your sources chronologically. Make it a point to analyze the patterns, key events, and turning points that have influenced the direction of the field. If possible, give your own ideas about why and how certain developments came to happen. Thematic If you’ve discovered, in the course of your research, some recurring themes, you may organize your literary review into subsections which address the different parts of your topic. Methodology When you’re drawing your sources from various fields or disciplines which use different methods for research, you may end up with different conclusions and results. Perform analysis and try to compare these results that emerged from the different approaches. Theoretical In many cases, a literary review becomes the basis for theoretical frameworks. You may use this to talk about various definitions, theories, and models of important concepts. You may even argue about the significance of a theoretical approach or you can combine different theoretical ideas to come up with your own framework for research.

Outlines For Literature Review

Compose the literature review

The literary review isn’t any different in form from any other kind of academic texts as it also has the basic parts. What you included in each would depend upon your objective for writing the literature review:

• Introduction This part should clearly define the purpose and focus of the review. Dissertation: If you wrote the review as a part of a thesis or dissertation, you must reiterate the research question or central problem. Provide a short summary of the context as well. Stand-Alone: When writing this type of review, provide a short background regarding the topic along with its significance. Talk about the scope you plan to review along with your objective.
• Body If you have a lengthy review, it’s best to divide this part into sub-sections then come up with a subheading for each of them.
• Conclusion State in the conclusion, a summary of the key findings you have derived from the literature and emphasize their significance. Dissertation: Demonstrate how your research can address gaps and how it can contribute to gaining new knowledge. You can also discuss how you have used existing theories and methods to build a framework for your research. Stand-Alone: Discuss the overall effects of the literature or make suggestions for future research based on those gaps you have identified in your review.

Strategies for composing your literature review template

Most people write literature review templates in the sciences although occasionally, some are in the Humanities. In many experiments and laboratory reports, literature reviews constitute a section of the document. At times, some people write the review as the paper itself. Here are some strategies that may prove helpful when tasked to write a literature review:

• Find your focus Although they can differ, a literary review is like a term paper as you would organize both around ideas, not the sources themselves. This means that writing a review is not merely about listing your sources and going into their details one at a time. You also have to consider the themes and issues that connect your sources together.
• Convey your message Literary reviews may not have the usual thesis statement but you still need to inform your readers what to expect. Writing a simple statement is enough to let your readers know what your main organizing principle is.
• Organize the information There are instances when you may need additional sections in your review which are necessary for the study but don’t fit into the body’s organizational strategy. This depends on which sections you want to include. Only put in those that are necessary. To help you out, here are some sections that you may want to include in your review: Current Situation: This refers to the information that’s necessary to easily understand the focus or topic of the review. History: The chronological progression of the field, the literature, or an idea that’s necessary to understand the literature review. Include this only if the body isn’t already arranged chronologically. Methods or Standards: What criteria did you use to choose the sources in your review or the manner in which you want to present the information. Questions for Further Research: Are there questions about your field of research the review had sparked? Based on the review, what steps can you take to advance your research?

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• 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.

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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.

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See an example

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.

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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.

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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
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• Stratified sampling
• Cluster sampling
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Research bias

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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 .  

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Literature Review Basics

• What is a Literature Review?
• Synthesizing Research
• Using Research & Synthesis Tables
• Additional Resources

About the Research and Synthesis Tables

Research Tables and Synthesis Tables are useful tools for organizing and analyzing your research as you assemble your literature review. They represent two different parts of the review process: assembling relevant information and synthesizing it. Use a Research table to compile the main info you need about the items you find in your research -- it's a great thing to have on hand as you take notes on what you read! Then, once you've assembled your research, use the Synthesis table to start charting the similarities/differences and major themes among your collected items.

We've included an Excel file with templates for you to use below; the examples pictured on this page are snapshots from that file.

• Research and Synthesis Table Templates This Excel workbook includes simple templates for creating research tables and synthesis tables. Feel free to download and use!

Using the Research Table

This is an example of a  research table,  in which you provide a basic description of the most important features of the studies, articles, and other items you discover in your research. The table identifies each item according to its author/date of publication, its purpose or thesis, what type of work it is (systematic review, clinical trial, etc.), the level of evidence it represents (which tells you a lot about its impact on the field of study), and its major findings. Your job, when you assemble this information, is to develop a snapshot of what the research shows about the topic of your research question and assess its value (both for the purpose of your work and for general knowledge in the field).

Think of your work on the research table as the foundational step for your analysis of the literature, in which you assemble the information you'll be analyzing and lay the groundwork for thinking about what it means and how it can be used.

Using the Synthesis Table

This is an example of a  synthesis table  or  synthesis matrix , in which you organize and analyze your research by listing each source and indicating whether a given finding or result occurred in a particular study or article ( each row lists an individual source, and each finding has its own column, in which X = yes, blank = no). You can also add or alter the columns to look for shared study populations, sort by level of evidence or source type, etc. The key here is to use the table to provide a simple representation of what the research has found (or not found, as the case may be). Think of a synthesis table as a tool for making comparisons, identifying trends, and locating gaps in the literature.

How do I know which findings to use, or how many to include?  Your research question tells you which findings are of interest in your research, so work from your research question to decide what needs to go in each Finding header, and how many findings are necessary. The number is up to you; again, you can alter this table by adding or deleting columns to match what you're actually looking for in your analysis. You should also, of course, be guided by what's actually present in the material your research turns up!

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20 FREE Literature Review Templates and Examples

When writing a thesis or dissertation, one of the most important segments you will prepare is the literature review. This chapter allows you to analyze and break down written work as it relates to your own research. In this article, we tell you everything that goes into preparing it.

What Is a Literature Review Template?

A Literature Review Template is a formatted document that allows you to capture the available scholarly sources on a given topic of research. It outlines the methods, gaps, and theories in the research while analyzing your understanding of the subject.

Literature Review Templates & Examples

Essential Elements of a Literature Review Template

Since a literary review is a typical academic document, it contains the three basic parts of such texts: the introduction, body, and conclusion. These segments contain the following elements:

• Introduction – Defines the focus and purpose of the review. If the review is a stand-alone, the introduction should give a brief background of the topic. If the review is part of a dissertation or thesis, the intro should capture the research problem or question.
• Body – This is the main content of the review. If the body is lengthy, you should break it into several subheadings.
• Conclusion – The conclusion should summarize the key findings gained from analyzing the literature and explain their effects on future research. For a review within a dissertation, this section should explain how your research can bridge any gaps or provide new knowledge.

Why Write a Literature Review?

Now that you know what a literature review is, here are the main reasons it is prepared:

• To gain and demonstrate an understanding of the current state of a research topic.
• To build a theoretical framework to be used in empirical testing.
• To determine the gaps in a piece of literature and explain how your research bridges them, thus, justifying your research topic.
• To form a criterion for selecting methodological and measurement processes.

How to Write a Literature Review

Preparing a literature review is a long process requiring keen focus, but it is easier when working from a Literature Review Template. Below are the three steps you need for the task:

Step 1: Select the Ideal Literature

Start by locating all the existing research on your topic that could help answer your primary questions. Some strategies for this step include:

• Scanning Google Scholar – Google’s academic search engine – for the articles that apply to your research. Use keywords for the best results.
• Reading other dissertations related to your research. You can access these through databases like Open Access Theses & Dissertations, Stanford SearchWorks, and ProQuest.
• Visiting your University’s database to read through the major journals available in the institution’s online library.
• Running down the references listed at the end of academic journal articles.

Step 2: Analyze the Data

Next, digest and analyze the information you have gathered in step 1. It is natural for this step to take long as your thoughts develop and you identify new sources. Once you have everything you need, follow these three sub-steps to organize the data:

1 . Log the Data

Find a suitable reference manager and load all the articles you read into it. Do so even when you think a piece is irrelevant to your research, as you might need it later.

2. Create a Catalogue

You will notice that the articles are numerous, and you cannot possibly remember the content and context of each item. So, use Excel to create a catalog of the articles and sort them, complete with the following columns:

• Title, author, date
• Keywords or categories
• Main arguments
• Methodology quotations

3. Synthesize The Information

Review the information in your mind to unearth a pattern and create a big-picture link to your research. You can use the following points to synthesize the information:

• The points of agreement and disagreement for leading researchers.
• Gaps in the current research.
• The development of the research over time.
• Answers to your research question as provided by the existing research.

Step 3: Write the Review

Finally, create an outline for your review and then work on an initial draft. Remember that the first draft need not be perfect as long as it captures all your thoughts.

Rule 1: Always define the topic and audience of your review Rule 2: Research the literature widely Rule 3: Write a focused review, but maintain a broad interest Rule 4: Write consistently and critically Rule 5: Include your research but remain objective

Step 1: Identify your topic Step 2: Search for literature Step 3: Read and analyze the selected articles Step 4: Identify patterns and organize your data Step 5: Formulate a purpose statement or thesis Step 6: Write the review Step 7: Review the work

Try to keep informational or historical information (like information from websites) out of your review. If you must include it in your dissertation, place it in the introductory or background section. Additionally, avoid using direct quotes and extended quotations.

No, you should never write a literature review in the first person.

The number of sources you use for a literature review will depend on several factors, such as your scholarship level and the nature of your research. According to Canberra University, a good model to use when determining length is: Doctoral thesis: 50 plus sources Master’s thesis: 40 plus sources Honors dissertation: 20 plus sources Undergraduate review: 5 to 20 sources

Generally, a literature review should account for 10 to 20 percent of your thesis, dissertation, or research paper. For example, in a thesis, the review could be 6,000 to 12,000 words long, depending on the subject.

A Literature Review Template helps you survey the scholarly sources – e.g., theses, books, and journal articles – that cover a given research topic. It could be prepared as part of a research paper, thesis, or dissertation as context for the existing information. Regardless of where it is used, a literary review should be extensively researched, accurately analyzed, and expertly summarized.

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📋 SLR Template

A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) template is a structured framework used for conducting and documenting a systematic review of existing research studies on a specific topic or research question. Systematic literature reviews are commonly used in academic and research settings to provide a comprehensive and unbiased summary of the available literature on a particular subject. Here's a template for conducting a systematic literature review:

Systematic Literature Review (SLR) Template

Provide a clear and descriptive title for your systematic literature review.

2. Objective:

State the main research question or objectives of the systematic literature review.

3. Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria:

Define the criteria for selecting and excluding studies. This may include criteria related to publication date, study design, geographic location, and relevance to the research question.

4. Search Strategy:

Describe the search strategy used to identify relevant studies, including databases searched, search terms, and any filters or limits applied.

5. Study Selection Process:

Outline the process for screening and selecting studies, including how duplicates were handled and the number of reviewers involved.

6. Data Extraction:

Specify the data extraction process, including the data items collected from each selected study (e.g., author, publication year, study design, key findings).

7. Quality Assessment:

Explain how the quality or risk of bias of the included studies was assessed (e.g., using quality assessment tools or scales).

8. Data Synthesis:

Describe how the data from the selected studies were synthesized and analyzed. This may include narrative synthesis, meta-analysis, or thematic analysis.

9. Results:

Present the main findings of the systematic literature review, including key themes, trends, and conclusions drawn from the included studies.

10. Discussion: - Interpret the results in the context of the research question and objectives. Discuss the implications of the findings and any limitations of the review.

11. Conclusion: - Summarize the main contributions of the systematic literature review and provide recommendations for future research or practice.

12. References: - List all the studies included in the systematic literature review following a consistent citation style (e.g., APA, MLA).

13. Appendices: - Include any supplementary materials, such as flowcharts of the study selection process or data extraction forms.

14. Acknowledgments: - If applicable, acknowledge individuals or organizations that provided support or assistance during the review process.

This template can serve as a guide for conducting and documenting a systematic literature review in a structured and transparent manner. Adapt it to your specific research topic and requirements, and ensure that your systematic literature review adheres to established guidelines and best practices in the field.

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Nursing and Allied Health: Building a Summary Table or Synthesis Matrix

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Building a Summary Table or Synthesis Matrix

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• Simplifying Synthesis | Download the Article PDF Copy
• Writing a Literature Review and Using a Synthesis Matrix

What a Summary Table or Synthesis Matrix looks like

Use the "Literature Review Matrix Template" as a guideline to help you sort through your thoughts, note important points and think through the similarities and differences: 

You are organizing the review by ideas and not by sources .  The literature review is not just a summary of the already published works.  Your synthesis should show how various articles are linked. 

A summary table is also called a synthesis matrix.  The table helps you organize and compare information for your systematic review, scholarly report, dissertation or thesis

Synthesis Matrix.

A summary table is also called a synthesis matrix . A summary table helps you record the main points of each source and document how sources relate to each other. After summarizing and evaluating your sources, arrange them in a matrix to help you see how they relate to each other, and apply to each of your themes or variables.

Faculty who typically guide students find it challenging to help students learn how to synthesize material (Blondy, Blakesless, Scheffer, Rubenfeld, Cronin, & Luster-Turner, 2016; Kearney, 2015) .  Writers  can easily summarize material but seem to struggle to adequately synthesize knowledge about their topic and express that in their writing. So, whether you are writing a student papers, dissertations, or scholarly report it is necessary to learn a few tips and tricks to organize your ideas.

Building a summary table and developing solid synthesis skills is important for nurses, nurse practitioners, and allied health researchers.  Quality evidence-based practice initiatives and nursing care and medicine are based on understanding and evaluating the resources and research available, identifying gaps, and building a strong foundation for future work.

Good synthesis is about putting the data gathered, references read, and literature analyzed together in a new way that shows connections and relationships. ( Shellenbarger, 2016 ). The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines synthesis as something that is made by combining different things or the composition or combination of parts or elements so as to form a whole (Synthesis, n.d.).  

In other words, building a summary table or synthesis matrix  involves taking information from a variety of sources, evaluating that information and forming new ideas or insights in an original way.  This can be a new and potentially challenging experience for students and researchers who are used to just repeating what is already in the literature.

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Nursing Literature Reviews

• Literature and Other Types of Reviews
• Starting Your Search
• Developing a Research Question and the Literature Search Process
• Conducting a Literature Search
• Levels of Evidence
• Creating a PRISMA Table
• Literature Table and Synthesis
• Other Resources

About Literature Tables and Writing a Synthesis

A literature table is a way to organize the articles you've selected for inclusion in your publication. There are many different types of literature tables-the main thing is to determine the important pieces that help draw out the comparisons and contrasts between the articles included in your review. The first few columns should include the basic info about the article (title, authors, journal), publication year, and the purpose of the paper.

While the table is a step to help you organize the articles you've selected for your research, the literature synthesis can take many forms and can have multiple parts. This largely depends on what type of review you've undertaken. Look back at the examples under Literature and Other Types of Reviews to see examples of different types of reviews.

• Example of Literature Table

Examples of Literature Tables

Camak, D.J. (2015), Addressing the burden of stroke caregivers: a literature review. J Clin Nurs, 24: 2376-2382. doi: 10.1111/jocn.12884

Balcombe, L., Miller, C., & McGuiness, W. (2017). Approaches to the application and removal of compression therapy: A literature review. British Journal of Community Nursing , 22 , S6–S14. https://doi-org.proxy1.cl.msu.edu/10.12968/bjcn.2017.22.Sup10.S6

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What Will You Do Differently?

Please help your librarians by filling out this two-minute survey of today's class session..

Professor, this one's for you .

Introduction

Literature reviews take time. here is some general information to know before you start.  .

•  VIDEO -- This video is a great overview of the entire process.  (2020; North Carolina State University Libraries) --The transcript is included --This is for everyone; ignore the mention of "graduate students" --9.5 minutes, and every second is important  
• OVERVIEW -- Read this page from Purdue's OWL. It's not long, and gives some tips to fill in what you just learned from the video.  
• NOT A RESEARCH ARTICLE -- A literature review follows a different style, format, and structure from a research article.  

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How to Conduct a Literature Review (Health Sciences and Beyond)

• What is a Literature Review?
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Review Matrix

• Reference Management

Using a spreadsheet or table to organize the key elements (e.g. subjects, methodologies, results) of articles/books you plan to use in your literature review can be helpful. This is called a review matrix.

When you create a review matrix, the first few columns should include (1) the authors, title, journal, (2) publication year, and (3) purpose of the paper. The remaining columns should identify important aspects of each study such as methodology and findings.

Click on the image below to view a sample review matrix.

You can also download this template as a Microsoft Excel file .

The information on this page is from the book below. The 5th edition is available online through VCU Libraries.

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Literature Review Example/Sample

Detailed Walkthrough + Free Literature Review Template

If you’re working on a dissertation or thesis and are looking for an example of a strong literature review chapter , you’ve come to the right place.

In this video, we walk you through an A-grade literature review from a dissertation that earned full distinction . We start off by discussing the five core sections of a literature review chapter by unpacking our free literature review template . This includes:

• The literature review opening/ introduction section
• The theoretical framework (or foundation of theory)
• The empirical research
• The research gap
• The closing section

We then progress to the sample literature review (from an A-grade Master’s-level dissertation) to show how these concepts are applied in the literature review chapter. You can access the free resources mentioned in this video below.

PS – If you’re working on a dissertation, be sure to also check out our collection of dissertation and thesis examples here .

FAQ: Literature Review Example

Literature review example: frequently asked questions, is the sample literature review real.

Yes. The literature review example is an extract from a Master’s-level dissertation for an MBA program. It has not been edited in any way.

Can I replicate this literature review for my dissertation?

As we discuss in the video, every literature review will be slightly different, depending on the university’s unique requirements, as well as the nature of the research itself. Therefore, you’ll need to tailor your literature review to suit your specific context.

You can learn more about the basics of writing a literature review here .

Where can I find more examples of literature reviews?

The best place to find more examples of literature review chapters would be within dissertation/thesis databases. These databases include dissertations, theses and research projects that have successfully passed the assessment criteria for the respective university, meaning that you have at least some sort of quality assurance. 

The Open Access Thesis Database (OATD) is a good starting point. 

How do I get the literature review template?

You can access our free literature review chapter template here .

Is the template really free?

Yes. There is no cost for the template and you are free to use it as you wish. 

Psst… there’s more!

This post is an extract from our bestselling short course, Literature Review Bootcamp . If you want to work smart, you don't want to miss this .

What will it take for you to guide me in my Ph.D research work?

Thank you so much for all this information. I am unable to download the literature review template and the excel worksheet. When I click the button it takes me to the top of the page. I would really love to use this template, thank you again!

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Be the boss of your literature review

Download this free article summary table template.

When dealing with the literature, summarise the articles you read as you go along. This will ensure that you don't read and forget. Using the Article Summary Table template, you can neatly add a summary of each study to a table. This table is handy because you can easily refer to a specific article without searching through piles of pdfs.

Get the Article Summary Table template in Microsoft Word AND Microsoft Excel - for FREE

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Free Printable Literature Review Templates [PDF, Word, Excel] Systematic, Prisma

While writing your thesis or dissertation, your literature review chapter is one of the most crucial sections you will put together. This is an opportunity for you to lay out all of the prior written work on your subject and then explain how it relates to your research, ideas, and opinions. There are some fairly standard rules in place that all good literary reviews follow.

Table of Contents

What Is a Literature Review?

A literature review summarizes the research that has been done on a particular topic. It’s not just a list of sources; it also provides an overview of what others have found and evaluates their work.

Literature reviews can be used in many different ways. They may be used as background reading before you begin your own research, or they may be compiled after you’ve completed your own work to show how your findings fit into the broader picture.

Literature Review Templates

Conducting a thorough literature review is essential for any research project or academic paper. Our Literature Review Templates provide a structured and organized framework to help you effectively review and analyze scholarly articles, books, and other relevant sources. These templates guide you through the process of identifying key research questions, summarizing and synthesizing existing literature, and identifying gaps and areas for further investigation.

With customizable sections and prompts, you can tailor the template to your specific research topic and methodology. Our printable and editable templates save you time and effort, ensuring a comprehensive and well-structured literature review . Whether you’re a student, researcher, or academic, our Literature Review Templates are valuable tools for advancing your knowledge and contributing to the scholarly conversation in your field.

What is the purpose of a literature review?

A literature review aims to provide an overview of relevant research studies on a particular topic. It gives researchers an understanding of what has been done in the field and how research has been conducted on that topic. By reading literature reviews, researchers can identify areas where there are gaps in knowledge and decide what kind of research should be conducted next.

A systematic review (sometimes called a meta-analysis) is a form of critical appraisal that combines several primary studies into one quantitative summary of the overall results across all studies. It can be used to assess the quality and effectiveness of health care interventions such as drugs or surgery or to evaluate environmental factors such as exposure to chemicals or pollutants.

What are the essential elements of a literature review?

The essential elements of a literature review are the following:

The introduction must clearly state what you intend to accomplish in your paper. It should also include an overview of the subject and its importance about your research. In addition, it should provide a brief history of the topic’s development.

The body contains the main arguments or claims that support your thesis. This section should contain specific examples from sources and include a detailed explanation of how these examples support your argument.

The conclusion should summarize your main points and show how they relate to each other; it should also include any final thoughts or comments on how this information relates to other fields or disciplines within your field of study.

In addition to these basic parts, other elements may be appropriate for different types of papers :

For example, if you are writing an annotated bibliography, include an abstract so that readers can quickly find out what they will learn from reading each source in full.

How to Write a Literature Review

In this section, you will learn how to write a literature review .

The literature review is a crucial part of any research project. In fact, the literature review should be the first thing that you do when planning a research project. It will help inform and focus your thinking about what research questions you want to ask and how they relate to existing research.

The first step in writing a literature review is deciding what literature to include in your review. For example, if your project focuses on social policy, you may need to include books written by sociologists and economists and those by political scientists and anthropologists. If your project focuses on psychology, you should include books written by psychologists, neurologists, biologists, and chemists.

Once you have decided what type of material needs to be included in your review , it is time to start reading! The next step is choosing the most relevant sources for your study and then reading them carefully (and perhaps making notes). You can do this in two ways: reading through an entire book or article or just reading sections of articles or chapters that seem relevant. While reading through an entire book or article can take longer than reading just sections of it.

Next, you’re probably already familiar with the APA style. Many academic journals use it to format papers and provide guidelines for presenting references in your work. Once you decide on the type of paper you want to write, consult with your instructor or supervisor about what style they prefer for their courses and publications. You can also learn more about APA style by reading “Using APA Style: A Pocket Guide” (6th edition).

Once you have organized your notes and completed your research , it is time to write the review. The introduction should include a brief overview of the topic, followed by a literature review summary.

What should not be included in a literature review?

The following are some of the things that should not be included in a literature review:

• Personal opinions and views.
• Defamatory statements or derogatory remarks about any person or organization.
• Personal anecdotes and stories.
• Unrelated information to the topic under discussion, such as personal opinions and views on other subjects, jokes, etc.
• Information that is already published elsewhere and, therefore, not original research by the author(s). This includes published articles, books, websites, etc.

How long should a literature review be?

When you’re writing an academic paper , it’s important to include a literature review. Your professor may want you to write your own or use one of the provided templates. Whatever the case, you’ll need to know how long it should be to get it right.

The answer depends on your instructor’s preferences and your own writing style, but most experts suggest a length of about 500-1,000 words. If your professor has given you a specific word count limit, make sure that you adhere to it exactly. Failure to do so can result in serious consequences, including getting a poor grade or even failing for not following instructions.

Final Thoughts

A literature review is a commentary, not an original work. It is a systematic account of the relevant facts, concepts, principles, and methods found in the topics you are reviewing. Keep your eyes open for the positives and the negatives. However, don’t be overly critical or judgmental. All you really want to do it to draw attention to what findings make the topic relevant to your work.

Along with summarizing some of the most important points of your research question and what your sources say about it, remember to identify any factors that might have contributed to bias in the outcomes of a study if this is relevant to your investigation. Remember there’s no way you can be comprehensive – so don’t even try!

What is a literature review?

A literature review is a comprehensive summary of previous research on a topic. It reviews and synthesizes the current state of knowledge on the subject, identifying key themes, areas of debate, and gaps in the research.

Why is a literature review important?

It provides a foundation for new research, allowing researchers to build on existing knowledge. It also helps to justify the significance of the new study, showing how it contributes to filling the identified gaps or resolving ongoing debates.

What is the structure of a literature review?

A literature review typically has an introduction, a main body, and a conclusion. The introduction presents the scope and objectives, the main body discusses the literature thematically or methodologically, and the conclusion summarizes the key findings and suggests directions for future research.

The length can vary depending on the scope of the topic and the requirements of the project. It could range from a few pages to several dozen pages. It’s important to cover the topic comprehensively while remaining concise and focused.

What types of sources should be included in a literature review?

Sources should be scholarly and relevant to the topic. They may include peer-reviewed journal articles, books, conference papers, theses, and government reports. The inclusion of seminal works and recent publications is crucial.

How do I cite sources in a literature review?

Citations should follow the style guide recommended by your institution or the publication you are submitting to, such as APA, MLA, or Chicago. Ensure consistency in citation style throughout the review.

How can I ensure the quality of my literature review?

Ensuring quality involves a thorough and critical evaluation of the selected literature, coherent organization and synthesis of findings, and clear, concise, and precise writing. Peer feedback and professional editing can also enhance the quality.

What is the difference between a literature review and an annotated bibliography?

An annotated bibliography lists and briefly summarizes sources, whereas a literature review synthesizes and analyzes the literature, discussing themes, methodologies, and findings, and contributing to the scholarly conversation on the topic.

Can a literature review include my opinion?

A literature review should maintain an objective tone and focus on presenting the existing literature. However, critical analysis and interpretation are encouraged, and you may propose new hypotheses or suggestions for future research based on the reviewed literature.

How is a literature review conducted?

Conducting a literature review involves several steps:

• Identifying and refining a research question or topic.
• Searching for relevant literature using academic databases and other sources.
• Selecting and evaluating the quality and relevance of the sources.
• Organizing and synthesizing the findings.
• Writing the review, often with an introduction, main body, and conclusion.

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Writing a Literature Review

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A literature review is a document or section of a document that collects key sources on a topic and discusses those sources in conversation with each other (also called synthesis ). The lit review is an important genre in many disciplines, not just literature (i.e., the study of works of literature such as novels and plays). When we say “literature review” or refer to “the literature,” we are talking about the research ( scholarship ) in a given field. You will often see the terms “the research,” “the scholarship,” and “the literature” used mostly interchangeably.

Where, when, and why would I write a lit review?

There are a number of different situations where you might write a literature review, each with slightly different expectations; different disciplines, too, have field-specific expectations for what a literature review is and does. For instance, in the humanities, authors might include more overt argumentation and interpretation of source material in their literature reviews, whereas in the sciences, authors are more likely to report study designs and results in their literature reviews; these differences reflect these disciplines’ purposes and conventions in scholarship. You should always look at examples from your own discipline and talk to professors or mentors in your field to be sure you understand your discipline’s conventions, for literature reviews as well as for any other genre.

A literature review can be a part of a research paper or scholarly article, usually falling after the introduction and before the research methods sections. In these cases, the lit review just needs to cover scholarship that is important to the issue you are writing about; sometimes it will also cover key sources that informed your research methodology.

Lit reviews can also be standalone pieces, either as assignments in a class or as publications. In a class, a lit review may be assigned to help students familiarize themselves with a topic and with scholarship in their field, get an idea of the other researchers working on the topic they’re interested in, find gaps in existing research in order to propose new projects, and/or develop a theoretical framework and methodology for later research. As a publication, a lit review usually is meant to help make other scholars’ lives easier by collecting and summarizing, synthesizing, and analyzing existing research on a topic. This can be especially helpful for students or scholars getting into a new research area, or for directing an entire community of scholars toward questions that have not yet been answered.

What are the parts of a lit review?

Most lit reviews use a basic introduction-body-conclusion structure; if your lit review is part of a larger paper, the introduction and conclusion pieces may be just a few sentences while you focus most of your attention on the body. If your lit review is a standalone piece, the introduction and conclusion take up more space and give you a place to discuss your goals, research methods, and conclusions separately from where you discuss the literature itself.

Introduction:

• An introductory paragraph that explains what your working topic and thesis is
• A forecast of key topics or texts that will appear in the review
• Potentially, a description of how you found sources and how you analyzed them for inclusion and discussion in the review (more often found in published, standalone literature reviews than in lit review sections in an article or research paper)
• 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 sentence to draw connections, comparisons, and contrasts.

Conclusion:

• Summarize the key findings you have taken from the literature and emphasize their significance
• Connect it back to your primary research question

How should I organize my lit review?

Lit reviews can take many different organizational patterns depending on what you are trying to accomplish with the review. Here are some examples:

• Chronological : The simplest approach is to trace the development of the topic over time, which helps familiarize the audience with the topic (for instance if you are introducing something that is not commonly known in your field). If you choose this strategy, be careful to avoid simply listing and summarizing sources in order. Try to analyze the patterns, turning points, and key debates that have shaped the direction of the field. Give your interpretation of how and why certain developments occurred (as mentioned previously, this may not be appropriate in your discipline — check with a teacher or mentor if you’re unsure).
• Thematic : If you have found some recurring central themes that you will continue working with throughout your piece, you can organize your literature review into subsections that address different aspects of the topic. For example, if you are reviewing literature about women and religion, key themes can include the role of women in churches and the religious attitude towards women.
• Qualitative versus quantitative research
• Empirical versus theoretical scholarship
• Divide the research by sociological, historical, or cultural sources
• Theoretical : In many humanities articles, the literature review is the foundation for the theoretical framework. You can use it to discuss various theories, models, and definitions of key concepts. You can argue for the relevance of a specific theoretical approach or combine various theorical concepts to create a framework for your research.

What are some strategies or tips I can use while writing my lit review?

Any lit review is only as good as the research it discusses; make sure your sources are well-chosen and your research is thorough. Don’t be afraid to do more research if you discover a new thread as you’re writing. More info on the research process is available in our "Conducting Research" resources .

As you’re doing your research, create an annotated bibliography ( see our page on the this type of document ). Much of the information used in an annotated bibliography can be used also in a literature review, so you’ll be not only partially drafting your lit review as you research, but also developing your sense of the larger conversation going on among scholars, professionals, and any other stakeholders in your topic.

Usually you will need to synthesize research rather than just summarizing it. This means drawing connections between sources to create a picture of the scholarly conversation on a topic over time. Many student writers struggle to synthesize because they feel they don’t have anything to add to the scholars they are citing; here are some strategies to help you:

• It often helps to remember that the point of these kinds of syntheses is to show your readers how you understand your research, to help them read the rest of your paper.
• Writing teachers often say synthesis is like hosting a dinner party: imagine all your sources are together in a room, discussing your topic. What are they saying to each other?
• Look at the in-text citations in each paragraph. Are you citing just one source for each paragraph? This usually indicates summary only. When you have multiple sources cited in a paragraph, you are more likely to be synthesizing them (not always, but often
• Read more about synthesis here.

The most interesting literature reviews are often written as arguments (again, as mentioned at the beginning of the page, this is discipline-specific and doesn’t work for all situations). Often, the literature review is where you can establish your research as filling a particular gap or as relevant in a particular way. You have some chance to do this in your introduction in an article, but the literature review section gives a more extended opportunity to establish the conversation in the way you would like your readers to see it. You can choose the intellectual lineage you would like to be part of and whose definitions matter most to your thinking (mostly humanities-specific, but this goes for sciences as well). In addressing these points, you argue for your place in the conversation, which tends to make the lit review more compelling than a simple reporting of other sources.

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10 Best Literature Review Templates for Scholars and Researchers [Free PDF Attached]

Imagine being in a new country and taking a road trip without GPS. You would be so lost. Right? Similarly, think about delving into a topic without having a clue or proper understanding of the reason behind studying it. 

That’s when a well-written literature review comes to the rescue. It provides a proper direction to the topic being studied. 

The literature review furnishes a descriptive overview of the existing knowledge relevant to the research statement. It is a crucial step in the research process as it enables you to establish the theoretical roots of your field of interest, elucidate your ideas, and develop a suitable methodology. A literature review can include information from various sources, such as journals, books, documents, and other academic materials. This promotes in-depth understanding and analytical thinking, thereby helping in critical evaluation.

Regardless of the type of literature review — evaluative, exploratory, instrumental, systematic, and meta-analysis, a well-written article consists of three basic elements: introduction, body, and conclusion. Also its essence blooms in creating new knowledge through the process of review, critique, and synthesis.

But writing a literature review can be difficult. Right?

Relax, our collection of professionally designed templates will leave no room for mistakes or anxious feelings as they will help you present background information concisely. 

10 Designs to Rethink Your Literature Reviews

These designs are fully customizable to help you establish links between your proposition and already existing literature. Our PowerPoint infographics are of the highest quality and contain relevant content. Whether you want to write a short summary or review consisting of several pages, these exclusive layouts will serve the purpose. 

Let’s get started.

Template 1: Literature Review PPT Template

This literature review design is a perfect tool for any student looking to present a summary and critique of knowledge on their research statement. Using this layout, you can discuss theoretical and methodological contributions in the related field. You can also talk about past works, books, study materials, etc. The given PPT design is concise, easy to use, and will help develop a strong framework for problem-solving. Download it today.

Download this template

Template 2: Literature Review PowerPoint Slide

Looking to synthesize your latest findings and present them in a persuasive manner? Our literature review theme will help you narrow relevant information and design a framework for rational investigation. The given PPT design will enable you to present your ideas concisely. From summary details to strengths and shortcomings, this template covers it all. Grab it now.

Template 3: Literature Review Template

Craft a literature review that is both informative and persuasive with this amazing PPT slide. This predesigned layout will help you in presenting the summary of information in an engaging manner. Our themes are specifically designed to aid you in demonstrating your critical thinking and objective evaluation. So don't wait any longer – download our literature review template today.

Template 4: Comprehensive Literature Review PPT Slide

Download this tried-and-true literature review template to present a descriptive summary of your research topic statement. The given PPT layout is replete with relevant content to help you strike a balance between supporting and opposing aspects of an argument. This predesigned slide covers components such as strengths, defects, and methodology. It will assist you in cutting the clutter and focus on what's important. Grab it today.

Template 5: Literature Review for Research Project Proposal PPT

Writing a literature review can be overwhelming and time-consuming, but our project proposal PPT slides make the process much easier. This exclusive graphic will help you gather all the information you need by depicting strengths and weaknesses. It will also assist you in identifying and analyzing the most important aspects of your knowledge sources. With our helpful design, writing a literature review is easy and done. Download it now.

Template 6: Literature Review for Research Project Proposal Template

Present a comprehensive and cohesive overview of the information related to your topic with this stunning PPT slide. The given layout will enable you to put forward the facts and logic to develop a new hypothesis for testing. With this high-quality design, you can enumerate different books and study materials taken into consideration. You can also analyze and emphasize the technique opted for inquiry. Get this literature review PowerPoint presentation template now.

Template 7: Literature Review for Research Paper Proposal PowerPoint Slide

Lay a strong foundation for your research topic with this impressive PowerPoint presentation layout. It is easy to use and fully customizable. This design will help you describe the previous research done. Moreover, you can enlist the strengths and weaknesses of the study clearly. Therefore, grab it now.

Template 8: Literature Review for Research Paper Proposal PPT

Download this high-quality PPT template and write a well-formatted literature review. The given layout is professionally designed and easy to follow. It will enable you to emphasize various elements, such as materials referred to, past work, the list of books, approach for analysis, and more. So why wait? Download this PowerPoint design immediately.

Template 9: Literature Review for Academic Student Research Proposal PPT

With this exclusive graphic, you'll have everything you need to create a well-structured and convincing literature review. The given design is well-suited for students and researchers who wish to mention reliable information sources, such as books and journals, and draw inferences from them. You can even focus on the strong points of your study, thereby making an impactful research statement. Therefore, grab this PPT slide today.

Template 10: Literature Review Overview for Research Process PPT

Demonstrate your analytical skills and understanding of the topic with this predesigned PowerPoint graphic. The given research overview PPT theme is perfect for explaining what has been done in the area of your topic of interest. Using this impressive design, you can provide an accurate comparison showcasing the connections between the different works being reviewed. Get it right away.  

Creating an effective literature review requires discipline, study, and patience. Our collection of templates will assist you in presenting an extensive and cohesive summary of the relevant works. These PPT layouts are professionally designed, fully editable, and visually appealing. You can modify them and create perfect presentations according to your needs. So download them now!

P.S. Are you looking for a way to communicate your individual story? Save your time with these predesigned book report templates featured in this guide . 

Download the free Literature Review Template PDF .

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University of Tasmania, Australia

Literature reviews.

• What is a literature review?
• How to develop a researchable question
• How to find the literature
• Taking notes
• How to bring it all together: examples, templates, links, guides

Preview the text to check for relevance. 

• the abstract
• introduction
• look at any charts, tables, graphs, diagrams

Check the number of times the article has been cited by others. The more times cited, the more important it might be. 

Read more deeply and let this guide the development of your question.

You may find that the more you read, your question changes or you discover a bigger topic or subtopics. 

Do not waste your time using a highlighter. Annotate the page and take notes. 

There are no shortcuts in this part of the process. 

For more information on managing your reading, go to the Study Toolkit in MyLO and check out the Academic Reading  and Writing module. 

Taking Notes

Use a synthesis matrix for note taking. This table c an be as simple or as complicated as you need

Advantages of using a synthesis matrix:

• allows you to  sort the ideas and thoughts while analysing and synthesising the research.
• helps make planning the structure and paragraph order easier 
• allows for paraphrasing and summarising before actually writing
• provides a clearer view of the relationship between different sources
• aids in identifying themes and patterns in the findings and conclusions.
• gives a glance view of each area under scrutiny

  The organisation/headings will change depending on the focus of your review. 

Using a spreadsheet will also help organise your reading and matrix. 

You will find some examples of a synthesis matrix to download at the bottom of this page. 

Example 1. 

C. Hartigan University of Tasmania

Example 2: Organised by themes.

from:  The Thesis Whisperer:Using a matrix to organise your notes

Example 3: Literature Review preparation.

Watch this short clip for some more ideas.  ( APA referencing is used in this clip)

• Synthesis matrix
• Literature Review Prep: Synthesis matrix: Johns Hopkins University
• << Previous: How to find the literature
• Next: How to bring it all together: examples, templates, links, guides >>
• Last Updated: Jun 28, 2024 8:42 AM
• URL: https://utas.libguides.com/literaturereviews

Preprint  

• Preprint essd-2024-249

glenglat: A database of global englacial temperatures

Abstract. Measurements of englacial temperatures have been collected since the earliest years of glaciology, with the first measurements dating back to the mid-19 th century. Although temperature is a defining characteristic of any glacier – and is notoriously laborious to collect – no effort had yet been made to gather all existing measurements. In an attempt to make existing ice temperature data more accessible, we present glenglat, a global database of englacial temperature measurements, compiled from 241 literature sources and nine data submissions and composed of 1142163 measurements of depth and temperature from 690 boreholes located on 186 glaciers outside of the ice sheets. Alongside recent compilations for the ice sheets (Løkkegaard et al., 2023; Vandecrux et al., 2023), most published englacial temperature measurements are now readily available to the research community.

Here, we review the variety of glacier thermal regimes that have been measured and summarize the spatial, temporal, and climatic coverage of measurements relative to global glacierized area. Measurements of cold and polythermal glacier ice greatly outnumber those of temperate ice. Overall, temperature has been measured in fewer than 1 ‰ of all glaciers, and only 20 % of borehole locations have been measured more than once, highlighting the large potential to investigate changing temperature conditions by repeating past measurements. The database is developed on GitHub ( www.github.com/mjacqu/glenglat ) and published to Zenodo ( https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13334175 ; Jacquemart and Welty, 2024). It consists of four relational tables and detailed machine-actionable and human-readable metadata. The GitHub repository also provides submission instructions (including a spreadsheet template and validation tools), in the hopes that investigators can help us keep glenglat complete and current going forward. We hope that glenglat can help improve our understanding of glacier thermal regimes, help refine glacier thermo-dynamic models, or shed insight into hazardous glacier instabilities in a warming world.

• Preprint (PDF, 15147 KB)
• Preprint (15147 KB)
• Metadata XML

Status : open (until 02 Oct 2024)

Several edits to this publication were made on behalf of the editor before the mauscript was posted as a preprint. To provide clarity to reviewers about the nature of these changes, we have summarized the editorial comments and our answers in the attached pdf. 

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glenglat: Global englacial temperature database Mylène Jacquemart and Ethan Welty https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13334175

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Mylène Jacquemart

Ethan welty.