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1. Identify and define the topic that you will be reviewing.

The topic, which is commonly a research question (or problem) of some kind, needs to be
identified and defined as clearly as possible. You need to have an idea of what you will be
reviewing in order to effectively search for references and to write a coherent summary of the
research on it. At this stage it can be helpful to write down a description of the research
question, area, or topic that you will be reviewing, as well as to identify any keywords that you
will be using to search for relevant research.
2. Conduct a literature search.

Use a range of keywords to search databases such as PsycINFO and any others that may contain
relevant articles. You should focus on peer-reviewed, scholarly articles. Published books may
also be helpful, but keep in mind that peer-reviewed articles are widely considered to be the
“gold standard” of scientific research. Read through titles and abstracts, select and obtain
articles (that is, download, copy, or print them out), and save your searches as needed. For more
information about this step, please see the Using Databases and Finding Scholarly
References section of this website.
3. Read through the research that you have found and take notes.
Absorb as much information as you can. Read through the articles and books that you have
found, and as you do, take notes. The notes should include anything that will be helpful in
advancing your own thinking about the topic and in helping you write the literature review (such
as key points, ideas, or even page numbers that index key information). Some references may
turn out to be more helpful than others; you may notice patterns or striking contrasts between
different sources; and some sources may refer to yet other sources of potential interest. This is
often the most time-consuming part of the review process. However, it is also where you get to
learn about the topic in great detail. For more details about taking notes, please see the “Reading
Sources and Taking Notes” section of the Finding Scholarly References page of this website.
4. Organize your notes and thoughts; create an outline.

At this stage, you are close to writing the review itself. However, it is often helpful to first
reflect on all the reading that you have done. What patterns stand out? Do the different sources
converge on a consensus? Or not? What unresolved questions still remain? You should look
over your notes (it may also be helpful to reorganize them), and as you do, to think about how
you will present this research in your literature review. Are you going to summarize or critically
evaluate? Are you going to use a chronological or other type of organizational structure? It can
also be helpful to create an outline of how your literature review will be structured.
5. Write the literature review itself and edit and revise as needed.
The final stage involves writing. When writing, keep in mind that literature reviews are
generally characterized by a summary style in which prior research is described sufficiently to
explain critical findings but does not include a high level of detail (if readers want to learn about
all the specific details of a study, then they can look up the references that you cite and read the
original articles themselves). However, the degree of emphasis that is given to individual studies
may vary (more or less detail may be warranted depending on how critical or unique a given
study was). After you have written a first draft, you should read it carefully and then edit and
revise as needed. You may need to repeat this process more than once. It may be helpful to have
another person read through your draft(s) and provide feedback.
6. Incorporate the literature review into your research paper draft.

After the literature review is complete, you should incorporate it into your research paper (if you
are writing the review as one component of a larger paper). Depending on the stage at which
your paper is at, this may involve merging your literature review into a partially complete
Introduction section, writing the rest of the paper around the literature review, or other processes.
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Further Tips for Writing a

Literature Review
Full-length literature reviews
 Many full-length literature review articles use a three-part structure: Introduction (where
the topic is identified and any trends or major problems in the literature are introduced),
Body (where the studies that comprise the literature on that topic are discussed), and
Discussion or Conclusion (where major patterns and points are discussed and the general
state of what is known about the topic is summarized)
Literature reviews as part of a larger paper
 An “express method” of writing a literature review for a research paper is as follows:

first, write a one paragraph description of each article that you read. Second, choose how
you will order all the paragraphs and combine them in one document. Third, add
transitions between the paragraphs, as well as an introductory and concluding paragraph.1
 A literature review that is part of a larger research paper typically does not have to be
exhaustive. Rather, it should contain most or all of the significant studies about a research
topic but not tangential or loosely related ones.2 Generally, literature reviews should be
sufficient for the reader to understand the major issues and key findings about a research
topic. You may however need to confer with your instructor or editor to determine how
comprehensive you need to be.
Benefits of Literature Reviews

By summarizing prior research on a topic, literature reviews have multiple benefits. These
include:
 Literature reviews help readers understand what is known about a topic without having to
find and read through multiple sources.
 Literature reviews help “set the stage” for later reading about new research on a given
topic (such as if they are placed in the Introduction of a larger research paper). In other
words, they provide helpful background and context.
 Literature reviews can also help the writer learn about a given topic while in the process
of preparing the review itself. In the act of research and writing the literature review, the
writer gains expertise on the topic.

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1. Identify and define the topic that you will be reviewing.

2. Conduct a literature search.

4. Organize your notes and thoughts; create an outline.

6. Incorporate the literature review into your research paper draft.

Further Tips for Writing a

Literature reviews as part of a larger paper

 An “express method” of writing a literature review for a research paper is as follows:

Benefits of Literature Reviews

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