Introduction

One of the most important aspects of your dissertation is the literature review. It builds the context for your own research by showing what previous studies have been conducted, what the existing research gaps are, and where your work fits in.

But what are the best practices for writing a literature review?

This guide will walk you through:

✔ The purpose of a dissertation literature review
✔ Important tips to follow while conducting research, organizing, and writing your review
✔ Things that are frequently done wrong
✔ Tricks to draft an excellent literature review

By the end of this piece, you would be able to write a well-structured and compelling dissertation literature review that adds value to your research.

What is a Dissertation Literature Review?

A dissertation literature review refers to an assessment of available research information pertinent to your study. Rather than just restating information, it:

✅ Analyzes studies to determine key findings

✅ Justifies the research by pointing out missing information

✅ Links different research studies

✅ Offers theoretical and conceptual frameworks

A dissertation literature review illustrates your capability to analyze prior research and place your work within the larger scholarly context.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Write a Dissertation Literature Review?

1. Define Your Research Scope

At this step, you have to establish limitations and determine the scope of your research. Before you proceed to collect sources, make sure to outline:

✔ Goals for your research – What do you wish to investigate?

✔ Important issues and themes – What subjects will you research?

✔ Criterial for acceptance and rejection – What types of materials are acceptable?

Having these parameters set take out relevant information while avoiding information explosion.

2. Gather and Evaluate Sources

Try to find academic sources like the following:

📚 Peer-reviewed articles in a journal

📚 Books and academic publications

📚 Government and research reports

📚 Conference papers and theses

The Sources with the Best Research Databases Are:

Database Best For
Google Scholar: General academic research
PubMed: Medical and health sciences
JSTOR: Humanities and social sciences
IEEE Xplore: Engineering and technology
ProQuest: Dissertations and theses

Research Databases Centered Around Health Publications Include:

Critically set the sources for:

✔ Relevance: Does the study pertain to your research?

✔ Credibility: Is it from a peer-reviewed journal or a respected publisher?

✔ Recency: Is it current or is there more recent research?

3. Write Your Literature Review

Improving your writings order makes it easier to understand and read. Here are three methods that one can choose from:

Chronological Order:

Organizes studies based on publication date

For sequential or progressive studies

Thematic Approach

Cluster of sources around a topic

Best approach when dealing with many angles

Methodological Approach

Reports grouped among various types of research approaches

Facilitates the comparison of qualitative and quantitative studies

Thematic approaches are the most popular with dissertation lit reviews.

4. Write a Captivating Introduction

Your introduction should:

✅ State background information regarding your research issue

✅ Describe the aim of your literature review

✅ Specify your research question and objectives

✅ Indicate the organization of your review

🔹 Example:

“This literature review aims to find existing research regarding the effects of social media on mental health. It aims to answer three fundamental questions: 1.) What is the relationship between social media usage and anxiety? 2.) What are the effects on self-esteem? 3.) What are the possible means to reduce the negative impacts?”

5. Analyze Research Plus Synthesize

Discuss the sources in relation to each other instead of summarizing them one by one:

✔ Identify points of concurrence and dissonance between studies

✔ Point out areas of studies which are inadequately addressed and which your research will try to cover

✔ Analyze movements and new ideas that arise within a body of work

Example of Synthesis:

”Jones (2020) and Smith (2021) both claimed that there is a negative correlation between social media usage and self-esteem. However, Brown (2022) argued that the type of platform used does matter a lot. These findings conflict with one another, and so further research should look into platform based effects.”

6. Write An Accurate Conclusion:

In the conclusion of this literature review, you should:

✅ Recall significant contributions from the literature

✅ Discuss how your research enhances the previous studies

✅ Provide the scope that the study will cover

🔹 Example:

“Social media has both positive and negative impact on mental health as reviewed by literature.”

Not many studies target specific platforms. With this dissertation, I intend to analyze how specifically Instagram and TikTok affect people’s image of themselves.”

Mistakes to Avoid

🚫 The worst part is when someone summarizes instead of analyzes. Don’t just make a list of all the studies, but try to analyze them instead.

🚫 No structure whatsoever – Attempt to organize the research in a thematic or methodological way.

🚫 Ignoring some studies that must contradict others – Don’t neglect to consider the other side.

🚫 Putting too many references – It is better to have fewer references but richer in content.

🚫 Forgetting to explain in what way the research relates to your study – Work out the connections of the literature to the research.

Last Remarks

Constructing a literature review for a dissertation requires some amount of critical thinking, discipline, and writing skill.

Primary Points:

✔ From where you want to gather materials, determine the FRAME of your research.

✔ Gather materials, which must be from credible academic sources published in a researched journal.

✔ Thematic, chronological, or methodological order can be put in the research material.

✔ Also, attempt to integrate key findings by looking at the studies from differing angles.

✔ Steer clear of the frequent errors that dilute your review.

Do you need someone to help out with your dissertation? Don’t forget to check related resources below!📚

Commonly Asked Questions

What is the best length for a dissertation literature review?

A literature review can take anywhere from twenty to forty percent of the entire dissertation depending on what academic level and field you are studying.

What is the difference between a literature review and a research paper?

A literature review is concerned with analyzing and summarizing existing research, whereas, a research paper contains original findings from new research.

How many sources should be included in a dissertation literature review?

A single literature review can contain anywhere from 30 to well over a hundred sources depending on the subject area and the degree of the dissertation.

Can I use non-academic sources in my literature review?

Non-peer reviewed sources like government publications, industry reports, and expert evaluations can help accompany academic research to improve credibility.

What is the best tool for managing references?

For organizing citations and writing references accurately, tools such as Zotero, Mendeley, and EndNote are helpful.