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What is a Literature Review? How to Write It (with Examples)

A literature review is a critical analysis and synthesis of existing research on a particular topic. It provides an overview of the current state of knowledge, identifies gaps, and highlights key findings in the literature. 1 The purpose of a literature review is to situate your own research within the context of existing scholarship, demonstrating your understanding of the topic and showing how your work contributes to the ongoing conversation in the field. Learning how to write a literature review is a critical tool for successful research. Your ability to summarize and synthesize prior research pertaining to a certain topic demonstrates your grasp on the topic of study, and assists in the learning process. 

Table of Contents

• What is the purpose of literature review? 
• a. Habitat Loss and Species Extinction: 
• b. Range Shifts and Phenological Changes: 
• c. Ocean Acidification and Coral Reefs: 
• d. Adaptive Strategies and Conservation Efforts: 
• How to write a good literature review 
• Choose a Topic and Define the Research Question: 
• Decide on the Scope of Your Review: 
• Select Databases for Searches: 
• Conduct Searches and Keep Track: 
• Review the Literature: 
• Organize and Write Your Literature Review: 
• Frequently asked questions 

What is a literature review?

A well-conducted literature review demonstrates the researcher’s familiarity with the existing literature, establishes the context for their own research, and contributes to scholarly conversations on the topic. One of the purposes of a literature review is also to help researchers avoid duplicating previous work and ensure that their research is informed by and builds upon the existing body of knowledge.

What is the purpose of literature review?

A literature review serves several important purposes within academic and research contexts. Here are some key objectives and functions of a literature review: 2  

• Contextualizing the Research Problem: The literature review provides a background and context for the research problem under investigation. It helps to situate the study within the existing body of knowledge. 
• Identifying Gaps in Knowledge: By identifying gaps, contradictions, or areas requiring further research, the researcher can shape the research question and justify the significance of the study. This is crucial for ensuring that the new research contributes something novel to the field. 
• Understanding Theoretical and Conceptual Frameworks: Literature reviews help researchers gain an understanding of the theoretical and conceptual frameworks used in previous studies. This aids in the development of a theoretical framework for the current research. 
• Providing Methodological Insights: Another purpose of literature reviews is that it allows researchers to learn about the methodologies employed in previous studies. This can help in choosing appropriate research methods for the current study and avoiding pitfalls that others may have encountered. 
• Establishing Credibility: A well-conducted literature review demonstrates the researcher’s familiarity with existing scholarship, establishing their credibility and expertise in the field. It also helps in building a solid foundation for the new research. 
• Informing Hypotheses or Research Questions: The literature review guides the formulation of hypotheses or research questions by highlighting relevant findings and areas of uncertainty in existing literature. 

Literature review example

Let’s delve deeper with a literature review example: Let’s say your literature review is about the impact of climate change on biodiversity. You might format your literature review into sections such as the effects of climate change on habitat loss and species extinction, phenological changes, and marine biodiversity. Each section would then summarize and analyze relevant studies in those areas, highlighting key findings and identifying gaps in the research. The review would conclude by emphasizing the need for further research on specific aspects of the relationship between climate change and biodiversity. The following literature review template provides a glimpse into the recommended literature review structure and content, demonstrating how research findings are organized around specific themes within a broader topic. 

Literature Review on Climate Change Impacts on Biodiversity:

Climate change is a global phenomenon with far-reaching consequences, including significant impacts on biodiversity. This literature review synthesizes key findings from various studies: 

a. Habitat Loss and Species Extinction:

Climate change-induced alterations in temperature and precipitation patterns contribute to habitat loss, affecting numerous species (Thomas et al., 2004). The review discusses how these changes increase the risk of extinction, particularly for species with specific habitat requirements. 

b. Range Shifts and Phenological Changes:

Observations of range shifts and changes in the timing of biological events (phenology) are documented in response to changing climatic conditions (Parmesan & Yohe, 2003). These shifts affect ecosystems and may lead to mismatches between species and their resources. 

c. Ocean Acidification and Coral Reefs:

The review explores the impact of climate change on marine biodiversity, emphasizing ocean acidification’s threat to coral reefs (Hoegh-Guldberg et al., 2007). Changes in pH levels negatively affect coral calcification, disrupting the delicate balance of marine ecosystems. 

d. Adaptive Strategies and Conservation Efforts:

Recognizing the urgency of the situation, the literature review discusses various adaptive strategies adopted by species and conservation efforts aimed at mitigating the impacts of climate change on biodiversity (Hannah et al., 2007). It emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary approaches for effective conservation planning. 

How to write a good literature review

Writing a literature review involves summarizing and synthesizing existing research on a particular topic. A good literature review format should include the following elements. 

Introduction: The introduction sets the stage for your literature review, providing context and introducing the main focus of your review. 

• Opening Statement: Begin with a general statement about the broader topic and its significance in the field. 
• Scope and Purpose: Clearly define the scope of your literature review. Explain the specific research question or objective you aim to address. 
• Organizational Framework: Briefly outline the structure of your literature review, indicating how you will categorize and discuss the existing research. 
• Significance of the Study: Highlight why your literature review is important and how it contributes to the understanding of the chosen topic. 
• Thesis Statement: Conclude the introduction with a concise thesis statement that outlines the main argument or perspective you will develop in the body of the literature review. 

Body: The body of the literature review is where you provide a comprehensive analysis of existing literature, grouping studies based on themes, methodologies, or other relevant criteria. 

• Organize by Theme or Concept: Group studies that share common themes, concepts, or methodologies. Discuss each theme or concept in detail, summarizing key findings and identifying gaps or areas of disagreement. 
• Critical Analysis: Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each study. Discuss the methodologies used, the quality of evidence, and the overall contribution of each work to the understanding of the topic. 
• Synthesis of Findings: Synthesize the information from different studies to highlight trends, patterns, or areas of consensus in the literature. 
• Identification of Gaps: Discuss any gaps or limitations in the existing research and explain how your review contributes to filling these gaps. 
• Transition between Sections: Provide smooth transitions between different themes or concepts to maintain the flow of your literature review. 

Conclusion: The conclusion of your literature review should summarize the main findings, highlight the contributions of the review, and suggest avenues for future research. 

• Summary of Key Findings: Recap the main findings from the literature and restate how they contribute to your research question or objective. 
• Contributions to the Field: Discuss the overall contribution of your literature review to the existing knowledge in the field. 
• Implications and Applications: Explore the practical implications of the findings and suggest how they might impact future research or practice. 
• Recommendations for Future Research: Identify areas that require further investigation and propose potential directions for future research in the field. 
• Final Thoughts: Conclude with a final reflection on the importance of your literature review and its relevance to the broader academic community. 

Conducting a literature review

Conducting a literature review is an essential step in research that involves reviewing and analyzing existing literature on a specific topic. It’s important to know how to do a literature review effectively, so here are the steps to follow: 1  

Choose a Topic and Define the Research Question:

• Select a topic that is relevant to your field of study. 
• Clearly define your research question or objective. Determine what specific aspect of the topic do you want to explore? 

Decide on the Scope of Your Review:

• Determine the timeframe for your literature review. Are you focusing on recent developments, or do you want a historical overview? 
• Consider the geographical scope. Is your review global, or are you focusing on a specific region? 
• Define the inclusion and exclusion criteria. What types of sources will you include? Are there specific types of studies or publications you will exclude? 

Select Databases for Searches:

• Identify relevant databases for your field. Examples include PubMed, IEEE Xplore, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. 
• Consider searching in library catalogs, institutional repositories, and specialized databases related to your topic. 

Conduct Searches and Keep Track:

• Develop a systematic search strategy using keywords, Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT), and other search techniques. 
• Record and document your search strategy for transparency and replicability. 
• Keep track of the articles, including publication details, abstracts, and links. Use citation management tools like EndNote, Zotero, or Mendeley to organize your references. 

Review the Literature:

• Evaluate the relevance and quality of each source. Consider the methodology, sample size, and results of studies. 
• Organize the literature by themes or key concepts. Identify patterns, trends, and gaps in the existing research. 
• Summarize key findings and arguments from each source. Compare and contrast different perspectives. 
• Identify areas where there is a consensus in the literature and where there are conflicting opinions. 
• Provide critical analysis and synthesis of the literature. What are the strengths and weaknesses of existing research? 

Organize and Write Your Literature Review:

• Literature review outline should be based on themes, chronological order, or methodological approaches. 
• Write a clear and coherent narrative that synthesizes the information gathered. 
• Use proper citations for each source and ensure consistency in your citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.). 
• Conclude your literature review by summarizing key findings, identifying gaps, and suggesting areas for future research. 

The literature review sample and detailed advice on writing and conducting a review will help you produce a well-structured report. But remember that a literature review is an ongoing process, and it may be necessary to revisit and update it as your research progresses. 

Frequently asked questions

A literature review is a critical and comprehensive analysis of existing literature (published and unpublished works) on a specific topic or research question and provides a synthesis of the current state of knowledge in a particular field. A well-conducted literature review is crucial for researchers to build upon existing knowledge, avoid duplication of efforts, and contribute to the advancement of their field. It also helps researchers situate their work within a broader context and facilitates the development of a sound theoretical and conceptual framework for their studies.

Literature review is a crucial component of research writing, providing a solid background for a research paper’s investigation. The aim is to keep professionals up to date by providing an understanding of ongoing developments within a specific field, including research methods, and experimental techniques used in that field, and present that knowledge in the form of a written report. Also, the depth and breadth of the literature review emphasizes the credibility of the scholar in his or her field.  

Before writing a literature review, it’s essential to undertake several preparatory steps to ensure that your review is well-researched, organized, and focused. This includes choosing a topic of general interest to you and doing exploratory research on that topic, writing an annotated bibliography, and noting major points, especially those that relate to the position you have taken on the topic. 

Literature reviews and academic research papers are essential components of scholarly work but serve different purposes within the academic realm. 3 A literature review aims to provide a foundation for understanding the current state of research on a particular topic, identify gaps or controversies, and lay the groundwork for future research. Therefore, it draws heavily from existing academic sources, including books, journal articles, and other scholarly publications. In contrast, an academic research paper aims to present new knowledge, contribute to the academic discourse, and advance the understanding of a specific research question. Therefore, it involves a mix of existing literature (in the introduction and literature review sections) and original data or findings obtained through research methods. 

Literature reviews are essential components of academic and research papers, and various strategies can be employed to conduct them effectively. If you want to know how to write a literature review for a research paper, here are four common approaches that are often used by researchers.  Chronological Review: This strategy involves organizing the literature based on the chronological order of publication. It helps to trace the development of a topic over time, showing how ideas, theories, and research have evolved.  Thematic Review: Thematic reviews focus on identifying and analyzing themes or topics that cut across different studies. Instead of organizing the literature chronologically, it is grouped by key themes or concepts, allowing for a comprehensive exploration of various aspects of the topic.  Methodological Review: This strategy involves organizing the literature based on the research methods employed in different studies. It helps to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of various methodologies and allows the reader to evaluate the reliability and validity of the research findings.  Theoretical Review: A theoretical review examines the literature based on the theoretical frameworks used in different studies. This approach helps to identify the key theories that have been applied to the topic and assess their contributions to the understanding of the subject.  It’s important to note that these strategies are not mutually exclusive, and a literature review may combine elements of more than one approach. The choice of strategy depends on the research question, the nature of the literature available, and the goals of the review. Additionally, other strategies, such as integrative reviews or systematic reviews, may be employed depending on the specific requirements of the research.

The literature review format can vary depending on the specific publication guidelines. However, there are some common elements and structures that are often followed. Here is a general guideline for the format of a literature review:  Introduction:   Provide an overview of the topic.  Define the scope and purpose of the literature review.  State the research question or objective.  Body:   Organize the literature by themes, concepts, or chronology.  Critically analyze and evaluate each source.  Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the studies.  Highlight any methodological limitations or biases.  Identify patterns, connections, or contradictions in the existing research.  Conclusion:   Summarize the key points discussed in the literature review.  Highlight the research gap.  Address the research question or objective stated in the introduction.  Highlight the contributions of the review and suggest directions for future research.

Both annotated bibliographies and literature reviews involve the examination of scholarly sources. While annotated bibliographies focus on individual sources with brief annotations, literature reviews provide a more in-depth, integrated, and comprehensive analysis of existing literature on a specific topic. The key differences are as follows: 

References 

• Denney, A. S., & Tewksbury, R. (2013). How to write a literature review.  Journal of criminal justice education ,  24 (2), 218-234. 
• Pan, M. L. (2016).  Preparing literature reviews: Qualitative and quantitative approaches . Taylor & Francis. 
• Cantero, C. (2019). How to write a literature review.  San José State University Writing Center . 

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How to write a literature review in 6 steps

What is a literature review?

How to write a literature review, 1. determine the purpose of your literature review, 2. do an extensive search, 3. evaluate and select literature, 4. analyze the literature, 5. plan the structure of your literature review, 6. write your literature review, other resources to help you write a successful literature review, frequently asked questions about writing a literature review, related articles.

A literature review is an assessment of the sources in a chosen topic of research.

A good literature review does not just summarize sources. It analyzes the state of the field on a given topic and creates a scholarly foundation for you to make your own intervention. It demonstrates to your readers how your research fits within a larger field of study.

In a thesis, a literature review is part of the introduction, but it can also be a separate section. In research papers, a literature review may have its own section or it may be integrated into the introduction, depending on the field.

➡️ Our guide on what is a literature review covers additional basics about literature reviews.

• Identify the main purpose of the literature review.
• Do extensive research.
• Evaluate and select relevant sources.
• Analyze the sources.
• Plan a structure.
• Write the review.

In this section, we review each step of the process of creating a literature review.

In the first step, make sure you know specifically what the assignment is and what form your literature review should take. Read your assignment carefully and seek clarification from your professor or instructor if needed. You should be able to answer the following questions:

• How many sources do I need to include?
• What types of sources should I review?
• Should I evaluate the sources?
• Should I summarize, synthesize or critique sources?
• Do I need to provide any definitions or background information?

In addition to that, be aware that the narrower your topic, the easier it will be to limit the number of sources you need to read in order to get a good overview of the topic.

Now you need to find out what has been written on the topic and search for literature related to your research topic. Make sure to select appropriate source material, which means using academic or scholarly sources , including books, reports, journal articles , government documents and web resources.

➡️ If you’re unsure about how to tell if a source is scholarly, take a look at our guide on how to identify a scholarly source .

Come up with a list of relevant keywords and then start your search with your institution's library catalog, and extend it to other useful databases and academic search engines like:

• Google Scholar
• Science.gov

➡️ Our guide on how to collect data for your thesis might be helpful at this stage of your research as well as the top list of academic search engines .

Once you find a useful article, check out the reference list. It should provide you with even more relevant sources. Also, keep a note of the:

• authors' names
• page numbers

Keeping track of the bibliographic information for each source will save you time when you’re ready to create citations. You could also use a reference manager like Paperpile to automatically save, manage, and cite your references.

Read the literature. You will most likely not be able to read absolutely everything that is out there on the topic. Therefore, read the abstract first to determine whether the rest of the source is worth your time. If the source is relevant for your topic:

• Read it critically.
• Look for the main arguments.
• Take notes as you read.
• Organize your notes using a table, mind map, or other technique.

Now you are ready to analyze the literature you have gathered. While your are working on your analysis, you should ask the following questions:

• What are the key terms, concepts and problems addressed by the author?
• How is this source relevant for my specific topic?
• How is the article structured? What are the major trends and findings?
• What are the conclusions of the study?
• How are the results presented? Is the source credible?
• When comparing different sources, how do they relate to each other? What are the similarities, what are the differences?
• Does the study help me understand the topic better?
• Are there any gaps in the research that need to be filled? How can I further my research as a result of the review?

Tip: Decide on the structure of your literature review before you start writing.

There are various ways to organize your literature review:

• Chronological method : Writing in the chronological method means you are presenting the materials according to when they were published. Follow this approach only if a clear path of research can be identified.
• Thematic review : A thematic review of literature is organized around a topic or issue, rather than the progression of time.
• Publication-based : You can order your sources by publication, if the way you present the order of your sources demonstrates a more important trend. This is the case when a progression revealed from study to study and the practices of researchers have changed and adapted due to the new revelations.
• Methodological approach : A methodological approach focuses on the methods used by the researcher. If you have used sources from different disciplines that use a variety of research methods, you might want to compare the results in light of the different methods and discuss how the topic has been approached from different sides.

Regardless of the structure you chose, a review should always include the following three sections:

• An introduction, which should give the reader an outline of why you are writing the review and explain the relevance of the topic.
• A body, which divides your literature review into different sections. Write in well-structured paragraphs, use transitions and topic sentences and critically analyze each source for how it contributes to the themes you are researching.
• A conclusion , which summarizes the key findings, the main agreements and disagreements in the literature, your overall perspective, and any gaps or areas for further research.

➡️ If your literature review is part of a longer paper, visit our guide on what is a research paper for additional tips.

➡️ UNC writing center: Literature reviews

➡️ How to write a literature review in 3 steps

➡️ How to write a literature review in 30 minutes or less

The goal of a literature review is to asses the state of the field on a given topic in preparation for making an intervention.

A literature review should have its own independent section. You should indicate clearly in the table of contents where it can be found, and address this section as “Literature Review.”

There is no set amount of words for a literature review; the length depends on the research. If you are working with a large amount of sources, then it will be long. If your paper does not depend entirely on references, then it will be short.

Most research papers include a literature review. By assessing the available sources in your field of research, you will be able to make a more confident argument about the topic.

Literature reviews are most commonly found in theses and dissertations. However, you find them in research papers as well.

Literature Reviews

• What is a Literature Review?
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• What do you call this investigation?
• What problem or area will you investigate in general?
• Why is this problem important to investigate?
• What was previously done in relation to this problem? What were some of the significant studies? (Literature review)
• What theory or model is going to guide your research?
• What will you specifically investigate or do in the framework of that problem? What are your specific research questions or hypotheses?
• How will each research question be addressed ? What methods will you use for each research question?
• How will the results be analyzed?
• What are the deliverables? What can or will be gained by investigation of this problem?

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A literature review surveys prior research published in books, scholarly articles, and any other sources relevant to a particular issue, area of research, or theory, and by so doing, provides a description, summary, and critical evaluation of these works in relation to the research problem being investigated. Literature reviews are designed to provide an overview of sources you have used in researching a particular topic and to demonstrate to your readers how your research fits within existing scholarship about the topic.

Fink, Arlene. Conducting Research Literature Reviews: From the Internet to Paper . Fourth edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE, 2014.

Importance of a Good Literature Review

A literature review may consist of simply a summary of key sources, but in the social sciences, a literature review usually has an organizational pattern and combines both summary and synthesis, often within specific conceptual categories . A summary is a recap of the important information of the source, but a synthesis is a re-organization, or a reshuffling, of that information in a way that informs how you are planning to investigate a research problem. The analytical features of a literature review might:

• Give a new interpretation of old material or combine new with old interpretations,
• Trace the intellectual progression of the field, including major debates,
• Depending on the situation, evaluate the sources and advise the reader on the most pertinent or relevant research, or
• Usually in the conclusion of a literature review, identify where gaps exist in how a problem has been researched to date.

Given this, the purpose of a literature review is to:

• Place each work in the context of its contribution to understanding the research problem being studied.
• Describe the relationship of each work to the others under consideration.
• Identify new ways to interpret prior research.
• Reveal any gaps that exist in the literature.
• Resolve conflicts amongst seemingly contradictory previous studies.
• Identify areas of prior scholarship to prevent duplication of effort.
• Point the way in fulfilling a need for additional research.
• Locate your own research within the context of existing literature [very important].

Fink, Arlene. Conducting Research Literature Reviews: From the Internet to Paper. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2005; Hart, Chris. Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social Science Research Imagination . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1998; Jesson, Jill. Doing Your Literature Review: Traditional and Systematic Techniques . Los Angeles, CA: SAGE, 2011; Knopf, Jeffrey W. "Doing a Literature Review." PS: Political Science and Politics 39 (January 2006): 127-132; Ridley, Diana. The Literature Review: A Step-by-Step Guide for Students . 2nd ed. Los Angeles, CA: SAGE, 2012.

Types of Literature Reviews

It is important to think of knowledge in a given field as consisting of three layers. First, there are the primary studies that researchers conduct and publish. Second are the reviews of those studies that summarize and offer new interpretations built from and often extending beyond the primary studies. Third, there are the perceptions, conclusions, opinion, and interpretations that are shared informally among scholars that become part of the body of epistemological traditions within the field.

In composing a literature review, it is important to note that it is often this third layer of knowledge that is cited as "true" even though it often has only a loose relationship to the primary studies and secondary literature reviews. Given this, while literature reviews are designed to provide an overview and synthesis of pertinent sources you have explored, there are a number of approaches you could adopt depending upon the type of analysis underpinning your study.

Argumentative Review This form examines literature selectively in order to support or refute an argument, deeply embedded assumption, or philosophical problem already established in the literature. The purpose is to develop a body of literature that establishes a contrarian viewpoint. Given the value-laden nature of some social science research [e.g., educational reform; immigration control], argumentative approaches to analyzing the literature can be a legitimate and important form of discourse. However, note that they can also introduce problems of bias when they are used to make summary claims of the sort found in systematic reviews [see below].

Integrative Review Considered a form of research that reviews, critiques, and synthesizes representative literature on a topic in an integrated way such that new frameworks and perspectives on the topic are generated. The body of literature includes all studies that address related or identical hypotheses or research problems. A well-done integrative review meets the same standards as primary research in regard to clarity, rigor, and replication. This is the most common form of review in the social sciences.

Historical Review Few things rest in isolation from historical precedent. Historical literature reviews focus on examining research throughout a period of time, often starting with the first time an issue, concept, theory, phenomena emerged in the literature, then tracing its evolution within the scholarship of a discipline. The purpose is to place research in a historical context to show familiarity with state-of-the-art developments and to identify the likely directions for future research.

Methodological Review A review does not always focus on what someone said [findings], but how they came about saying what they say [method of analysis]. Reviewing methods of analysis provides a framework of understanding at different levels [i.e. those of theory, substantive fields, research approaches, and data collection and analysis techniques], how researchers draw upon a wide variety of knowledge ranging from the conceptual level to practical documents for use in fieldwork in the areas of ontological and epistemological consideration, quantitative and qualitative integration, sampling, interviewing, data collection, and data analysis. This approach helps highlight ethical issues which you should be aware of and consider as you go through your own study.

Systematic Review This form consists of an overview of existing evidence pertinent to a clearly formulated research question, which uses pre-specified and standardized methods to identify and critically appraise relevant research, and to collect, report, and analyze data from the studies that are included in the review. The goal is to deliberately document, critically evaluate, and summarize scientifically all of the research about a clearly defined research problem . Typically it focuses on a very specific empirical question, often posed in a cause-and-effect form, such as "To what extent does A contribute to B?" This type of literature review is primarily applied to examining prior research studies in clinical medicine and allied health fields, but it is increasingly being used in the social sciences.

Theoretical Review The purpose of this form is to examine the corpus of theory that has accumulated in regard to an issue, concept, theory, phenomena. The theoretical literature review helps to establish what theories already exist, the relationships between them, to what degree the existing theories have been investigated, and to develop new hypotheses to be tested. Often this form is used to help establish a lack of appropriate theories or reveal that current theories are inadequate for explaining new or emerging research problems. The unit of analysis can focus on a theoretical concept or a whole theory or framework.

NOTE : Most often the literature review will incorporate some combination of types. For example, a review that examines literature supporting or refuting an argument, assumption, or philosophical problem related to the research problem will also need to include writing supported by sources that establish the history of these arguments in the literature.

Baumeister, Roy F. and Mark R. Leary. "Writing Narrative Literature Reviews."  Review of General Psychology 1 (September 1997): 311-320; Mark R. Fink, Arlene. Conducting Research Literature Reviews: From the Internet to Paper . 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2005; Hart, Chris. Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social Science Research Imagination . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1998; Kennedy, Mary M. "Defining a Literature." Educational Researcher 36 (April 2007): 139-147; Petticrew, Mark and Helen Roberts. Systematic Reviews in the Social Sciences: A Practical Guide . Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 2006; Torracro, Richard. "Writing Integrative Literature Reviews: Guidelines and Examples." Human Resource Development Review 4 (September 2005): 356-367; Rocco, Tonette S. and Maria S. Plakhotnik. "Literature Reviews, Conceptual Frameworks, and Theoretical Frameworks: Terms, Functions, and Distinctions." Human Ressource Development Review 8 (March 2008): 120-130; Sutton, Anthea. Systematic Approaches to a Successful Literature Review . Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications, 2016.

Structure and Writing Style

I.  Thinking About Your Literature Review

The structure of a literature review should include the following in support of understanding the research problem :

• An overview of the subject, issue, or theory under consideration, along with the objectives of the literature review,
• Division of works under review into themes or categories [e.g. works that support a particular position, those against, and those offering alternative approaches entirely],
• An explanation of how each work is similar to and how it varies from the others,
• Conclusions as to which pieces are best considered in their argument, are most convincing of their opinions, and make the greatest contribution to the understanding and development of their area of research.

The critical evaluation of each work should consider :

• Provenance -- what are the author's credentials? Are the author's arguments supported by evidence [e.g. primary historical material, case studies, narratives, statistics, recent scientific findings]?
• Methodology -- were the techniques used to identify, gather, and analyze the data appropriate to addressing the research problem? Was the sample size appropriate? Were the results effectively interpreted and reported?
• Objectivity -- is the author's perspective even-handed or prejudicial? Is contrary data considered or is certain pertinent information ignored to prove the author's point?
• Persuasiveness -- which of the author's theses are most convincing or least convincing?
• Validity -- are the author's arguments and conclusions convincing? Does the work ultimately contribute in any significant way to an understanding of the subject?

II.  Development of the Literature Review

Four Basic Stages of Writing 1.  Problem formulation -- which topic or field is being examined and what are its component issues? 2.  Literature search -- finding materials relevant to the subject being explored. 3.  Data evaluation -- determining which literature makes a significant contribution to the understanding of the topic. 4.  Analysis and interpretation -- discussing the findings and conclusions of pertinent literature.

Consider the following issues before writing the literature review: Clarify If your assignment is not specific about what form your literature review should take, seek clarification from your professor by asking these questions: 1.  Roughly how many sources would be appropriate to include? 2.  What types of sources should I review (books, journal articles, websites; scholarly versus popular sources)? 3.  Should I summarize, synthesize, or critique sources by discussing a common theme or issue? 4.  Should I evaluate the sources in any way beyond evaluating how they relate to understanding the research problem? 5.  Should I provide subheadings and other background information, such as definitions and/or a history? Find Models Use the exercise of reviewing the literature to examine how authors in your discipline or area of interest have composed their literature review sections. Read them to get a sense of the types of themes you might want to look for in your own research or to identify ways to organize your final review. The bibliography or reference section of sources you've already read, such as required readings in the course syllabus, are also excellent entry points into your own research. Narrow the Topic The narrower your topic, the easier it will be to limit the number of sources you need to read in order to obtain a good survey of relevant resources. Your professor will probably not expect you to read everything that's available about the topic, but you'll make the act of reviewing easier if you first limit scope of the research problem. A good strategy is to begin by searching the USC Libraries Catalog for recent books about the topic and review the table of contents for chapters that focuses on specific issues. You can also review the indexes of books to find references to specific issues that can serve as the focus of your research. For example, a book surveying the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict may include a chapter on the role Egypt has played in mediating the conflict, or look in the index for the pages where Egypt is mentioned in the text. Consider Whether Your Sources are Current Some disciplines require that you use information that is as current as possible. This is particularly true in disciplines in medicine and the sciences where research conducted becomes obsolete very quickly as new discoveries are made. However, when writing a review in the social sciences, a survey of the history of the literature may be required. In other words, a complete understanding the research problem requires you to deliberately examine how knowledge and perspectives have changed over time. Sort through other current bibliographies or literature reviews in the field to get a sense of what your discipline expects. You can also use this method to explore what is considered by scholars to be a "hot topic" and what is not.

III.  Ways to Organize Your Literature Review

Chronology of Events If your review follows the chronological method, you could write about the materials according to when they were published. This approach should only be followed if a clear path of research building on previous research can be identified and that these trends follow a clear chronological order of development. For example, a literature review that focuses on continuing research about the emergence of German economic power after the fall of the Soviet Union. By Publication Order your sources by publication chronology, then, only if the order demonstrates a more important trend. For instance, you could order a review of literature on environmental studies of brown fields if the progression revealed, for example, a change in the soil collection practices of the researchers who wrote and/or conducted the studies. Thematic [“conceptual categories”] A thematic literature review is the most common approach to summarizing prior research in the social and behavioral sciences. Thematic reviews are organized around a topic or issue, rather than the progression of time, although the progression of time may still be incorporated into a thematic review. For example, a review of the Internet’s impact on American presidential politics could focus on the development of online political satire. While the study focuses on one topic, the Internet’s impact on American presidential politics, it would still be organized chronologically reflecting technological developments in media. The difference in this example between a "chronological" and a "thematic" approach is what is emphasized the most: themes related to the role of the Internet in presidential politics. Note that more authentic thematic reviews tend to break away from chronological order. A review organized in this manner would shift between time periods within each section according to the point being made. Methodological A methodological approach focuses on the methods utilized by the researcher. For the Internet in American presidential politics project, one methodological approach would be to look at cultural differences between the portrayal of American presidents on American, British, and French websites. Or the review might focus on the fundraising impact of the Internet on a particular political party. A methodological scope will influence either the types of documents in the review or the way in which these documents are discussed.

Other Sections of Your Literature Review Once you've decided on the organizational method for your literature review, the sections you need to include in the paper should be easy to figure out because they arise from your organizational strategy. In other words, a chronological review would have subsections for each vital time period; a thematic review would have subtopics based upon factors that relate to the theme or issue. However, sometimes you may need to add additional sections that are necessary for your study, but do not fit in the organizational strategy of the body. What other sections you include in the body is up to you. However, only include what is necessary for the reader to locate your study within the larger scholarship about the research problem.

Here are examples of other sections, usually in the form of a single paragraph, you may need to include depending on the type of review you write:

• Current Situation : Information necessary to understand the current topic or focus of the literature review.
• Sources Used : Describes the methods and resources [e.g., databases] you used to identify the literature you reviewed.
• History : The chronological progression of the field, the research literature, or an idea that is necessary to understand the literature review, if the body of the literature review is not already a chronology.
• Selection Methods : Criteria you used to select (and perhaps exclude) sources in your literature review. For instance, you might explain that your review includes only peer-reviewed [i.e., scholarly] sources.
• Standards : Description of the way in which you present your information.
• Questions for Further Research : What questions about the field has the review sparked? How will you further your research as a result of the review?

IV.  Writing Your Literature Review

Once you've settled on how to organize your literature review, you're ready to write each section. When writing your review, keep in mind these issues.

Use Evidence A literature review section is, in this sense, just like any other academic research paper. Your interpretation of the available sources must be backed up with evidence [citations] that demonstrates that what you are saying is valid. Be Selective Select only the most important points in each source to highlight in the review. The type of information you choose to mention should relate directly to the research problem, whether it is thematic, methodological, or chronological. Related items that provide additional information, but that are not key to understanding the research problem, can be included in a list of further readings . Use Quotes Sparingly Some short quotes are appropriate if you want to emphasize a point, or if what an author stated cannot be easily paraphrased. Sometimes you may need to quote certain terminology that was coined by the author, is not common knowledge, or taken directly from the study. Do not use extensive quotes as a substitute for using your own words in reviewing the literature. Summarize and Synthesize Remember to summarize and synthesize your sources within each thematic paragraph as well as throughout the review. Recapitulate important features of a research study, but then synthesize it by rephrasing the study's significance and relating it to your own work and the work of others. Keep Your Own Voice While the literature review presents others' ideas, your voice [the writer's] should remain front and center. For example, weave references to other sources into what you are writing but maintain your own voice by starting and ending the paragraph with your own ideas and wording. Use Caution When Paraphrasing When paraphrasing a source that is not your own, be sure to represent the author's information or opinions accurately and in your own words. Even when paraphrasing an author’s work, you still must provide a citation to that work.

V.  Common Mistakes to Avoid

These are the most common mistakes made in reviewing social science research literature.

• Sources in your literature review do not clearly relate to the research problem;
• You do not take sufficient time to define and identify the most relevant sources to use in the literature review related to the research problem;
• Relies exclusively on secondary analytical sources rather than including relevant primary research studies or data;
• Uncritically accepts another researcher's findings and interpretations as valid, rather than examining critically all aspects of the research design and analysis;
• Does not describe the search procedures that were used in identifying the literature to review;
• Reports isolated statistical results rather than synthesizing them in chi-squared or meta-analytic methods; and,
• Only includes research that validates assumptions and does not consider contrary findings and alternative interpretations found in the literature.

Cook, Kathleen E. and Elise Murowchick. “Do Literature Review Skills Transfer from One Course to Another?” Psychology Learning and Teaching 13 (March 2014): 3-11; Fink, Arlene. Conducting Research Literature Reviews: From the Internet to Paper . 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2005; Hart, Chris. Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social Science Research Imagination . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1998; Jesson, Jill. Doing Your Literature Review: Traditional and Systematic Techniques . London: SAGE, 2011; Literature Review Handout. Online Writing Center. Liberty University; Literature Reviews. The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Onwuegbuzie, Anthony J. and Rebecca Frels. Seven Steps to a Comprehensive Literature Review: A Multimodal and Cultural Approach . Los Angeles, CA: SAGE, 2016; Ridley, Diana. The Literature Review: A Step-by-Step Guide for Students . 2nd ed. Los Angeles, CA: SAGE, 2012; Randolph, Justus J. “A Guide to Writing the Dissertation Literature Review." Practical Assessment, Research, and Evaluation. vol. 14, June 2009; Sutton, Anthea. Systematic Approaches to a Successful Literature Review . Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications, 2016; Taylor, Dena. The Literature Review: A Few Tips On Conducting It. University College Writing Centre. University of Toronto; Writing a Literature Review. Academic Skills Centre. University of Canberra.

Writing Tip

Break Out of Your Disciplinary Box!

Thinking interdisciplinarily about a research problem can be a rewarding exercise in applying new ideas, theories, or concepts to an old problem. For example, what might cultural anthropologists say about the continuing conflict in the Middle East? In what ways might geographers view the need for better distribution of social service agencies in large cities than how social workers might study the issue? You don’t want to substitute a thorough review of core research literature in your discipline for studies conducted in other fields of study. However, particularly in the social sciences, thinking about research problems from multiple vectors is a key strategy for finding new solutions to a problem or gaining a new perspective. Consult with a librarian about identifying research databases in other disciplines; almost every field of study has at least one comprehensive database devoted to indexing its research literature.

Frodeman, Robert. The Oxford Handbook of Interdisciplinarity . New York: Oxford University Press, 2010.

Another Writing Tip

Don't Just Review for Content!

While conducting a review of the literature, maximize the time you devote to writing this part of your paper by thinking broadly about what you should be looking for and evaluating. Review not just what scholars are saying, but how are they saying it. Some questions to ask:

• How are they organizing their ideas?
• What methods have they used to study the problem?
• What theories have been used to explain, predict, or understand their research problem?
• What sources have they cited to support their conclusions?
• How have they used non-textual elements [e.g., charts, graphs, figures, etc.] to illustrate key points?

When you begin to write your literature review section, you'll be glad you dug deeper into how the research was designed and constructed because it establishes a means for developing more substantial analysis and interpretation of the research problem.

Hart, Chris. Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social Science Research Imagination . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1 998.

Yet Another Writing Tip

When Do I Know I Can Stop Looking and Move On?

Here are several strategies you can utilize to assess whether you've thoroughly reviewed the literature:

• Look for repeating patterns in the research findings . If the same thing is being said, just by different people, then this likely demonstrates that the research problem has hit a conceptual dead end. At this point consider: Does your study extend current research?  Does it forge a new path? Or, does is merely add more of the same thing being said?
• Look at sources the authors cite to in their work . If you begin to see the same researchers cited again and again, then this is often an indication that no new ideas have been generated to address the research problem.
• Search Google Scholar to identify who has subsequently cited leading scholars already identified in your literature review [see next sub-tab]. This is called citation tracking and there are a number of sources that can help you identify who has cited whom, particularly scholars from outside of your discipline. Here again, if the same authors are being cited again and again, this may indicate no new literature has been written on the topic.

Onwuegbuzie, Anthony J. and Rebecca Frels. Seven Steps to a Comprehensive Literature Review: A Multimodal and Cultural Approach . Los Angeles, CA: Sage, 2016; Sutton, Anthea. Systematic Approaches to a Successful Literature Review . Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications, 2016.

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• URL: https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide

How to Write a Successful Literature Review

One type of a proposal focus is a literature review/trend analysis . This type of a proposal is somewhat different from the other proposal foci. A sample literature/trend analysis is posted at the bottom of this guide.

A literature review surveys scholarly articles, books and other sources (e.g. dissertations, conference proceedings) relevant to a particular issue, area of research or theory, and provides a description, summary, and critical evaluation of these works.The goal of this form of a proposal is to provide an overview of the significant trends in the literature that is published on this topic.

The topics and references you include in your proposal should be purposeful and represent the key authors and arguments in that particular area of study. This necessitates that the review be consistently up to date and include the newest findings/discussions in that particular area of study or debate.

Definition and use/purpose

In a literature review you may highlight a critical area of a thesis, or it may be a focused, selected review of writings on a subject with the following purposes. Each work should:

• Relate to the context of its contribution to the understanding of the subject under review
• Describe / compare each work in relationship to the others in your proposal
• Identify new ways to interpret, and shed light on any gaps in, previous research
• Resolve conflicts among what is deemed as contradictory previous studies
• Identify areas of prior scholarship to prevent duplication of effort
• Illustrate how this work can be a starting point for further research
• Highlight the relevancy of the work in the context of existing literature

The literature review itself, however, does not present new primary scholarship.

What to include

• An overview of the subject, issue or theory under consideration, along with the objectives of the literature review
• Division of works under review into categories (e.g. those supporting a particular position, those who have the opposite view, and those who give alternative theses entirely)
• An explanation of how each work is similar to and how it varies from the others
• A conclusion . Determine which aspects are key in the debates on the topic, are most convincing, and make the greatest contribution to the understanding and development of this particular research area.

Evaluating the data

• Authority — What are the author's credentials? Is there evidence to support the author's arguments (e.g., primary historical material, case studies, narratives, statistics, recent scientific findings)?
• Objectivity — Does the author have a bias in the writing, or is the perspective even-handed? Does the author consider contrasting or opposing data or does he or she ignore other pertinent information in order to prove the author's point?
• Persuasiveness — Which of the author's theses are most/least convincing?
• Value — Does the author provide enough context to make the case that this is a relevant discussion in the current state of the field? Does this work make a significant contribution to create a stronger understanding of the subject?

A sample of a well-written literature review/trend analysis is available below. If you have questions, please email Cindy Winter or call her at 612-759-8580. You may also contact one of the section chairs .

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Literature Review in Research Proposal: A Comprehensive Guide

• Introduction: What is a Literature Review and Why is it Important?

The introduction is an essential part of any literature review in a research proposal. It provides a foundation for the entire review and gives context to the importance of conducting a literature review in the first place. In this section, you will need to provide a brief definition of what a literature review is and why it is an essential component of a research proposal.

A literature review is a critical evaluation and summary of published research studies and other sources relevant to a particular research topic. The purpose of a literature review is to identify and evaluate the existing knowledge on a topic, as well as to identify any gaps in the knowledge base that the proposed research aims to fill.

In a research proposal, the introduction section must explain the importance of the literature review to the overall project. It is an opportunity to convince the reader of the significance of the research problem and to show how the literature review will contribute to knowledge building. This section should also provide a clear and concise statement of the research problem and the research question(s).

Overall, the introduction section sets the stage for the literature review and the research proposal as a whole. It provides a context for the research problem, highlights the knowledge gaps that the proposed research aims to fill, and justifies the importance of the literature review in achieving the research objectives. By providing a clear and compelling introduction, researchers can ensure that their proposal has a strong foundation for success.

In This Article:

Defining the Research Problem

Developing a research question, conducting a literature search, analyzing and synthesizing literature, evaluating the quality of literature, identifying themes and patterns, previous articles:.

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Subheading 2, “Defining the Research Problem: Using Literature Review to Identify Gaps in Knowledge,” is an important subheading in the literature review section of a research proposal. A literature review is an essential part of any research project as it provides a comprehensive overview of the existing body of knowledge on a specific research topic.

To define the research problem, it is crucial to identify what is already known and what is not known about the research topic. This is where a literature review comes in handy. This process of identifying gaps in knowledge allows the researcher to identify the specific research problem and develop research questions and objectives that can address those gaps.

In summary, subheading 2 is critical in the literature review section of a research proposal as it highlights the importance of using a literature review to identify gaps in knowledge and define the research problem.

The subheading “Developing a Research Question: Using Literature Review to Inform Research Questions and Objectives” highlights the crucial role of literature review in guiding the development of research questions and objectives. A well-formulated research question provides a clear focus for the study, ensuring that the research stays on track and avoids any unnecessary or irrelevant work. In addition, by conducting a thorough literature review, researchers can identify the current state of knowledge on the topic, recognize any gaps or inconsistencies in the literature, and identify potential areas of further exploration.

To develop a research question, it is important to first consider the research problem and the purpose of the study. Once the problem has been defined, the literature review can help to identify relevant theoretical and empirical frameworks that can inform the development of research questions. The literature review can also help to refine and narrow the research question, ensuring that it is feasible, relevant, and important.

The fourth subheading, “Conducting a Literature Search: Tips and Strategies for Finding Relevant Studies and Sources,” is an essential aspect of writing a comprehensive literature review for a research proposal. The literature search is a critical step in identifying relevant studies and sources that will help answer the research question and objectives.

When conducting a literature search, it is crucial to develop a systematic approach that will guide the process.

In addition, it is important to document the search process by keeping a record of the keywords used, the sources searched, and the search results. This documentation will enable researchers to retrace their steps if necessary and ensure that they are transparent in their research methods.

Another important consideration when conducting a literature search is the quality of the sources used. Researchers should be mindful of the credibility of the sources and ensure that they are peer-reviewed, reputable, and relevant to the research question. Using sources that are not reliable or relevant can weaken the literature review and the overall research proposal.

Subheading 5, “Analyzing and Synthesizing Literature: Methods for Summarizing and Integrating Findings,” is a critical component of any literature review in a research proposal. This subheading refers to the process of reviewing and synthesizing existing research to gain an understanding of the current state of knowledge on the research topic.

In the analysis and synthesis phase, the researcher begins by reviewing the literature collected in the search phase. This process involves reading through each article or source, summarizing the main findings, and noting the key points that contribute to the understanding of the research problem. The researcher may use a variety of methods to organize the information, such as tables, charts, or diagrams.

Once the researcher has completed the summary of each study, the synthesis phase begins. This is the process of integrating the findings from the individual studies into a cohesive whole. The researcher must identify commonalities and differences between the studies and identify themes and patterns that emerge across the literature.

Subheading 6, “Evaluating the Quality of Literature: Criteria for Assessing the Validity and Reliability of Studies,” is a crucial element of any literature review in a research proposal. Evaluating the quality of literature is an essential step in ensuring that the information gathered from various sources is trustworthy and accurate.

To evaluate the quality of literature, researchers must use established criteria that are specific to the research topic and questions. For example, when conducting research in the social sciences, the criteria may include the validity of the research design, the reliability of the data collection methods, and the transparency of the analysis. In contrast, when researching in the natural sciences, the criteria may include the accuracy of the measurements, the statistical analysis, and the experimental design.

One way to evaluate the quality of literature is to use a systematic review approach. Systematic reviews involve a thorough and structured process of searching, evaluating, and synthesizing existing research to answer specific research questions. This approach ensures that the quality of the literature is assessed in a rigorous and transparent way, which increases the confidence in the findings of the literature review.

Subheading 7, “Identifying Themes and Patterns: Techniques for Identifying Common Themes and Patterns Across Studies,” is an important aspect of conducting a literature review in a research proposal. After conducting a thorough literature search and analyzing and synthesizing the findings, researchers need to identify the common themes and patterns that emerge across different studies. Furthermore, this process is essential because it helps to build a solid foundation for the proposed research by identifying existing knowledge gaps and areas where further research is needed.

One technique for identifying themes and patterns is to use a thematic analysis approach. Thematic analysis involves reading through the literature and highlighting or coding relevant data that relates to the research question or objective. Once all of the data has been coded, researchers can then categorize the codes into themes, which can be used to summarize the key findings of the literature review.

Another technique for identifying themes and patterns is to use a meta-synthesis approach. Meta-synthesis involves synthesizing the findings of multiple studies and identifying common themes and patterns that emerge.

In conclusion, a literature review is an essential component of any research proposal, and its importance cannot be overstated. The literature review helps to identify existing knowledge gaps, inform research questions and objectives, and build a solid foundation for the proposed research. In addition, by conducting a thorough literature search, analyzing and synthesizing the findings, and identifying common themes and patterns, researchers can ensure that their literature review is comprehensive and relevant to their research objectives.

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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 .

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15 Literature Review Examples

Literature reviews are a necessary step in a research process and often required when writing your research proposal . They involve gathering, analyzing, and evaluating existing knowledge about a topic in order to find gaps in the literature where future studies will be needed.

Ideally, once you have completed your literature review, you will be able to identify how your research project can build upon and extend existing knowledge in your area of study.

Generally, for my undergraduate research students, I recommend a narrative review, where themes can be generated in order for the students to develop sufficient understanding of the topic so they can build upon the themes using unique methods or novel research questions.

If you’re in the process of writing a literature review, I have developed a literature review template for you to use – it’s a huge time-saver and walks you through how to write a literature review step-by-step:

Get your time-saving templates here to write your own literature review.

Literature Review Examples

For the following types of literature review, I present an explanation and overview of the type, followed by links to some real-life literature reviews on the topics.

1. Narrative Review Examples

Also known as a traditional literature review, the narrative review provides a broad overview of the studies done on a particular topic.

It often includes both qualitative and quantitative studies and may cover a wide range of years.

The narrative review’s purpose is to identify commonalities, gaps, and contradictions in the literature .

I recommend to my students that they should gather their studies together, take notes on each study, then try to group them by themes that form the basis for the review (see my step-by-step instructions at the end of the article).

Example Study

Title: Communication in healthcare: a narrative review of the literature and practical recommendations

Citation: Vermeir, P., Vandijck, D., Degroote, S., Peleman, R., Verhaeghe, R., Mortier, E., … & Vogelaers, D. (2015). Communication in healthcare: a narrative review of the literature and practical recommendations. International journal of clinical practice , 69 (11), 1257-1267.

Source: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/ijcp.12686  

Overview: This narrative review analyzed themes emerging from 69 articles about communication in healthcare contexts. Five key themes were found in the literature: poor communication can lead to various negative outcomes, discontinuity of care, compromise of patient safety, patient dissatisfaction, and inefficient use of resources. After presenting the key themes, the authors recommend that practitioners need to approach healthcare communication in a more structured way, such as by ensuring there is a clear understanding of who is in charge of ensuring effective communication in clinical settings.

Other Examples

• Burnout in United States Healthcare Professionals: A Narrative Review (Reith, 2018) – read here
• Examining the Presence, Consequences, and Reduction of Implicit Bias in Health Care: A Narrative Review (Zestcott, Blair & Stone, 2016) – read here
• A Narrative Review of School-Based Physical Activity for Enhancing Cognition and Learning (Mavilidi et al., 2018) – read here
• A narrative review on burnout experienced by medical students and residents (Dyrbye & Shanafelt, 2015) – read here

2. Systematic Review Examples

This type of literature review is more structured and rigorous than a narrative review. It involves a detailed and comprehensive plan and search strategy derived from a set of specified research questions.

The key way you’d know a systematic review compared to a narrative review is in the methodology: the systematic review will likely have a very clear criteria for how the studies were collected, and clear explanations of exclusion/inclusion criteria. 

The goal is to gather the maximum amount of valid literature on the topic, filter out invalid or low-quality reviews, and minimize bias. Ideally, this will provide more reliable findings, leading to higher-quality conclusions and recommendations for further research.

You may note from the examples below that the ‘method’ sections in systematic reviews tend to be much more explicit, often noting rigid inclusion/exclusion criteria and exact keywords used in searches.

Title: The importance of food naturalness for consumers: Results of a systematic review  

Citation: Roman, S., Sánchez-Siles, L. M., & Siegrist, M. (2017). The importance of food naturalness for consumers: Results of a systematic review. Trends in food science & technology , 67 , 44-57.

Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S092422441730122X  

Overview: This systematic review included 72 studies of food naturalness to explore trends in the literature about its importance for consumers. Keywords used in the data search included: food, naturalness, natural content, and natural ingredients. Studies were included if they examined consumers’ preference for food naturalness and contained empirical data. The authors found that the literature lacks clarity about how naturalness is defined and measured, but also found that food consumption is significantly influenced by perceived naturalness of goods.

• A systematic review of research on online teaching and learning from 2009 to 2018 (Martin, Sun & Westine, 2020) – read here
• Where Is Current Research on Blockchain Technology? (Yli-Huumo et al., 2016) – read here
• Universities—industry collaboration: A systematic review (Ankrah & Al-Tabbaa, 2015) – read here
• Internet of Things Applications: A Systematic Review (Asghari, Rahmani & Javadi, 2019) – read here

3. Meta-analysis

This is a type of systematic review that uses statistical methods to combine and summarize the results of several studies.

Due to its robust methodology, a meta-analysis is often considered the ‘gold standard’ of secondary research , as it provides a more precise estimate of a treatment effect than any individual study contributing to the pooled analysis.

Furthermore, by aggregating data from a range of studies, a meta-analysis can identify patterns, disagreements, or other interesting relationships that may have been hidden in individual studies.

This helps to enhance the generalizability of findings, making the conclusions drawn from a meta-analysis particularly powerful and informative for policy and practice.

Title: Cholesterol and Alzheimer’s Disease Risk: A Meta-Meta-Analysis

Citation: Sáiz-Vazquez, O., Puente-Martínez, A., Ubillos-Landa, S., Pacheco-Bonrostro, J., & Santabárbara, J. (2020). Cholesterol and Alzheimer’s disease risk: a meta-meta-analysis. Brain sciences, 10(6), 386.

Source: https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci10060386  

O verview: This study examines the relationship between cholesterol and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Researchers conducted a systematic search of meta-analyses and reviewed several databases, collecting 100 primary studies and five meta-analyses to analyze the connection between cholesterol and Alzheimer’s disease. They find that the literature compellingly demonstrates that low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels significantly influence the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

• The power of feedback revisited: A meta-analysis of educational feedback research (Wisniewski, Zierer & Hattie, 2020) – read here
• How Much Does Education Improve Intelligence? A Meta-Analysis (Ritchie & Tucker-Drob, 2018) – read here
• A meta-analysis of factors related to recycling (Geiger et al., 2019) – read here
• Stress management interventions for police officers and recruits (Patterson, Chung & Swan, 2014) – read here

Other Types of Reviews

• Scoping Review: This type of review is used to map the key concepts underpinning a research area and the main sources and types of evidence available. It can be undertaken as stand-alone projects in their own right, or as a precursor to a systematic review.
• Rapid Review: This type of review accelerates the systematic review process in order to produce information in a timely manner. This is achieved by simplifying or omitting stages of the systematic review process.
• Integrative Review: This review method is more inclusive than others, allowing for the simultaneous inclusion of experimental and non-experimental research. The goal is to more comprehensively understand a particular phenomenon.
• Critical Review: This is similar to a narrative review but requires a robust understanding of both the subject and the existing literature. In a critical review, the reviewer not only summarizes the existing literature, but also evaluates its strengths and weaknesses. This is common in the social sciences and humanities .
• State-of-the-Art Review: This considers the current level of advancement in a field or topic and makes recommendations for future research directions. This type of review is common in technological and scientific fields but can be applied to any discipline.

How to Write a Narrative Review (Tips for Undergrad Students)

Most undergraduate students conducting a capstone research project will be writing narrative reviews. Below is a five-step process for conducting a simple review of the literature for your project.

• Search for Relevant Literature: Use scholarly databases related to your field of study, provided by your university library, along with appropriate search terms to identify key scholarly articles that have been published on your topic.
• Evaluate and Select Sources: Filter the source list by selecting studies that are directly relevant and of sufficient quality, considering factors like credibility , objectivity, accuracy, and validity.
• Analyze and Synthesize: Review each source and summarize the main arguments  in one paragraph (or more, for postgrad). Keep these summaries in a table.
• Identify Themes: With all studies summarized, group studies that share common themes, such as studies that have similar findings or methodologies.
• Write the Review: Write your review based upon the themes or subtopics you have identified. Give a thorough overview of each theme, integrating source data, and conclude with a summary of the current state of knowledge then suggestions for future research based upon your evaluation of what is lacking in the literature.

Literature reviews don’t have to be as scary as they seem. Yes, they are difficult and require a strong degree of comprehension of academic studies. But it can be feasibly done through following a structured approach to data collection and analysis. With my undergraduate research students (who tend to conduct small-scale qualitative studies ), I encourage them to conduct a narrative literature review whereby they can identify key themes in the literature. Within each theme, students can critique key studies and their strengths and limitations , in order to get a lay of the land and come to a point where they can identify ways to contribute new insights to the existing academic conversation on their topic.

Ankrah, S., & Omar, A. T. (2015). Universities–industry collaboration: A systematic review. Scandinavian Journal of Management, 31(3), 387-408.

Asghari, P., Rahmani, A. M., & Javadi, H. H. S. (2019). Internet of Things applications: A systematic review. Computer Networks , 148 , 241-261.

Dyrbye, L., & Shanafelt, T. (2016). A narrative review on burnout experienced by medical students and residents. Medical education , 50 (1), 132-149.

Geiger, J. L., Steg, L., Van Der Werff, E., & Ünal, A. B. (2019). A meta-analysis of factors related to recycling. Journal of environmental psychology , 64 , 78-97.

Martin, F., Sun, T., & Westine, C. D. (2020). A systematic review of research on online teaching and learning from 2009 to 2018. Computers & education , 159 , 104009.

Mavilidi, M. F., Ruiter, M., Schmidt, M., Okely, A. D., Loyens, S., Chandler, P., & Paas, F. (2018). A narrative review of school-based physical activity for enhancing cognition and learning: The importance of relevancy and integration. Frontiers in psychology , 2079.

Patterson, G. T., Chung, I. W., & Swan, P. W. (2014). Stress management interventions for police officers and recruits: A meta-analysis. Journal of experimental criminology , 10 , 487-513.

Reith, T. P. (2018). Burnout in United States healthcare professionals: a narrative review. Cureus , 10 (12).

Ritchie, S. J., & Tucker-Drob, E. M. (2018). How much does education improve intelligence? A meta-analysis. Psychological science , 29 (8), 1358-1369.

Roman, S., Sánchez-Siles, L. M., & Siegrist, M. (2017). The importance of food naturalness for consumers: Results of a systematic review. Trends in food science & technology , 67 , 44-57.

Sáiz-Vazquez, O., Puente-Martínez, A., Ubillos-Landa, S., Pacheco-Bonrostro, J., & Santabárbara, J. (2020). Cholesterol and Alzheimer’s disease risk: a meta-meta-analysis. Brain sciences, 10(6), 386.

Vermeir, P., Vandijck, D., Degroote, S., Peleman, R., Verhaeghe, R., Mortier, E., … & Vogelaers, D. (2015). Communication in healthcare: a narrative review of the literature and practical recommendations. International journal of clinical practice , 69 (11), 1257-1267.

Wisniewski, B., Zierer, K., & Hattie, J. (2020). The power of feedback revisited: A meta-analysis of educational feedback research. Frontiers in Psychology , 10 , 3087.

Yli-Huumo, J., Ko, D., Choi, S., Park, S., & Smolander, K. (2016). Where is current research on blockchain technology?—a systematic review. PloS one , 11 (10), e0163477.

Zestcott, C. A., Blair, I. V., & Stone, J. (2016). Examining the presence, consequences, and reduction of implicit bias in health care: a narrative review. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations , 19 (4), 528-542

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ Social-Emotional Learning (Definition, Examples, Pros & Cons)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ What is Educational Psychology?
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ What is IQ? (Intelligence Quotient)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 5 Top Tips for Succeeding at University

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How to Prepare a Research Proposal and Literature Review

All HDR candidates are required to prepare a research proposal and literature review for their first Research Progress Review. If you are a PhD candidate, this will be your Confirmation Review. 

Your research proposal and literature review should be a comprehensive outline of your research topic and show how you will make an original contribution to knowledge in your field. Your Review panel will use your research proposal and literature review to assess the viability of your research project, and to provide you with valuable feedback on your topic, methodology, research design, timeline and milestones. 

UNSW Academic Skills provides a detailed description of how to develop and structure your research proposal. 

Your Faculty and/or School may have particular requirements, and you should contact your Postgraduate Coordinator or your supervisor if you’re unsure of what is required.  

Additional Resources

All disciplinary areas A guide for writing thesis proposals - UNSW Academic Skills Confirmation – not as big a deal as you think it is? - the Thesis Whisperer

Humanities and Social Sciences Essential ingredients of a good research proposal for undergraduate and postgraduate students in the social sciences – Raymond Talinbe Abdulai and Anthony Owusu-Ansah, SAGE Open, Jul-Sep 2014  Template for writing your PhD Confirmation document in Sociology and Anthropology - S A Hamed Hosseini

Science, Technology, Engineering and Medicine How to prepare a research proposal – Asya Al-Riyami, Oman Medical Journal Writing a scientific research proposal – author unknown

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How to write a literature review introduction (+ examples)

The introduction to a literature review serves as your reader’s guide through your academic work and thought process. Explore the significance of literature review introductions in review papers, academic papers, essays, theses, and dissertations. We delve into the purpose and necessity of these introductions, explore the essential components of literature review introductions, and provide step-by-step guidance on how to craft your own, along with examples.

Why you need an introduction for a literature review

When you need an introduction for a literature review, what to include in a literature review introduction, examples of literature review introductions, steps to write your own literature review introduction.

A literature review is a comprehensive examination of the international academic literature concerning a particular topic. It involves summarizing published works, theories, and concepts while also highlighting gaps and offering critical reflections.

In academic writing , the introduction for a literature review is an indispensable component. Effective academic writing requires proper paragraph structuring to guide your reader through your argumentation. This includes providing an introduction to your literature review.

It is imperative to remember that you should never start sharing your findings abruptly. Even if there isn’t a dedicated introduction section .

Instead, you should always offer some form of introduction to orient the reader and clarify what they can expect.

There are three main scenarios in which you need an introduction for a literature review:

• Academic literature review papers: When your literature review constitutes the entirety of an academic review paper, a more substantial introduction is necessary. This introduction should resemble the standard introduction found in regular academic papers.
• Literature review section in an academic paper or essay: While this section tends to be brief, it’s important to precede the detailed literature review with a few introductory sentences. This helps orient the reader before delving into the literature itself.
• Literature review chapter or section in your thesis/dissertation: Every thesis and dissertation includes a literature review component, which also requires a concise introduction to set the stage for the subsequent review.

You may also like: How to write a fantastic thesis introduction (+15 examples)

It is crucial to customize the content and depth of your literature review introduction according to the specific format of your academic work.

In practical terms, this implies, for instance, that the introduction in an academic literature review paper, especially one derived from a systematic literature review , is quite comprehensive. Particularly compared to the rather brief one or two introductory sentences that are often found at the beginning of a literature review section in a standard academic paper. The introduction to the literature review chapter in a thesis or dissertation again adheres to different standards.

Here’s a structured breakdown based on length and the necessary information:

Academic literature review paper

The introduction of an academic literature review paper, which does not rely on empirical data, often necessitates a more extensive introduction than the brief literature review introductions typically found in empirical papers. It should encompass:

• The research problem: Clearly articulate the problem or question that your literature review aims to address.
• The research gap: Highlight the existing gaps, limitations, or unresolved aspects within the current body of literature related to the research problem.
• The research relevance: Explain why the chosen research problem and its subsequent investigation through a literature review are significant and relevant in your academic field.
• The literature review method: If applicable, describe the methodology employed in your literature review, especially if it is a systematic review or follows a specific research framework.
• The main findings or insights of the literature review: Summarize the key discoveries, insights, or trends that have emerged from your comprehensive review of the literature.
• The main argument of the literature review: Conclude the introduction by outlining the primary argument or statement that your literature review will substantiate, linking it to the research problem and relevance you’ve established.
• Preview of the literature review’s structure: Offer a glimpse into the organization of the literature review paper, acting as a guide for the reader. This overview outlines the subsequent sections of the paper and provides an understanding of what to anticipate.

By addressing these elements, your introduction will provide a clear and structured overview of what readers can expect in your literature review paper.

Regular literature review section in an academic article or essay

Most academic articles or essays incorporate regular literature review sections, often placed after the introduction. These sections serve to establish a scholarly basis for the research or discussion within the paper.

In a standard 8000-word journal article, the literature review section typically spans between 750 and 1250 words. The first few sentences or the first paragraph within this section often serve as an introduction. It should encompass:

• An introduction to the topic: When delving into the academic literature on a specific topic, it’s important to provide a smooth transition that aids the reader in comprehending why certain aspects will be discussed within your literature review.
• The core argument: While literature review sections primarily synthesize the work of other scholars, they should consistently connect to your central argument. This central argument serves as the crux of your message or the key takeaway you want your readers to retain. By positioning it at the outset of the literature review section and systematically substantiating it with evidence, you not only enhance reader comprehension but also elevate overall readability. This primary argument can typically be distilled into 1-2 succinct sentences.

In some cases, you might include:

• Methodology: Details about the methodology used, but only if your literature review employed a specialized method. If your approach involved a broader overview without a systematic methodology, you can omit this section, thereby conserving word count.

By addressing these elements, your introduction will effectively integrate your literature review into the broader context of your academic paper or essay. This will, in turn, assist your reader in seamlessly following your overarching line of argumentation.

Introduction to a literature review chapter in thesis or dissertation

The literature review typically constitutes a distinct chapter within a thesis or dissertation. Often, it is Chapter 2 of a thesis or dissertation.

Some students choose to incorporate a brief introductory section at the beginning of each chapter, including the literature review chapter. Alternatively, others opt to seamlessly integrate the introduction into the initial sentences of the literature review itself. Both approaches are acceptable, provided that you incorporate the following elements:

• Purpose of the literature review and its relevance to the thesis/dissertation research: Explain the broader objectives of the literature review within the context of your research and how it contributes to your thesis or dissertation. Essentially, you’re telling the reader why this literature review is important and how it fits into the larger scope of your academic work.
• Primary argument: Succinctly communicate what you aim to prove, explain, or explore through the review of existing literature. This statement helps guide the reader’s understanding of the review’s purpose and what to expect from it.
• Preview of the literature review’s content: Provide a brief overview of the topics or themes that your literature review will cover. It’s like a roadmap for the reader, outlining the main areas of focus within the review. This preview can help the reader anticipate the structure and organization of your literature review.
• Methodology: If your literature review involved a specific research method, such as a systematic review or meta-analysis, you should briefly describe that methodology. However, this is not always necessary, especially if your literature review is more of a narrative synthesis without a distinct research method.

By addressing these elements, your introduction will empower your literature review to play a pivotal role in your thesis or dissertation research. It will accomplish this by integrating your research into the broader academic literature and providing a solid theoretical foundation for your work.

Comprehending the art of crafting your own literature review introduction becomes significantly more accessible when you have concrete examples to examine. Here, you will find several examples that meet, or in most cases, adhere to the criteria described earlier.

Example 1: An effective introduction for an academic literature review paper

To begin, let’s delve into the introduction of an academic literature review paper. We will examine the paper “How does culture influence innovation? A systematic literature review”, which was published in 2018 in the journal Management Decision.

The entire introduction spans 611 words and is divided into five paragraphs. In this introduction, the authors accomplish the following:

• In the first paragraph, the authors introduce the broader topic of the literature review, which focuses on innovation and its significance in the context of economic competition. They underscore the importance of this topic, highlighting its relevance for both researchers and policymakers.
• In the second paragraph, the authors narrow down their focus to emphasize the specific role of culture in relation to innovation.
• In the third paragraph, the authors identify research gaps, noting that existing studies are often fragmented and disconnected. They then emphasize the value of conducting a systematic literature review to enhance our understanding of the topic.
• In the fourth paragraph, the authors introduce their specific objectives and explain how their insights can benefit other researchers and business practitioners.
• In the fifth and final paragraph, the authors provide an overview of the paper’s organization and structure.

In summary, this introduction stands as a solid example. While the authors deviate from previewing their key findings (which is a common practice at least in the social sciences), they do effectively cover all the other previously mentioned points.

Example 2: An effective introduction to a literature review section in an academic paper

The second example represents a typical academic paper, encompassing not only a literature review section but also empirical data, a case study, and other elements. We will closely examine the introduction to the literature review section in the paper “The environmentalism of the subalterns: a case study of environmental activism in Eastern Kurdistan/Rojhelat”, which was published in 2021 in the journal Local Environment.

The paper begins with a general introduction and then proceeds to the literature review, designated by the authors as their conceptual framework. Of particular interest is the first paragraph of this conceptual framework, comprising 142 words across five sentences:

“ A peripheral and marginalised nationality within a multinational though-Persian dominated Iranian society, the Kurdish people of Iranian Kurdistan (a region referred by the Kurds as Rojhelat/Eastern Kurdi-stan) have since the early twentieth century been subject to multifaceted and systematic discriminatory and exclusionary state policy in Iran. This condition has left a population of 12–15 million Kurds in Iran suffering from structural inequalities, disenfranchisement and deprivation. Mismanagement of Kurdistan’s natural resources and the degradation of its natural environmental are among examples of this disenfranchisement. As asserted by Julian Agyeman (2005), structural inequalities that sustain the domination of political and economic elites often simultaneously result in environmental degradation, injustice and discrimination against subaltern communities. This study argues that the environmental struggle in Eastern Kurdistan can be asserted as a (sub)element of the Kurdish liberation movement in Iran. Conceptually this research is inspired by and has been conducted through the lens of ‘subalternity’ ” ( Hassaniyan, 2021, p. 931 ).

In this first paragraph, the author is doing the following:

• The author contextualises the research
• The author links the research focus to the international literature on structural inequalities
• The author clearly presents the argument of the research
• The author clarifies how the research is inspired by and uses the concept of ‘subalternity’.

Thus, the author successfully introduces the literature review, from which point onward it dives into the main concept (‘subalternity’) of the research, and reviews the literature on socio-economic justice and environmental degradation.

While introductions to a literature review section aren’t always required to offer the same level of study context detail as demonstrated here, this introduction serves as a commendable model for orienting the reader within the literature review. It effectively underscores the literature review’s significance within the context of the study being conducted.

Examples 3-5: Effective introductions to literature review chapters

The introduction to a literature review chapter can vary in length, depending largely on the overall length of the literature review chapter itself. For example, a master’s thesis typically features a more concise literature review, thus necessitating a shorter introduction. In contrast, a Ph.D. thesis, with its more extensive literature review, often includes a more detailed introduction.

Numerous universities offer online repositories where you can access theses and dissertations from previous years, serving as valuable sources of reference. Many of these repositories, however, may require you to log in through your university account. Nevertheless, a few open-access repositories are accessible to anyone, such as the one by the University of Manchester . It’s important to note though that copyright restrictions apply to these resources, just as they would with published papers.

Master’s thesis literature review introduction

The first example is “Benchmarking Asymmetrical Heating Models of Spider Pulsar Companions” by P. Sun, a master’s thesis completed at the University of Manchester on January 9, 2024. The author, P. Sun, introduces the literature review chapter very briefly but effectively:

PhD thesis literature review chapter introduction

The second example is Deep Learning on Semi-Structured Data and its Applications to Video-Game AI, Woof, W. (Author). 31 Dec 2020, a PhD thesis completed at the University of Manchester . In Chapter 2, the author offers a comprehensive introduction to the topic in four paragraphs, with the final paragraph serving as an overview of the chapter’s structure:

PhD thesis literature review introduction

The last example is the doctoral thesis Metacognitive strategies and beliefs: Child correlates and early experiences Chan, K. Y. M. (Author). 31 Dec 2020 . The author clearly conducted a systematic literature review, commencing the review section with a discussion of the methodology and approach employed in locating and analyzing the selected records.

Having absorbed all of this information, let’s recap the essential steps and offer a succinct guide on how to proceed with creating your literature review introduction:

• Contextualize your review : Begin by clearly identifying the academic context in which your literature review resides and determining the necessary information to include.
• Outline your structure : Develop a structured outline for your literature review, highlighting the essential information you plan to incorporate in your introduction.
• Literature review process : Conduct a rigorous literature review, reviewing and analyzing relevant sources.
• Summarize and abstract : After completing the review, synthesize the findings and abstract key insights, trends, and knowledge gaps from the literature.
• Craft the introduction : Write your literature review introduction with meticulous attention to the seamless integration of your review into the larger context of your work. Ensure that your introduction effectively elucidates your rationale for the chosen review topics and the underlying reasons guiding your selection.

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• Knowledge Base
• Dissertation

How to Write a Dissertation Proposal | A Step-by-Step Guide

Published on 14 February 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on 11 November 2022.

A dissertation proposal describes the research you want to do: what it’s about, how you’ll conduct it, and why it’s worthwhile. You will probably have to write a proposal before starting your dissertation as an undergraduate or postgraduate student.

A dissertation proposal should generally include:

• An introduction to your topic and aims
• A literature review  of the current state of knowledge
• An outline of your proposed methodology
• A discussion of the possible implications of the research
• A bibliography  of relevant sources

Dissertation proposals vary a lot in terms of length and structure, so make sure to follow any guidelines given to you by your institution, and check with your supervisor when you’re unsure.

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Table of contents

Step 1: coming up with an idea, step 2: presenting your idea in the introduction, step 3: exploring related research in the literature review, step 4: describing your methodology, step 5: outlining the potential implications of your research, step 6: creating a reference list or bibliography.

Before writing your proposal, it’s important to come up with a strong idea for your dissertation.

Find an area of your field that interests you and do some preliminary reading in that area. What are the key concerns of other researchers? What do they suggest as areas for further research, and what strikes you personally as an interesting gap in the field?

Once you have an idea, consider how to narrow it down and the best way to frame it. Don’t be too ambitious or too vague – a dissertation topic needs to be specific enough to be feasible. Move from a broad field of interest to a specific niche:

• Russian literature 19th century Russian literature The novels of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky
• Social media Mental health effects of social media Influence of social media on young adults suffering from anxiety

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Like most academic texts, a dissertation proposal begins with an introduction . This is where you introduce the topic of your research, provide some background, and most importantly, present your aim , objectives and research question(s) .

Try to dive straight into your chosen topic: What’s at stake in your research? Why is it interesting? Don’t spend too long on generalisations or grand statements:

• Social media is the most important technological trend of the 21st century. It has changed the world and influences our lives every day.
• Psychologists generally agree that the ubiquity of social media in the lives of young adults today has a profound impact on their mental health. However, the exact nature of this impact needs further investigation.

Once your area of research is clear, you can present more background and context. What does the reader need to know to understand your proposed questions? What’s the current state of research on this topic, and what will your dissertation contribute to the field?

If you’re including a literature review, you don’t need to go into too much detail at this point, but give the reader a general sense of the debates that you’re intervening in.

This leads you into the most important part of the introduction: your aim, objectives and research question(s) . These should be clearly identifiable and stand out from the text – for example, you could present them using bullet points or bold font.

Make sure that your research questions are specific and workable – something you can reasonably answer within the scope of your dissertation. Avoid being too broad or having too many different questions. Remember that your goal in a dissertation proposal is to convince the reader that your research is valuable and feasible:

• Does social media harm mental health?
• What is the impact of daily social media use on 18– to 25–year–olds suffering from general anxiety disorder?

Now that your topic is clear, it’s time to explore existing research covering similar ideas. This is important because it shows you what is missing from other research in the field and ensures that you’re not asking a question someone else has already answered.

You’ve probably already done some preliminary reading, but now that your topic is more clearly defined, you need to thoroughly analyse and evaluate the most relevant sources in your literature review .

Here you should summarise the findings of other researchers and comment on gaps and problems in their studies. There may be a lot of research to cover, so make effective use of paraphrasing to write concisely:

• Smith and Prakash state that ‘our results indicate a 25% decrease in the incidence of mechanical failure after the new formula was applied’.
• Smith and Prakash’s formula reduced mechanical failures by 25%.

The point is to identify findings and theories that will influence your own research, but also to highlight gaps and limitations in previous research which your dissertation can address:

• Subsequent research has failed to replicate this result, however, suggesting a flaw in Smith and Prakash’s methods. It is likely that the failure resulted from…

Next, you’ll describe your proposed methodology : the specific things you hope to do, the structure of your research and the methods that you will use to gather and analyse data.

You should get quite specific in this section – you need to convince your supervisor that you’ve thought through your approach to the research and can realistically carry it out. This section will look quite different, and vary in length, depending on your field of study.

You may be engaged in more empirical research, focusing on data collection and discovering new information, or more theoretical research, attempting to develop a new conceptual model or add nuance to an existing one.

Dissertation research often involves both, but the content of your methodology section will vary according to how important each approach is to your dissertation.

Empirical research

Empirical research involves collecting new data and analysing it in order to answer your research questions. It can be quantitative (focused on numbers), qualitative (focused on words and meanings), or a combination of both.

With empirical research, it’s important to describe in detail how you plan to collect your data:

• Will you use surveys ? A lab experiment ? Interviews?
• What variables will you measure?
• How will you select a representative sample ?
• If other people will participate in your research, what measures will you take to ensure they are treated ethically?
• What tools (conceptual and physical) will you use, and why?

It’s appropriate to cite other research here. When you need to justify your choice of a particular research method or tool, for example, you can cite a text describing the advantages and appropriate usage of that method.

Don’t overdo this, though; you don’t need to reiterate the whole theoretical literature, just what’s relevant to the choices you have made.

Moreover, your research will necessarily involve analysing the data after you have collected it. Though you don’t know yet what the data will look like, it’s important to know what you’re looking for and indicate what methods (e.g. statistical tests , thematic analysis ) you will use.

Theoretical research

You can also do theoretical research that doesn’t involve original data collection. In this case, your methodology section will focus more on the theory you plan to work with in your dissertation: relevant conceptual models and the approach you intend to take.

For example, a literary analysis dissertation rarely involves collecting new data, but it’s still necessary to explain the theoretical approach that will be taken to the text(s) under discussion, as well as which parts of the text(s) you will focus on:

• This dissertation will utilise Foucault’s theory of panopticism to explore the theme of surveillance in Orwell’s 1984 and Kafka’s The Trial…

Here, you may refer to the same theorists you have already discussed in the literature review. In this case, the emphasis is placed on how you plan to use their contributions in your own research.

You’ll usually conclude your dissertation proposal with a section discussing what you expect your research to achieve.

You obviously can’t be too sure: you don’t know yet what your results and conclusions will be. Instead, you should describe the projected implications and contribution to knowledge of your dissertation.

First, consider the potential implications of your research. Will you:

• Develop or test a theory?
• Provide new information to governments or businesses?
• Challenge a commonly held belief?
• Suggest an improvement to a specific process?

Describe the intended result of your research and the theoretical or practical impact it will have:

Finally, it’s sensible to conclude by briefly restating the contribution to knowledge you hope to make: the specific question(s) you hope to answer and the gap the answer(s) will fill in existing knowledge:

Like any academic text, it’s important that your dissertation proposal effectively references all the sources you have used. You need to include a properly formatted reference list or bibliography at the end of your proposal.

Different institutions recommend different styles of referencing – commonly used styles include Harvard , Vancouver , APA , or MHRA . If your department does not have specific requirements, choose a style and apply it consistently.

A reference list includes only the sources that you cited in your proposal. A bibliography is slightly different: it can include every source you consulted in preparing the proposal, even if you didn’t mention it in the text. In the case of a dissertation proposal, a bibliography may also list relevant sources that you haven’t yet read, but that you intend to use during the research itself.

Check with your supervisor what type of bibliography or reference list you should include.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the ‘Cite this Scribbr article’ button to automatically add the citation to our free Reference Generator.

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EDUC802: Educational Research Design

Main content, module 4: how to review literature, develop questions, and write a proposal.

• First Page |<<
• Previous Page <

Introduction

[MUSIC PLAYING]

MATTHEW T. MCCRUDDEN: OK. In this chapter, the focus is on how to review the literature and to develop good research questions. So the basic idea here is that you want to see what's been done previously in an area and that will help inform the types of questions that you ask. And those two features are very important because if previous work has been done, you want to benefit from that. Because we mentioned earlier, that research is incremental, and so if we can draw upon previous literature, that can inform our current thinking.

And when we have good research questions, that can set our research study in the right direction. If we have a poorly phrased research question, it becomes difficult to answer that question. So in this chapter, we'll talk about how do we draw upon existing resources to inform our thinking about conducting future research? And then how do we frame those studies using effective research questions that can be addressed with the methods that we have at our disposal?

MATTHEW T. MCCRUDDEN: This chapter, the topic is "How to Write a Research Proposal." So it introduces, what exactly is a research proposal? Why do we have that, and then, what are the components?

And when you think broadly about a research proposal, think of it as a plan of action. It's telling you, you're laying out specifically what you're going to do in order to conduct a study. And so this chapter talks about what, are the elements that you include in a research proposal as you go through the planning process prior to conducting a study?

At the completion of this module, you will be able to:

• Accurately identify, define, and apply key terms and concepts related to literature reviews, research questions, and research proposals.
• Identify components of a research article.
• Draft components of your research proposal for this course.
• Reflect and apply key concepts to your personal research interests.
• Summarize and evaluate components of a qualitative research article.

Complete the learning activities by the due dates listed in the Course Schedule for Module 4.

• Readings and Videos
• Reading Questions
• Article Review (Qualitative)

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What Are The Sections Of A Research Proposal?

L earning the structure of a research proposal can be helpful while writing one. Research proposal writing services often emphasize the importance of breaking down your proposal into clear sections to ensure clarity and coherence. Typically, a research proposal comprises several key components.

A research proposal is like a roadmap for a study, outlining its purpose, methods, and expected outcomes. Typically, it consists of several key sections. Firstly, there's the introduction, which introduces the research topic and explains its importance. Then comes the literature review, where existing research relevant to the study is discussed. 

After that, the methodology section outlines how the research will be conducted, including the tools and techniques used. Next, the proposal includes a section on anticipated results and their significance. Lastly, there's often a section on the timeline and budget, detailing when and how resources will be allocated. This article will cover the sections of writing research proposal . 

Main Features of a Research Proposal

To write research proposal, it's important to cover key elements. Look for the best research proposal writing services to ensure your proposal includes all vital aspects.

Introduction

Literature review, methodology.

Research Proposal title should be to the point but informative that clearly tell what the research is about. Avoid using too long titles and extra information in it. Choose the best title for your research proposal that is relevant to your project.

A good proposal title should contain the following

• Eye catching words to grab the attention of the reader
• Positive language toward the reader

Titles should be similar to your research questions or thesis statements.

The abstract is like a snapshot of your research proposal, or a brief summary giving a intro what your study is all about. It gives the basic fundamental about your topic so they can understand the importance of the proposal. It sums up the main points: the problem you're tackling, what you aim to achieve, how you plan to do it, and what you expect to find. 

A strong abstract attracts the reader and grabs their interest in your proposal and its importance. This is the chance to make an excellent first impression and encourage readers to check out more of your research.

The introduction is the main point of the research proposal. It introduces the audience to the story by explaining the background and reasons behind your research. It highlights the main question or problem you're addressing and explains why it's important. By the end of the introduction, the reader should understand what you're studying, why it's significant, and what you hope to achieve. This section is crucial because it sets the stage for the rest of your proposal, helping the reader understand the context and purpose of your research.

The literature review acts as a map that shows the present state of information in your area of research. Here, you will be giving a summary and review of previous studies, concepts, and results related to the topic you chose. This makes it less difficult for you to see the larger context and figure out how your research fits in. In addition to underlining the importance of your work, an effective review of the literature highlights undiscovered areas and recommends places where future study may have an impact.

In the methodology section, you explain how you'll conduct your research. This includes describing the type of research you'll do, like whether it's qualitative or quantitative. You also talk about how you'll collect data, whether through surveys, interviews, or experiments. 

It's important to explain your sampling strategy, which is how you'll select participants or data points. This ensures that your sample is representative of the population you're studying. 

Additionally, you'll detail how you'll analyze the data once you've collected it. This could involve statistical tests, thematic analysis, or other methods depending on your research design. 

Clarity and feasibility are key in this section. You want to make sure that your methods are clear and that you'll be able to actually carry them out. This helps ensure that your findings will be valid and reliable.

Your research proposal's schedule section acts as a sort of road map, detailing the actions you'll comply with to finish the project. It provides the timetable for gathering information, research, and distribution of findings. Having a clear period shows off your excellent ability to manage time but also gives people trust that your study will be finished on time. It improves the trust people have in your proposal. Having an extensive timetable helps you stay on target and complete your education in an appropriate length of time, much like when you create milestones for yourself. This part of your proposal is important because it displays that you have calculated the length of time of each study part, which will help you plan carefully and make sure you succeed in finishing your project on time.

In the budget section, you list all the money you'll need for your research. This covers things like buying equipment, getting materials, paying participants, and any staff you might need. By explaining why you need each expense, you show exactly how you plan to spend the money. This transparency helps funding agencies understand why your study is worth investing in, making it more likely they'll support your research.

You must list all of the sources that you included in your research proposal in the references section. This list follows to an APA or MLA format, which makes it easier for readers to find exactly which sources you used. To maintain the academic standard and show regard for the efforts of other researchers, it is important that you use references that are right and reliable. This section acknowledges the works of earlier researchers whose work you have found useful in your research.

A good research proposal has important sections that show why your study is important, how it can be done, and how reliable it is. Whether you need money or permission for your research, knowing these sections well is key to making a strong proposal. With help from trusted research proposal writing services in the UK , new researchers can get expert advice on writing proposals, making it easier for them to succeed.

Note: This article is for information purposes only and does not contain any recommendation.

This article may contain affiliate links that Microsoft and/or the publisher may receive a commission from if you buy a product or service through those links.

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Applications of AI in Research – An Interview with Dr. Dong

Posted By: Riyan Jain May 9, 2024

AI is increasingly pervasive in our everyday lives, from using it as a personal assistant to writing college essays or even enhancing student research projects. While very useful and exciting, AI also raises important questions about its implications for scientific research, ethical considerations, and the challenges and risks that young researchers must navigate. In an interview with the Acronym, Dr. Peter Dong–one of the IMSA SIR program coordinators, leading stellar research in the field of Particle Physics, and highly experienced with various AI tools suitable for research applications–shares his insights on these matters.

To summarize, Dr. Dong recognizes the significant benefits AI brings by automating routine tasks, thereby freeing up researchers to focus on more complex and creative aspects of their work. However, he cautions that AI’s capacity to contribute might reach its limits when moving from these “busy” tasks to roles requiring creativity and problem-solving. Despite this, he highlights the substantial long-term implications of AI in research, stressing the importance for students and young researchers to view AI as a tool rather than a replacement for their own curiosity and eagerness to learn new concepts. Below are excerpts from the interview, shedding light on these perspectives.

Applications in Research 

AI applications in science are mostly going to be removing busy work, the things that humans don’t want to do, or tasks such as removing noise from signals or separating signal and background. In his words, “There’s so much time wasted and duplicated effort that happens at the lab right now. If we could get rid of that, that would be really great. So I hope that’s the direction. You know, it’s the same thing as automation and mechanization. We learned and figured that out, and in the long run, that was a huge gain for society, for humanity, to be able to mechanize stuff. So in the same way, I hope it works out.”

While Dr. Dong sees AI (or expects future versions of AI) to be adept at doing the routine stuff we have already done or catching stuff that humans might have forgotten, AI is just a long way off from doing creative tasks. As he sees it, “ And all it [ChatGPT or Gen AI] could do was give me vague boilerplate. And so that’s what I am seeing, it breaks down when you get too specific and isn’t able to handle it. It can only do simple stuff. Because what it does so far is it’s good at making stuff that looks right, but not so good at the stuff that is right.  And so if it’s trying to come up with the design, it’ll look like the right design, but it may not be what you actually wanted, it may not work very well.”

Applications in the Specific Steps of the Research Process

Source collection .

“Absolutely. That’s what all search engines are designed for. Search engines such as Perplexity are doing the same thing as Google search, i.e. trying to remove all the difficulty in finding the sources you want.”

Literature review

“Useful, but a researcher needs to be very careful. You just give AI engines a web page to read, and they will give you a good summary. And you could tell it how detailed you want the summary to be. So it’s good at it. But there are some key dangers here. One is the hallucination problem [when AI generates exaggerated or untrue information] . Then, if you want it to write literature review for you, you should have read all those papers. And you should read over what it says and make sure it all makes sense. Ultimately, you will have to double check the references – AI is a random process. You can’t trust it to be right all the time.”

Report writing  

“Some aspects of report writing aren’t very intellectual and can be easily automated. For example, if you upload Chemistry data, and say, ‘I did a titration; write me a lab report,’ AI software will be able to do that and do a pretty good job.”

But evidently, other portions of creating a report may not lend themselves well to be automated.  

“To me, the biggest danger is accountability. Making sure what’s in there is right. The discussion portion of a research paper is the hardest part- that part, I think should never be automated.”

Could it Hinder Learning?  

Applications of AI in research and learning poses various challenges. For example, a large argument against developments in AI argues that it would hinder the learning of students. Dr. Dong compares it to using calculators, and believes it will make certain tasks easier but it’s not replacing everything. That said, he also advises students to understand its limitations.

“There’s going to be an adjustment period where we figure out how to teach students, and more importantly, where students realize what they need to know and what they don’t. As long as this generation of kids like you who are being raised with GPT, understand what GPT is and what it’s not, then we’re fine. And if you treat GPT as God, then we’re in trouble. The problem with Skynet in Terminator 2 wasn’t the AI. The problem was that someone gave AI control over nuclear weapons.”

Dr. Dong also emphasized that just because AI can do certain tasks, we as students still need to build those skills. 

“GPT can write better than you. But you need to learn how to write. And frankly, I think that’s already where most students are. I don’t see students believing that this replaces their need to know how to write.”

General Words of Wisdom

“ I think all technologies hit a wall. Notice that the vacuum cleaner was invented 50 years ago, and no one’s been able to make any real big improvements. And it’s just run slightly more efficiently, quieter, or longer battery life. Even Roomba isn’t a game changer because it can’t go up stairs. Similarly, AI will be able to find and point out interesting connections that humans might not have known, but it will still need humans to verify those.”

“ AI is merely a tool – it’s like a knife. When you make a knife, you figure out safeguards: you store it in a knife block or you keep it out of reach of children. We need to stop thinking about AI as a consciousness, or an alien mind that we’re communicating with. It’s just a tool, and it’s a useful one. And we’re gonna make a few mistakes. But the biggest thing is to put safeguards on your tools.”

  “ It’s okay to lose some skills. For example, COBOL programming. So people, in fact, are looking at using AI to update their COBOL code base without humans, because the old COBOL programmers are retiring. That’s what we want to happen. So what will happen is some skills get lost, and it’s okay. There will be a transitionary period where you find people short on some skills, but you know what will happen? They’ll discover them, and then they’ll learn them. Because you don’t have to learn everything before you’re age 20. You can learn something when you’re 35.”

Something Worth Sharing Beyond AI

During our conversation, I gained a new perspective on appreciating the dynamic nature of impacts and potential solutions when assessing challenges. Throughout our 40-minute discussion, Dr. Dong never assessed challenges based on the status quo; instead, he recognized problems and offered insights on how he expects the ecosystem might evolve. For example, he acknowledged how increasing the use of AI could potentially hinder skill development in future researchers, but also understood that students will nevertheless learn the skills when needed. Similarly, he views hallucinations in AI as a challenge, but he sees them as bugs that will be fixed once they become significant constraints. To this extent, he offered his perspective that an increased focus on AI will lead us to figure out how to manage it. The key takeaway was that it’s acceptable to encounter unintended consequences, provided we act and learn from them.

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Open Access

Peer-reviewed

Research Article

Tourism marketing in the metaverse: A systematic literature review, building blocks, and future research directions

Contributed equally to this work with: Eva Sánchez-Amboage, Verónica Crespo-Pereira, Matías Membiela-Pollán, João Paulo Jesús Faustino

Roles Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Funding acquisition, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Resources, Software, Supervision, Validation, Visualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing

* E-mail: [email protected]

Affiliation Business Department, University of A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain

Roles Conceptualization, Data curation, Methodology, Supervision, Validation, Writing – review & editing

Roles Conceptualization, Data curation, Methodology, Supervision, Writing – review & editing

Roles Visualization, Writing – review & editing

Affiliation Faculdade de Letras, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

• Eva Sánchez-Amboage, 
• Verónica Crespo-Pereira, 
• Matías Membiela-Pollán, 
• João Paulo Jesús Faustino

• Published: May 10, 2024
• https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0300599
• Reader Comments

The aim of this research is to investigate tourist marketing within the embryonic context of the metaverse in order to comprehend the building blocks and the primary technologies employed in the sector. A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted on 386 articles, with an overall qualitative approach that included 86 references, all of which dealt with the topic of the metaverse and had direct or potential implications for the tourism sector (hotels, restaurants, means of transport, leisure activities and destination itself). The articles are taken from: Science Direct, Taylor & Francis, Emerald, Springer and Google Scholar. The SLR was carried out according to the PRISMA search protocol. The results indicate the technologies that have been most thoroughly studied at the confluence of marketing, tourism, and the metaverse (AI, virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, blockchain, tokens (NFTs) and digital twins). Moreover, they establish the foundational components of tourism marketing in the metaverse for the first time (tourism products, the metaverse as a distribution and branding channel for tourism and, tourist customer as protagonist). Finally, the study exposes research gaps and recommends future directions for exploration (monetization of products in the metaverse, promotion and marketing strategies in the metaverse, new profiles for marketing professionals, policy development that regulates commercial activity in the metaverse).

Citation: Sánchez-Amboage E, Crespo-Pereira V, Membiela-Pollán M, Jesús Faustino JP (2024) Tourism marketing in the metaverse: A systematic literature review, building blocks, and future research directions. PLoS ONE 19(5): e0300599. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0300599

Editor: Barbara Guidi, University of Pisa, ITALY

Received: August 3, 2023; Accepted: February 23, 2024; Published: May 10, 2024

Copyright: © 2024 Sánchez-Amboage et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Data Availability: Data relevant to this study are available from Zenodo at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10782765 .

Funding: The article is funded by the Luis Fernández Somoza Chair and the research iMARKA Research Group, both from the University of A Coruña to ESA.

Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic changed how societies and economies developed around the world [ 1 ]. No other previous global crisis has affected every country and every industry [ 2 ]. In addition to economic losses, the quarantine and social isolation have been detrimental to our social and psychological well-being [ 3 ]. At the root of all this, the contactless culture has been firmly established in society and in our daily lives [ 4 ]. Tourists have exhibited new behaviors, such as taking precautionary health measures when traveling or avoiding crowded places, events and/or group travel, for example. We are faced with a “new tourist” who demands touchless/contactless travel [ 5 ] that matches their lifestyle, consisting of leisure, remote work, family obligations and hybrid activities (both virtual and real) [ 6 ].

Technology is serving as a vector of change in this post-COVID society. In the tourism industry, technological innovation is playing a fundamental role in the post-pandemic recovery [ 7 ]. Without information technology (IT), there would have been no tourism during and after COVID-19 [ 8 ]. The traditional service experience is changing "high-touch and low-tech” processes into “low-touch and high-tech” ones [ 9 ]. For example, in the hotel sector, technology has made it possible to reduce interactions between customers and staff through contactless check-in and check-out systems, digital key systems, face recognition systems, cleaning robot systems [ 7 ], as well as creating new promotion options through livestreaming [ 10 ]. Furthermore, during the main quarantine period, several tourism services and activities changed from on-site to totally digital and virtual formats. Major brands opted to reformulate communication and digital marketing strategies to boost interaction with their audiences. Companies like Airbnb created an “online experience” section [ 11 ]; restaurants have adopted new measures to maintain their income and retain employment levels [ 12 ]; museums around the world conducted live visits, primarily through the social media [ 8 ] and tourist destinations shared their history and areas of interest over the Internet, with the main goal being to connect with future tourists at an extremely complicated time worldwide. The pandemic has triggered and accelerated change [ 13 , 14 ], however, these practices were already latent in the tourism industry even before the pandemic [ 15 ].

This is where metaverse comes into play, an interconnected ecosystem of digital and physical environments that can be experienced simultaneously, seamlessly blending physical and technological realities [ 16 ]. The concept of the metaverse and the virtual experiences related to it have emerged in society and have radically changed the future of technology and its potential impact on the hospitality and tourism industry [ 6 , 17 , 18 ].

Although, the metaverse is positioned as one of the most popular research agendas [ 19 ], only two articles related to tourism and the metaverse have been published in specialized tourism journals until 2022: [ 20 , 21 ]. Authors such as [ 22 ] understand that the metaverse will be the marketing platform of the future, where communication with customers will be different from what we know now. [ 6 , 22 ] discuss the foundations and building blocks for marketing in the metaverse, while [ 23 ] consider the building blocks of tourism in the metaverse. There are no references to the building blocks of tourism marketing in the metaverse.

This systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted to address these gaps, to expand the framework for tourism marketing in the metaverse, and to identify areas for future research.

This paper presents a systematic literature review (SLR) of academic publications related to the metaverse that have direct or potential impact on tourism. The aim of this research is to investigate tourist marketing within the embryonic context of the metaverse in order to comprehend the building blocks and the primary technologies employed in the sector.

The results obtained from both objectives can be employed in other research areas within the creative industries. Across various sectors, companies share common characteristics. Those within the creative industries particularly emphasize the creation of original and innovative content, spanning products, services, or experiences. Creativity and originality serve as foundational values in these enterprises. Examples of businesses in the creative industry encompass various areas such as visual arts, traditional culture, cultural sites, publications, new media, etc.

Preliminary metaverse studies will be able to share their findings to create knowledge about the metaverse marketing discipline.

Next, the research is structured into three sections: methodology, which provides a detailed explanation of the systematic literature review; results, focusing on the most studied metaverse technologies in tourism research and the building blocks of tourist marketing in the metaverse. Finally, the research concludes with a section on conclusions, limitations, and future research directions.

Methodology

Review works are widely accepted in the academic field. Since 2012, journals focused on tourism have increased the number of review articles published, which reflects the growing popularity of this type of studies. In terms of their repercussion, the review articles most frequently cited by other authors fall under the topics of economics and finance and marketing [ 24 ].

Within review works, systematic reviews aim to summarize and analyze evidence with regard to an objective or research question. Systematic reviews are based on specifying the method used to find, select, analyze and synthesize the primary sources used in the research [ 25 ].

The present research is conducted considering the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) search protocol [ 26 ].

PRISMA is a protocol for conducting systematic reviews that consists of a 27-item checklist and a four-phase flow chart ( Fig 1 ). It was developed in the field of medicine by a group of 29 scholars with the intention of increasing the transparency and precision of literature reviews. The reason for choosing PRISMA over other existing protocols lies in its recognition and use by various disciplines throughout the world beyond the medical fields, as well as its potential for improving the validity and confidence of the systematic reviews in hospitality services and tourism [ 27 ].

• PPT PowerPoint slide
• PNG larger image
• TIFF original image

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0300599.g001

The prior publication of the protocol reduces the impact of inherent biases by the author and promotes transparency about the methods and process, as well as preventing redundant reviews. Among the many options that exist for evaluating bias risk, PRISMA promotes a system based on the evaluation of different key design components and the execution of studies so that there is solid empirical evidence of its relationship to the bias [ 29 ].

Eligibility criteria and search strategy

Several searches in different databases were carried out to decide which were the most pertinent, in terms of the number of articles revealed and the affinity of these articles to the proposed research topic. The search equation that ultimately presented the most beneficial search results was: marketing AND (metaverse OR "metaverse platform") AND (tourism OR travel OR hospitality).

It was decided to perform the search on the collections of publications most used in the fields of research on marketing, hospitality services and tourism: Science Direct, Taylor & Francis, Emerald and Springer. This search was complemented by the results from the Google Scholar search engine, since in recent years it has significantly expanded its coverage [ 30 ]. The filters used in the search of publication collections and Google Scholar were: scientific articles, English language and any date. Those references that come from non-indexed journals are eliminated. The research has examined articles on marketing and the metaverse, with direct or indirect relevance to the tourism sector, from 1992 to 2022, with a specific focus on the years 2020–2022 due to the significance of these years of publication, as explained later in "reports excluded, reason 1".

The Scopus and Web of Science databases were ruled out as they contain a small number of articles for analysis, 2 and 6, respectively; and for these not being totally related to the research objective. The same search equation was used in Proquest, obtaining a total of 293 records (doctoral theses), which after the analysis of the title, abstract and key words demonstrated that the results were not closely linked to the research proposal and thus this database was also ruled out.

An Excel document was developed to save the results, organized based on: code, title, author, key words, abstract, year, journal, DOI and origin of the corresponding author. The document has been registered on Zenodo and can be accessed through the following link: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10782765

The “code” cell helps structure the study selection process as follows and reduces the risk of researcher bias. The inclusion or exclusion of each reference has been validated by all four authors of this article.

• Records excluded : (n = 162) reviewing the title, abstract, key words and determining that the topic does not match: metaverse, blockchain, XR, AR, VR, second life, IA, virtual world.
• Reports excluded , reason 1 : (n = 44) articles prior to 2020. No filter is used with regard to the search date (“anytime”). However, after the first analyses, it was decided that the studies that would form part of the SLR would be those that were published in the last two years (2020–2022). Authors like Kim (2021) explain that the term metaverse has gained ground in the world of technology since 2020, becoming popular since 2021 when it coincided with the change of the Facebook brand to Meta, among other events.
• Reports excluded , reason 2 : (n = 54) lack of agreement with the topic. These are articles that include the word metaverse, but are not considered to fall under the social sciences (e.g. the field of medicine), or articles that address the topic but do not offer pertinent information for our research.
• Reports Included , reason 1 : (n = 10) articles that coincided with the study topic: tourism, metaverse, marketing. Also considered were those articles that, in spite of not including the word metaverse, second life or virtual word, deal with their technologies: blockchain, XR, AR, VR, IA, IoT and NFT.
• Reports Included , reason 2 : (n = 53) articles that deal with marketing and the metaverse, but that are not focused on the tourism industry, however, their information can potentially be applied in the field of tourism.

As the SLR progressed and due to the scarce number of references, it became necessary to include articles that are complementary to the research. These are articles that have been references in the SLR articles, using the “snowball” strategy.

• Reports Included , reason 3 : (n = 14) articles from the complementary search that coincide with the study topic: tourism, metaverse, marketing.
• Reports Included , reason 4 : (n = 9) articles from the complementary search on marketing and the metaverse from other sectors, with an implication for tourism.

In complementary research there are four articles that date back to before the year 2020. The inclusion of these articles poses an important bias risk. In order to avoid this, each reference has had to pass a review by all four authors.

Search protocol registration

• A search protocol registration has been developed for research on OSF registries.
• Registration name: tourism marketing in the metaverse: a systematic review
• Registration type: OSF Preregistration
• Registration DOI: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/B9V75

SLR general statistics

The findings from this review have indicated that the articles focused on the tourism sector and the metaverse are few (n = 24) (reports included reason 1 (n = 10) and reports included reason 3 (n = 14)), which indicates that for the time being, the topic of study is novel and more knowledge on the subject is needed.

Publications on marketing and the metaverse have been fairly recent. Most of them have been concentrated in the year 2022 ( Fig 2 ). Through screening the SLR, it was observed that the main themes about the metaverse evolve over time. Articles published before 2020 focus on topics such as Second Life, virtual world, and 3D, while articles after 2020 cover topics like metaverse, blockchain, XR, AR, VR, Second Life, AI, virtual world, IoT, and NFTs.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0300599.g002

Table 1 shows that, 43% of the articles on the metaverse analyzed are from European universities, primarily the United Kingdom (12) and Germany (4). The topic is also studied in Asia (29%), notably in universities in South Korea (8) and China (7). The United States appears as the leading country in research in this area, with 11 publications. These statistics show that the metaverse is a topic of global interest, with research efforts concentrated in Europe, Asia, and the United States. This distribution reflects the widespread curiosity and exploration of the metaverse concept across different regions and academic institutions.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0300599.t001

Metaverse concept

Most of the studies analyzed agree that the word metaverse is not a recent one, as it was referenced in the science fiction novel “Snow Crash” by Neal Stephenson in 1992 [ 31 ]. Even [ 20 ] remind us that the concept could date back as far as 1909, since it is also mentioned in the work “Machine Stops” by E. M. Foster. In any case, its popularity has grown with the release of Second Life in 2003 [ 22 ], only to take off in 2021, supported by a more developed technological scenario and after different brands began to propose their activity in the metaverse (e.g. Facebook rebrand itself as Meta) [ 32 ]. Several articles analyzed also expose the idea that the term Metaverse combines “meta” (meaning post, after or beyond) and “verse” (universe) [ 4 , 6 , 33 ] and it is defined as an ecosystem of shared and interconnected digital and physical environments that can be experienced in a synchronous manner, where physical and technological realities are seamlessly combined [ 16 ]. Enabled by Internet 3.0, the metaverse refers to a three-dimensional virtual space that focuses on social connections [ 20 ] or in a reductionist definition of the metaverse: a space designed for users by users, which can satisfy whomever, whatever, however, wherever and whenever [ 34 ].

However, in the RSL we find authors who consider that the conception of a true metaverse, in the sense of a digital universe parallel to our analogic world (where the participants can engage in social, economic, artistic or leisure activities beyond just videogames), has yet to be created and is pending the development of the technologies that would make it possible [ 35 ]. That’s why numerous companies, such as Meta, Microsoft, Epic Games, and Google, are working on and investing in crucial emerging technologies for the metaverse, such as virtual reality headsets, augmented reality sensors, and blockchain [ 36 ]. In any event, the challenges presented by the metaverse, its technology, and its prospective evolution remain largely unknown [ 37 ]. This pertains equally to the physical and psychological well-being of both individuals and collectives [ 38 ].

The RSL indicates that there are three terms to refer directly to tourism activity in the metaverse: “metaverse tourism” [ 21 ], “metaversal tourism” [ 39 ] or a more indirect option, “Metaleisure” [ 40 ]. The metaverse, when associated with tourism, uses physical reality in combination with mixed reality (MR), with the latter consisting of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). So far, the more extensively used terms in the field of tourism research is virtual tourism [ 3 , 41 ], also referred to as “cloud tourism”, which uses both VR and AR technologies, as well as live video streaming [ 3 ].

Finally, related to the metaverse concept, a substantial body of evidence suggests that the contactless culture driven by the COVID-19 pandemic [ 5 , 6 ] has promoted the development of the metaverse and, concurrently, has spurred research into the enabling virtual technology of the metaverse [ 37 , 42 , 43 ]. More specifically, some references delve into its impact on financial markets and the use of NFTs and cryptocurrencies for payment [ 44 ], the digital economy [ 37 ], or virtual museums [ 42 ].

Statistics on tourism in the metaverse

Through the SLR and complementary research, information is gathered regarding the impact of the metaverse on the tourism sector.

The metaverse is so new that the earliest statistics and estimates date back to 2022. It is predicted that income from a single metaverse performance, such as the Travis Scott concert, would amount to at least $1 million, with a total of $20 million [ 44 ]. According to the International Congress and Convention Association [ 45 ] the market share for virtual and hybrid gatherings has doubled since 2020. In addition, 61% of presenters, while acknowledging the importance of on-site events, believe that there is a push toward hybrid (on-site and online) events [ 46 ]. Thomas Cook, as part of its “Try Before You Fly” campaign, produced a variety of immersive 360º VR contents lasting 5 minutes each, with the goal of presenting New York as a destination. These views allowed the agency to increase reservations for excursions to New York by 190% [ 47 , 48 ]. The figures from Kang’s study [ 49 ] also confirm the effectiveness of VR for the tourism sector. VR devices (head-mounted displays (HMD) had a 47% greater telepresence than video and promoted engagement, thus increasing the client’s desire to purchase by 75%. In 2019, 20% of potential tourists expressed interest in VR devices in order to receive travel-related content [ 50 ]. In 2021, 9.54 million shipments of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) helmets were recorded. In 2022, it is expected that the AR/VR headset shipments to consumers will amount to 13.24 million units [ 51 ].

Most studied technologies for tourism marketing in metaverse

The word cloud generated from the 86 articles analyzed in the SLR ( Fig 3 ) serves to illustrate the central technologies and systems involved in the development of tourism marketing in the metaverse.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0300599.g003

RSL reveals the core technologies, systems, and applications associated with tourism marketing, including but not limited to tokens (NFTs), blockchain, virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, AI, and digital twins. Fig 4 shows the results of a tag cloud analysis of 86 articles (based on their keywords). In addition, Internet of Things (IoT), gamification and new payment systems such as cryptocurrencies are also detected as predominant themes (outside the keywords).

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0300599.g004

Blockchain technology and Non-Fungible Tokens (NFT).

The findings from the existing literature have shown that digital technologies play a crucial role in gaining a competitive edge in marketing [ 52 ]. Specifically, the application of NFT technology revolutionizes the way in which the content is created, marketed, exchanged, stored, and authenticated, both for the content creators themselves and for their fans.

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are transferable rights to digital assets, such as art, collectables, music or game elements. This phenomenon and its markets have grown significantly since early 2021 [ 53 ]. NFTs are uniquely certified with blockchain (a set of technologies that make it possible to keep a secure, decentralized, synchronized and distributed register of digital operations without the need for third-party intermediation) authentication [ 54 , 55 ]). There is even mention of a new type of marketing, “NFT marketing”, which is focused on the creation, promotion and strategic use of NFTs to achieve marketing objectives [ 56 ].

Fungible goods, such as money or commercial goods, can be exchanged for the same type of goods. On the contrary, non-fungible items cannot be exchanged for a similar product because their value exceeds the real value of the material [ 53 ]. NFTs can include the offer of products or services of either a digital or physical nature, with markets for their sale, such as OpenSea and Rarible. Authors like [ 57 ] introduced a transformative category in NFTs known as Dynamic Non-Fungible Tokens (dNFTs), representing a pioneering advancement within the NFT landscape. These dNFTs extend the scope of NFTs to include a broad spectrum of products and services, encompassing both digital and physical offerings.

For the travel sector, offering NFT-based services to passengers by travel companies is a savvy approach that allows these companies to track passengers, gather and analyze customer data, and enhance service levels [ 58 ].

Cryptocurrencies are used to make purchases, primarily in Ethereum (ETH), as a payment and negotiation option, which demonstrates a close relationship between the cryptocurrency market and the NFT market [ 59 ]. Cryptocurrencies are modifying the very nature of how travelers use and manage payment systems [ 60 ]. The adoption of new payment methods by companies in the tourism sector poses a series of clear advantages: differentiation from companies that do not accept them, an increased conversion rate related to offering more alternatives for reservations and the security offered by collecting non-reimbursable fees [ 61 ].

VR, AR and MR technology.

The literature is clear that virtual reality is making progressive advancements and becoming increasingly adopted. It is widely acknowledged in the SLR that virtual reality (VR) technologies are being used by millions of people. This is especially true after the outbreak of Covid-19, as VR platforms like VR Chat, Facebook Horizon, and Rec Room experienced exponential growth due to its secure and attractive way of connecting with others, when travel and social gatherings were heavily restricted. Through virtual reality, users can experience interacting with others in seemingly infinite worlds, creating their own avatars, and enjoying a social atmosphere comparable to reality [ 62 ]. VR creates a completely digital environment that is cut off from the outside world [ 63 ], in which the user (or their avatar) navigates through a virtual environment [ 49 ]. Authors, such as Jaung [ 64 ] in the field of natural sciences, explain how metaverse technologies, including VR, provide a new way of interacting with nature through immersive three-dimensional virtual worlds.

In terms of marketing, VR can be employed by specialists to co-create value with consumers and promote consumer-brand engagement [ 65 ].

Augmented reality (AR) is another essential technology for metaverse tourism activities. AR has emerged as an innovative communication device that adds virtual information to a user’s real-world environment [ 63 ]. It enhances the real-world atmosphere by providing context-sensitive data [ 66 ], such as numbers, letters, symbols, audio, video and graphics [ 67 ]. AR and VR are the most prominent examples of immersive technologies [ 68 ]. Mixed reality (MR) intertwines real and virtual worlds [ 63 ], while extended reality (XR) serves as an umbrella term encompassing previous technologies [ 69 ].

Artificial intelligence (AI) and digital twins.

Other common themes observed in the SLR included artificial intelligence and digital twins. AI can offer highly precise information to assist an organization in making better decisions based on collected data [ 70 ]. The global pandemic has spurred many organizations to accelerate investments in AI to optimize production capacity, logistics, and customer management [ 71 ]. An example of this is the use of digital twins. These are digital replicas of physical objects, processes, or services which allow the collection of data to create simulations that model, test, and predict the performance of a product, process, or service in the real world [ 72 – 74 ]. Digital twins can be developed for objects, buildings, services, systems, and even cities. By combining big data, Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, AI, and data analysis, digital twins allow us to analyze data and simulate potential future scenarios.

Practical cases of tourism marketing in the metaverse

Most of the articles analyzed in this research provide examples that help to understand how metaverse technologies are incorporated into the tourism marketing. While the metaverse (or metaverses) is still in development [ 75 ], the tourism industry is already using its technologies. Those involved, such as hotels, restaurants, transport, leisure activities, and destinations, “tangibilize” their services and offer immersive experiences to the public [ 21 ]. Table 2 offers a summary of the examples presented in the SLR and supplementary research, regarding the implementation of metaverse technologies, systems and applications in the tourism marketing, covering destinations, hotels, restaurants, transportation, and leisure/cultural activities (e.g., concerts, theatre and museums).

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0300599.t002

Metaverse building blocks

In the SLR, two articles ([ 6 , 22 ]) were found that discussed the fundations and the building blocks of marketing in the metaverse. These early contributions shed light on the beginning stages of marketing activities within the metaverse.

Dwivedi et al. [ 6 ] describe the foundations of metaverse marketing, based on five key elements: product, branding, distribution channels, consumer interaction, and customer information. NFTs allow for unique virtual products, VR and AR offer new branding opportunities, AI agents provide personalized consumer interactions, and the metaverse itself is a treasure trove of consumer information.

Hollensen, Kotler & Opresnik [ 22 ], on the other hand, explain the nine building blocks of marketing in the metaverse, including hardware, networking, computers, virtual platforms, interchange standards and tools, payments, content, services and assets, consumer and business behaviours. Hardware such as VR headsets, mobile phones and haptic gloves provides access to the metaverse, networking ensures data transmission and reliability, computing power providing the necessary resources for metaverse to function properly, virtual platforms enable users to interact with the metaverse, interchange standards allow for interoperability, payments (cryptocurrencies and digital currencies) cover purchases and transfer of money, content and services provide experiences, and consumer and business behaviours are shaped by the metaverse.

Outside the SLR, [ 93 ] outlines the key building blocks and future challenges of the metaverse as: 1) ethical, regulatory, governance, security, and privacy challenges; 2) an ecosystem including enterprise and consumer use cases, content creation, virtual economy, and avatars; and 3) the underlying technologies, such as extended reality (VR/AR), user interfaces, AR, blockchain, and edge computing.

Furthermore, outside of the RSL, [ 94 ] mention the major technological building blocks: networks, computing, 3D modeling, IoT, AI, blockchain, XR, and interface devices, each of which is explored in brief.

Buhalis, Leung & Lin [ 23 ] emphasize that the development and success of tourism in the metaverse is dependent upon certain key building blocks: 1) networking infrastructure (hardware devices, software applications, and network services), 2) enabling devices (such as MR/VR headsets and environment rendering devices), 3) empowering platforms or virtual worlds (with high-fidelity graphics and immersive experiences), and 4) technology-ready users (there is an increasing demand for users who are willing to engage in the metaverse).

This search revealed a gap in the literature regarding the building blocks of tourism marketing within the metaverse.

A proposal of the building blocks of tourism marketing in the metaverse

This article seeks to fill the gap by proposing the foundations of tourism marketing in the metaverse. For this purpose, [ 6 ] and [ 22 ] are taken as a starting point, which is then supplemented by the insights drawn from the SLR and complementary research. The information in this section can be completed with the practical examples presented in Table 2 .

• Examples found in 2022 mainly focused on the use of NFTs (blockchain technology) and virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) (see Table 2 ).
• Virtual Reality (VR) is enabling immersive experiences that can create avatars that embody a new traveller identity for the tourism industry. This allows them to virtually explore destinations they have visited as well as new ones and engage in creative fantasy experiences in the metaverse [ 21 ]. Also, thanks to gamification, new tourist products can be created, with greater interaction even than the real tourist product, as is the case of the virtual Museum Renaissance (see Table 2 ).
• Companies in the tourism sector are increasingly adopting new payment methods to differentiate themselves from their competitors, improve customer conversion rates, and gain the security of collecting non-refundable fees [ 61 ]. For instance, the Nomo Soho Hotel in New York offers tourism packages in NFT format for sale on the OpenSea token marketplace through the Ethereum cryptocurrency [ 84 ]. This serves as another example of a novel type of tourism product.
• But it should also be understood as a new sales channel, a touchpoint so brands can communicate with their customers [ 96 ]; a way to offer innovative omnichannel experiences that allow brands to position themselves in the minds of consumers and open up new markets. It is possible, thanks to metaverse, for brands to penetrate a digital worldwide market, through virtual communication, digital branding, and online marketing [ 97 ].
• Brands have the opportunity to adopt totally new ways of interacting with users in the metaverse and launch fully customized offers through immersive virtual spaces [ 22 , 98 ]. Emerging specialties such as avatar marketing are gaining traction as a brand reinforcement strategy [ 99 ]. Also, advertisements for a brand will be interactive and customized. AR and VR technologies will allow users try out the product or service before they buy it [ 97 ], through strategies like “try before you buy” [ 3 ].
• NFTs also play a crucial role in brand positioning in the metaverse. Promoting storytelling and collectable assets in token format, even prior to the product launch (which can be digital or physical), will create interest in the product and the brand being marketed, as well as a new flow of income even before the product is available for sale. In the years to come, NFT could be the central touchpoint between brands and their consumers [ 100 ].
• From the distribution point of view, NFT can break down the barriers between the physical and virtual worlds in a way that is similar to how modern omnichannel marketing systems integrate traditional distribution channels with online shopping. NFTs eliminate the barrier of the intermediary, thanks to blockchain technology. AI will be used to automate smart contracts, decentralized accounting books and other blockchain technologies to allow virtual transactions. In this terrain free of intermediaries or control, there will be a need to establish the rules of the game that make it possible to comply with the stipulated ethical codes [ 101 ].
• Metaverse technologies allow for new and immersive interaction with customers, as well as providing useful data on customers beyond social media [ 6 ]. Enriched data about buyers and analytical capacities help to define customer profile and therefore to improve the sopping experience in virtual environments, promoting brand loyalty in the worlds of the metaverse [ 98 , 102 ].
• Analytic marketing helps companies optimize campaigns, segment markets, reduce costs [ 103 ] and make better decisions [ 104 ]. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being used to create digital twins that can provide data to simulate scenarios and further develop customer experience [ 105 ]. Blockchain technology is also being employed to promote ethical marketing strategies such as loyalty programs, traceable online advertising, brand transparency in online markets [ 86 , 89 ] or to claim ownership of original digital works and build loyalty [ 92 ].

The Fig 4 shows a graphical summary of Building Blocks of tourism marketing in the metaverse.

Discussions, conclusions and future research directions

Research into the topic of the metaverse, especially within the tourism sector, addresses an important priority because the impact of the metaverse in tourism marketing is still novel. The tourism industry is an interesting and relevant field of study due to its influence on the economy, society, culture, and environmental aspects of nations worldwide.

Screening of the SLR reveals that topics related to the metaverse evolve over time. Articles published prior to 2020 mainly focus on topics like Second Life, virtual world, and 3D, while more recent articles discuss concepts such as metaverse, blockchain, XR, AR, VR, Second Life, AI, virtual world, IoT, and NFTs. The majority of publications come from European universities, with the United Kingdom (12) and Germany (4) leading the way in research. Asia is also a major source of research, with South Korea (8) and China (7) being notable contributors. Finally, in America, United States produced the most number of publications, with 11 articles present in the literature review. Overall, these findings indicate that research into the metaverse and its implications for the tourism sector is an emergent research topic, with universities in European and North American countries leading the scientific research in this field, alongside Asian countries like South Korea and China, possibly driven by their growing interest in technological advancement.

Connecting the topic with existing theory, this research is presented as the first to conduct a SLR on tourism marketing in metaverse. The technologies that have been most thoroughly studied at the confluence of marketing, tourism, and the metaverse are: AI, virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, blockchain, tokens (NFTs) and digital twins. Dwivedi et al. [ 6 ] and Hollensen, Kotler & Opresnik [ 22 ] explore the fundamental concepts and elements of marketing within the metaverse, whereas Buhalis, Leung & Lin [ 23 ] delve into the components of tourism in the metaverse. However, there is an absence of references pertaining to the building blocks of tourism marketing within the metaverse.

Given the embryonic stage of metaverse development and the limited knowledge surrounding its impact on society [ 106 ], an analysis of its evolution and adaptation to different sectors is needed to ensure it is established securely. The metaverse has already begun to transform the way people buy, work, socialize, and entertain, particularly for young early adopters. This article proposes the tourism industry as a case study to investigate marketing in the metaverse. In recent years, technology and creativity have been the driving forces behind the sector’s development. Creative industries are vital, accounting for 3% of the world’s GDP, and the current pandemic has caused them to grow and become more digitalized with the help of advanced technologies. Results from this research can be applied to other fields in the creative industries and will help to create knowledge around metaverse marketing.

Consequently, our research seeks to establish the building blocks of tourism marketing in the metaverse, by combining insights from the literature review with complimentary research, based on: the tourism product; the metaverse as a distribution and branding channel for tourism; tourist customer as protagonist. The research results show how the tourism product changes with the metaverse. Tourism products can be adapted to the metaverse with digital offerings, such as blockchain technology (e.g., NFTs) and virtual reality, and gamification allowing for creative fantasy experiences. The metaverse can be used as a sales channel and touchpoint between brands and their customers, with technologies such as AR, VR and NFTs enabling immersive experiences and personalized offers. Additionally, AI and blockchain can be used to create customer interaction, experience, and collect customer data in the metaverse. Tourism sector can benefit from the use of blockchain technology to claim ownership of digital works and build loyalty.

The systematic literature review points toward prospective research directions. Investigating tourism marketing in the metaverse should encompass several key areas:

• Evaluating customer engagement and virtual experiences [ 98 ]. For example, the introduction of smart glasses by Ray-Ban, equipped with advanced features like a 5MP camera, three microphones, speakers, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi capabilities, has the potential to transform the way travel experiences are captured and shared. This innovation also impacts the role of social media in sharing tourism experiences [ 107 ].
• To keep customers motivated and engaged in the metaverse, gamification programs are expected to play a crucial role [ 108 ].
• The use of blockchain technology can significantly contribute to creating a secure, decentralized, synchronized, and distributed record of digital transactions, eliminating the need for third-party intermediaries. This has the potential to revolutionize various aspects of the metaverse [ 54 , 55 ], including the potential of blockchain integration with the Internet of Things [ 109 ].
• Research is also needed to explore the monetization of products in the metaverse, including the adoption of NFTs [ 53 ] the digital payment systems (DPS 2.0) [ 103 , 110 ]. It is essential to investigate which payment methods will be used in the metaverse and what new VR experiences will enable future tourists to experience [ 21 , 111 ].
• The use of metaverses introduces new ways of business-to-consumer interaction that enable the simulation of the physical world in the virtual world [ 112 ]. Research should explore how metaverse distribution channels can become replacements for physical channels.
• Additionally, research should investigate the potential for experience-based strategies instead of price strategies, as well as how intermediaries may be redefined in the metaverse.
• It will also be necessary to consider what happens to companies and tourist destinations that don’t opt to use metaverse technologies.
• The new profiles of marketing professionals and policy development that regulates commercial activity in the metaverse necessitates skills and knowledge focused on technology, predictive analytics, innovative strategies, and new mechanisms [ 113 ]. Tourism marketing professionals will need to adapt to the demands of the metaverse, as well as their corresponding training, skills and abilities.
• Finally, research is needed to determine the ethical challenges associated with the development of virtual reality [ 114 ] as well as measures to protect customer data in the metaverse and how users can control, share, or monetize their data online [ 70 , 115 ].

Limitations

Due to its novelty, the research presents certain limitations in terms of the number of references analyzed. In addition, the fast evolution of both technology and publications on the metaverse means that is will be necessary to update the number of published articles on a monthly basis.

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