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Academic Skills Support for Postgraduate Research Students

This page outlines the academic skills support available for postgraduate research students.

Academic skills workshops

Academic Skills at UNSW offers academic skills workshops that focus on, or explore, different tasks. Many are designed for postgraduate students, such as Writing a thesis proposal, Writing a literature review and Giving your first Conference paper. Workshop programs run throughout Terms 1, 2 and 3. Please see the  Workshop page for details.

Workshops can also be organised on request. Any group of five or more research students who would like a specific workshop or thesis writing program can contact Dominic Fitzsimmons ( [email protected] )  to discuss this.

Individual consultations

Make an appointment with an  Academic Learning Facilitator  for an individual consultation to discuss aspects of your writing.

Academic skills resources and links

Here you will find links to useful resources for Postgraduate research students.

UNSW academic skills guides

Information for current UNSW Research Students

UNSW Library services for students

Academic writing resources  - Useful links to other academic writing resources.

Writing your Thesis Proposal - A guide from Academic Skills at UNSW for students who are enrolled in a postgraduate research degree and who have been asked to submit a thesis proposal.

Getting Started on Your Literature Review - A short guide from Academic Skills at UNSW with a few suggestions to get you started.

How to write a PhD Thesis - Notes on preparing and writing thesis at UNSW from Associate Professor Joe Wolfe in the UNSW School of Physics.

From Finish to Start: Writing your thesis with the end in view (PDF) - Notes from Prof. Sue Starfield's presentation at the Thesis Submission Seminar 2006. For further details, visit the  Graduate Research School website .

Other thesis writing resources

Thesis writing sites.

Writing a research proposal   - Monash University.

Writing Dissertations: A Guide for Graduates - From the Royal Literary Fund, UK. This site offers writing skills advice for dissertation writers and thesis writers.

Writing and Presenting Your Thesis or Dissertation - by S. Joseph Levine, PhD., Michigan State University in East Lansing. A useful site with good links.

Re-envisioning the PhD   - from the University of Washington Graduate School. A great portal site with some good advice included.

The nuts and bolts of producing a thesis

Techniques for Managing Theses Using Microsoft Word - very helpful guide from the University of Waterloo.

EndNote and Zotero  - Bibliographic software that allows you to store, organise and manage your references to create in-text citations and bibliographies in the referencing style that you require.

Conference and research presentations resources

Ten tips for presenting a conference paper - Advice from a guide prepared by two academics will help you to impress a conference audience.

Conference papers - a guide from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Some very useful books on thesis writing and doing a research degree:

Bailey, S. (2006).  Academic Writing: A handbook for international students . Abingdon: Routledge.

Becker, H. (2007, 2nd edition).  Writing for social scientists: How to start and finish your thesis, book, or article . University of Chicago Press.

Betts, K. & Seitz, A. (1994).  Writing essays and research reports in the social sciences . Melbourne: Nelson.

Boddington, P. & Clanchy, J. (1999).  Reading for study and research . Australia: Longman.

Booth, W.C., Colomb. G.G. & Williams, J.M. (1995)  The craft of research . Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Craswell, G. (2005).  Writing for Academic Success: A Postgraduate Guide . London: Sage.

While aimed at academic writing in general, this book has sections on thesis writing that covers a lot of key areas. There are also chapters on managing academic writing, the mechanics of academic writing, writing a literature review and other academic texts sch as journal articles and books.

Cryer, P. (1996).  The research student's guide to success . Open University press, Buckingham.

Dunleavy, P. (2003).  Authoring a PhD thesis: how to plan, draft, write and finish a doctoral dissertation . Palgrave Study Guides

Patrick Dunleavy shares his accumulated wisdom as an experienced doctoral supervisor and academic writer in the social sciences. Focussing on the links between writing and thinking, his book takes students through the process of planning, drafting, writing, revising and shaping the thesis in an engaging, insightful and sometimes amusing way.

Elphinstone, L. & Schweitzer, R. (1998).  How to get a research degree: A survival guide.  St. Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin.

This small but comprehensive volume should be required reading for all commencing postgraduate research students and their supervisors. It is one of the best there is.

Ely, M., Vinz, R., Downing, M & Anzul, M. (1997).  On writing qualitative research . London: The Falmer Press.

Evans, D & Gruba, P. (2002).  How to write a better thesis . Melbourne: Melbourne University Press.

A highly-recommended, easily accessible and comprehensive guide that focuses on writing the various sections of the thesis based on the writers’ extensive experience of supervising and supporting students in Australia.

Evans, D., Gruba, P. & Zobel, J. (2011).  How to write a better thesis . Melbourne: Melbourne University Press.

Feak, C. & Swales, J. M. (2009).  Telling a research story: Writing a literature review . Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

Feak, C. & Swales, J. M. (2011).  Creating contexts: Writing introductions across genres . Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

Hart, C. (1998).  Doing a literature review. Releasing the social science research imagination . London: Sage.

A key text that all students in the social sciences should be familiar with before starting their literature review.

Hart, C. (2005).  Doing your Masters Dissertation . London: Sage.

A thorough and comprehensive handbook aimed at supporting students doing a master’s dissertation in the social sciences. It has sections on formulating a topic and finding a format, on research design and methodology, on ethics and a final section on writing.

Holliday, A. (2002).  Doing and writing qualitative research . London: Sage.

Although not specifically aimed at doctoral or masters students, this book is one of the few that helps qualitative researchers understand that the writing process is an integral part of doing qualitative research and becoming a qualitative researcher. It considers the particular challenges confronting qualitative writers as they attempt to ‘find their voice’.

Huff, A. H. (1999).  Writing for scholarly publication . Thousand Oaks: Sage.

Kearns, H & Gardiner, M. (2008).  The seven secrets of highly successful research students. The PhD experience: What they didn’t tell you at induction. Time for research: Time management for PhD students. Defeating self sabotage: Getting your PhD finished.  (4 booklets)

Lewins, F. (1993).  Writing a thesis: A guide to its nature and organization . Canberra: Bibliotech, ANUTECH.

Manalo, E. & Trafford, J. (2004).  Thinking to Thesis: A Guide to Graduate Success at all Levels . Auckland: Pearson.

This book covers many key issues for research students such as time and self-management and making the most of available resources. There is also a very useful chapter on writing a high-quality thesis.

Madsen, D. (1992).  Successful dissertations and theses: A guide to graduate student research from proposal to completion . San Fancisco: Jossey-Bass.

Murray, R. (2002).  How to write a thesis . Open University Press.

One of the few books that actually takes student writers through the process of writing a thesis at the various stages of the PhD. It cannot be recommended too highly. It is a book to be dipped into again and again depending on the particular problem encountered and will prove an invaluable source of inspiration and encouragement

Paltridge, B. & Starfield, S. (2007).  Thesis and dissertation writing in a second language.  London: Routledge.

Phillips, E., Pugh, D. (2004).  How to get a PhD: A handbook for students and their supervisors . Fourth edition. Buckingham: Open University Press.

Now in its fourth edition, this ‘classic’ covers issues such as the PhD process, the nature of the PhD, and what students expect from their supervisors, university and departmental responsibilities.

Punch, K.F. (2000).  Developing effective research proposals , London: Sage.

Ridley, D. (2008).  The literature review: A step-by-step guide for students . London: Sage.

Rugg, G. & Petre, M. (2004).  The Unwritten Rules of PhD Research . Maidenhead: Open University Press.

Well, they’ve now been written down and are worth reading!

Rudestam, K. E. & Newton, R. R. (2001).  Surviving your dissertation . Newbury Park: Sage.

Sides, C.H. (1999).  How to write and present technical information  (3rd ed.) Cambridge University Press, Melbourne.

Swales, J. & Feak, C. (2004).  Academic Writing for Graduate Students: Essential tasks and skills . Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

Swales, J. & Feak, C. (2000)  English in today's research world: A writing guide . Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

Swales, J. M. & Feak, C. (2009)  Abstracts and the writing of abstracts . Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

Thody, A. (2006).  Writing and presenting research . London: Sage.

The Sociology Writing Group. (1998).  A guide to writing sociology papers . New York: St Martin's Press.

Wallace, M. & Wray, A. (2006).  Critical Reading and Writing for Postgraduates , London: Sage.

Zerubavel, E. (1999).  The Clockwork Muse . Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

Advice and humour

Introduction to postgraduate study - From Massey University in NZ, this site discusses planning and writing and producing theses and conference papers.

The Thesis Whisperer - A blog dedicated to helping research students everywhere. It is edited by Dr Inger Mewburn of RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia and has contributors from around the world.

How To Write A Dissertation or Bedtime Reading For People Who Do Not Have Time To Sleep - Purdue University

Piled Higher and Deeper: Life (or the lack thereof) in Academia - A comic strip by Jorge Cham

Faculty-based Courses on Thesis Writing and Research Management

Credit bearing courses supported by Academic Skills

Engineering

All PHD and Masters by Research UNSW Engineering students in their second semester will automatically be enrolled in  GSOE9400: Engineering Postgraduate Research Essentials . This course is managed and coordinated by the  Graduate School of Engineering.  

Masters by coursework UNSW Engineering students can choose to enrol in  GSOE960: Academic Discourse in Engineering . Contact the  Graduate School of Engineering   for more information and to enrol in this course.

Postgrad Research

• Academic skills support
• Thesis proposals
• Literature review

Study Hacks Workshops | All the hacks you need! 28 May – 25 Jul 2024

Research Progress Reviews and Confirmation of Candidature

UNSW recognises that a higher degree research (HDR) project is a long-term endeavour that you will need to sustain over 3 – 4 years if you’re a PhD candidate, or 1.5 – 2 years if you’re a Masters candidate. Research Progress Reviews are designed to help you stay on track with your research project and complete your candidature on time, while getting the most out of your candidature experience. 

Reviews are intended to be a positive and productive process where you can gain recognition of your current achievements and ask for feedback on your research project and future plans from an independent panel of experts in your field. They are a requirement for continued enrolment in your degree.

If you are a PhD candidate, you will need to complete a Confirmation Review within your first nine to twelve months of candidature. The purpose of this Review is to confirm that you are on track to complete your PhD on time, and that you have completed all of the preliminary tasks including:

• PhD research plan
• Draft literature review
• UNSW Research Integrity and Research Data Management training courses
• Attendance at the HDR Welcome and Orientation

The Graduate Research School (GRS) runs a Research Progress Review Seminar that outlines how to get the best out of your Reviews and Confirmation. For information on the next offering, please visit this page .

Can’t make it to the next Seminar? Watch a recording of the last session and download a copy of the slides here .

Additional Resources

All Faculties Your Progress  Research Progress Review and Confirmation of Research Candidatures Procedure Mastering Your PhD: Getting the Most Out of Progress Reviews – Science Magazine  

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Developing a Literature Review for a Doctoral Thesis

A literature review is ‘integral to the success of academic research’ and an indispensable component of a doctoral thesis. Brief versions are particularly important for the Confirmation phase of your candidature. Often this work will form a significant component of the introduction or early chapters of your thesis.

Related Papers

• Learning outcomes • The nature of a literature review • Identifying the main subject and themes • Reviewing previous research • Emphasizing leading research studies • Exploring trends in the literature • Summarizing key ideas in a subject area • Summary A literature review is usually regarded as being an essential part of student projects, research studies and dissertations. This chapter examines the reasons for the importance of the literature review, and the things which it tries to achieve. It also explores the main strategies which you can use to write a good literature review.

Auxiliadora Padilha

Rebekka Tunombili

InSITE Conference

shardul pandya

Aim/Purpose: Identify the prerequisites, the corequisites, and the iteration processes in organizing and writing the literature review chapter of doctoral dissertations. Background: Writing the literature review chapter of doctoral dissertations presents unique challenges. Students waste a lot of time identifying material to write, and the experience is generally that of frustration and time delay. Methodology: Paper reviews literature to identify levels of information helpful for writing the literature review chapter: prerequisites, corequisites, and iteration process. Contribution: Paper identifies and explains the prerequisites, the corequisites, and iteration steps that go into organizing the reviewed literature and suggests putting them into use when starting the literature review chapter of a doctoral dissertation. Findings: Writing a doctoral dissertation literature review is long and complicated be-cause some delve into the writing without much preparation. By identifying wh...

Andrew Johnson

This chapter describes the process of writing a literature review and what the product should look like

Amanda Bolderston

A literature review can be an informative, critical, and useful synthesis of a particular topic. It can identify what is known (and unknown) in the subject area, identify areas of controversy or debate, and help formulate questions that need further research. There are several commonly used formats for literature reviews, including systematic reviews conducted as primary research projects; reviews written as an introduction and foundation for a research study, such as a thesis or dissertation; and reviews as secondary data analysis research projects. Regardless of the type, a good review is characterized by the author’s efforts to evaluate and critically analyze the relevant work in the field. Published reviews can be invaluable, because they collect and disseminate evidence from diverse sources and disciplines to inform professional practice on a particular topic. This directed reading will introduce the learner to the process of conducting and writing their own literature review.

Frances Slack

This article offers support and guidance for students undertaking a literature review as part of their dissertation during an undergraduate or Masters course. A literature review is a summary of a subject field that supports the identification of specific research questions. A literature review needs to draw on and evaluate a range of different types of sources including academic and professional journal articles, books, and web-based resources. The literature search helps in the identification and location of relevant documents and other sources. Search engines can be used to search web resources and bibliographic databases. Conceptual frameworks can be a useful tool in developing an understanding of a subject area. Creating the literature review involves the stages of: scanning, making notes, structuring the literature review, writing the literature review, and building a bibliography .

International Journal of P R O F E S S I O N A L Business Review

With a view to examining the entire proposed structure for an empirical article, this editorial focuses on the Literature Review, also known as the Theoretical Framework. The literature review may be defined as “a documented review of published or unpublished works (articles, books, etc.) in specific fields of interest to the work of the researcher” (Ferreira, 2015: 36). It is to be found in conceptual articles such as empirical articles, whether qualitative or quantitative. It has a clear link to the article as a whole and provides support for the section on the development of the concept and the hypotheses/propositions that follow it in the structure of an empirical article.

Diane Keeble-Ramsay

Publications

Cherley C Du Plessis

The ability to conduct an explicit and robust literature review by students, scholars or scientists is critical in producing excellent journal articles, academic theses, academic dissertations or working papers. A literature review is an evaluation of existing research works on a specific academic topic, theme or subject to identify gaps and propose future research agenda. Many postgraduate students in higher education institutions lack the necessary skills and understanding to conduct in-depth literature reviews. This may lead to the presentation of incorrect, false or biased inferences in their theses or dissertations. This study offers scientific knowledge on how literature reviews in different fields of study could be conducted to mitigate against biased inferences such as unscientific analogies and baseless recommendations. The literature review is presented as a process that involves several activities including searching, identifying, reading, summarising, compiling, analysing, interpreting and referencing. We hope this article serves as reference material to improve the academic rigour in the literature review chapters of postgraduate students' theses or dissertations. This article prompts established scholars to explore more innovative ways through which scientific literature reviews can be conducted to identify gaps (empirical, knowledge, theoretical, methodological, application and population gap) and propose a future research agenda.

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Getting started with your Literature Review

• Introduction
• What is a good literature review?
• Future proofing

A literature review is a  comprehensive  and  critical  review of literature that provides the theoretical foundation of your chosen topic.

A review will demonstrate that an exhaustive search for literature has been undertaken. It might be used for a thesis, a report, a research essay or a study. 

A good literature review is a critical component of academic research, providing a comprehensive and systematic analysis of existing scholarly works on a specific topic. Here are the key elements that make up a good literature review:

Focus and clarity: A good literature review has a clear and well-defined research question or objective. It focuses on a specific topic and provides a coherent and structured analysis of the relevant literature.

I n-depth research: A comprehensive literature review involves an extensive search of relevant sources, including academic journals, books, and reputable online databases. It ensures that a wide range of perspectives and findings are considered.

Critical evaluatio n: A good literature review involves a critical assessment of the quality, credibility, and relevance of the selected sources. It evaluates the methodologies, strengths, weaknesses, and limitations of each study to determine their impact on the overall research.

Synthesis and analysis : A literature review should go beyond summarizing individual studies. It involves synthesizing and analyzing the findings, identifying patterns, themes, and gaps in the existing literature, and presenting a coherent narrative that connects different works.

Contribution to knowledg e: A good literature review not only summarizes existing research but also contributes to the knowledge base. It identifies gaps, inconsistencies, or unresolved debates in the field and suggests avenues for further research.

Clear and concise writing : A well-written literature review presents complex ideas in a clear, concise, and organized manner. It uses appropriate language, avoids jargon, and maintains a logical flow of information.

Proper citation and referencing: Accurate citation and referencing of the reviewed sources are crucial for maintaining academic integrity. Following the appropriate referencing style guidelines ensures consistency and allows readers to access the cited works.

In summary, a good literature review demonstrates a thorough understanding of the topic, critically engages with existing literature, and offers valuable insights for future research.

Where should you search?

The Library uses MultiSearch as an access point to our subscriptions and resources. Using MultiSearch is a good place to start. 

You can also search directly in databases. Every discipline has specialist databases and there are also good multidisciplinary databases such as Scopus . Check the Databases page on this guide or ask your Faculty Librarian for advice.

You might also like to consider statistics, government publications or conference proceedings. This will depend on the question you're researching.

What should you read?

Not everything! 

• Skim the title, the keywords, the abstract ... know when to pass on something and move on. 
• Also know when to stop your literature review. When you start seeing the same material repeated in searches, or no new ideas or perspectives, maybe you have it covered. 

Evaluating Literature

You will need to read critically when assessing material for inclusion in your literature review. Each piece of information you look at (whether a journal article, a book, a video, or something else) should be assessed. 

• Is the material current?
• Does it have a bias (why was is published)?
• Is the author authoritative?
• Is the journal well regarded in the field (peer reviewed journals are  the gold standard but other journals are worthy too). 
• Does it provide enough coverage of the topic, or is it basic?
• Will books or journal articles be most useful for your interest area - or do you need to find other materials like government publications, or primary sources?

Analyse the Literature 

Once you've read widely on your subject, stop to consider what new insights this knowledge has provided. 

• Can you see any ideas emerging more strongly than others?
• Have you changed your position since starting your reading? Perhaps the evidence has made you reconsider your starting viewpoint - or it might have made you more committed to it. However, you should read with an open mind, and be prepared to change your thinking if the evidence points that way.
• Make note of a few points every time you read something. Key arguments or themes. Perhaps a note of ideas you'd like to explore more. You might want to attach this information in the same file we've mentioned in the 'future proofing' tab. 

Keep a search diary

Set up a document or spreadsheet to record where you've searched, and also the search strategies you've used. Record the search terms and also the places which have served you well. For instance, is there a particular database which had good coverage?

You may need to repeat searches in the future and this information will help. It might also be requested by your supervisor. 

Saving alerts

There are many options for setting up alerts which will help you keep track of new publications by a journal, or an author who is key in your research area, or even when other people cite the papers you have noted (maybe their work will be of interest to you).

These include: 

• Table of contents (TOC)
• Citation alerts
• Topic or subject alerts
• Author alert

Developing a comprehensive search strategy

• Before you start

1. Consider the guidance in the "getting started" box above before starting your search. 

2. Develop your research question or need.

3. Set up your search diary to record your progress and as a reference guide to come back to. 

1. Identify the  major concepts  from your  research question or topic.

Let's say that our topic is:  How do alternative energy sources play a role in climate change?   

The major concepts will be

• a lternative energy sources
• climate change

2. List  synonyms or alternative terms  for each concept and organise them in a table like the one below - using a column for each major concept. Use as many columns as you have major concepts.

Tools and tips to assist with this process:   

• Run  scoping searches  for your topic in your favourite database or databases such as Google Scholar or Scopus to identify how the literature can express your concepts. Scan titles, subject headings (if any) and abstracts for words describing the same things as your major concepts.
• Text mining tools  including  PubMed Reminer  especially if you are using a database with MeSH such as Medline or Cochrane. There are many others however.
• As you find something new,  add it to the appropriate column on your list  to incorporate later in your search.

Create your search strategy from the concepts, synonyms, phrases etc in your Concept Grid 

Identify the best databases for your topic. Check the databases tab  in the left menu on this Guide.

N.B.The syntax/search tools for your search may depend on the particular database you are searching in. Most databases have a Help screen to assist.  

However, the majority of databases will use Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT)  and other commonly used search tools :

• Use "OR" to connect each of your synonyms (eg "climate change" OR "global warming")
• Use "AND" to connect each of your concepts.
• (Use "NOT" to exclude terms - but these should be used sparingly as they can knock out useful results.)
• Use the Truncation symbol * at the end of word roots which might have alternative endings eg: manag* will retrieve: manage; management; managing, managerial etc.
• Use quotes to keep together words of phrases (eg "climate change")
• Group your concepts algebraically using parentheses. 
• Consider, is your term alternatively expressed as two words? (eg hydro electricity or hydroelectricity (you should include both!))

So with our question/topic:  How do alternative energy sources play a role in climate change?

After identifying our major concepts and synonyms for each and employing some of the tools mentioned above, our constructed search strategy might look something like this:

("alternative energ*" OR "wind power" OR "Solar power" OR "Solar energy" OR Renewabl* OR geothermal OR hydroelectricity OR "hydro electricity") AND ("climate change" OR "global* warm*" or "greenhouse gas*" or "green house gas*")

3. Be prepared to revise, reassess and refine  your search strategies after you have run your initial searches to ensure you get the best possible results. If you retrieve too many false results or "noise", try to analyse why. For example, you may have used a word which has alternative meanings.

If you have too many results, you can either add another concept or remove some synonyms

If you have too few results, try searching with fewer concepts (identify the least most important to omit) or add more synonyms.

Your  Faculty or Clinical Librarian  will be able to assist with this process.

Further reading

• Other sources
• Journal Articles
• Books and Chapters

Related Guides

• Systematic Reviews
• Using MultiSearch

We have guidance on  Literature Reviews in StudyWISE .  This guides focuses on the writing skills associated with Literature Reviews.  

You'll find it  on iLearn (Macquarie University's learning portal)

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• Last Updated: Mar 25, 2024 11:30 AM
• URL: https://libguides.mq.edu.au/philosophy

• A Guide to Writing a PhD Literature Review

Written by Ben Taylor

Most PhD projects begin with a literature review, which usually serves as the first chapter of your dissertation. This provides an opportunity for you to show that you understand the body of academic work that has already been done in relation to your topic, including books, articles, data and research papers.

You should be prepared to offer your own critical analysis of this literature, as well as illustrating where your own research lies within the field – and how it contributes something new / significant to your subject.

This page will give you an overview of what you need to know about writing a literature review, with detail on structure, length and conclusions.

What is a PhD literature review?

A literature review is usually one of the first things you’ll do after beginning your PhD . Once you’ve met with your supervisor and discussed the scope of your research project, you’ll conduct a survey of the scholarly work that’s already been done in your area.

Depending on the nature of your PhD, this work could comprise books, publications, articles, experimental data and more. This body of work is collectively known as the ‘scholarly literature’, on your subject. You won’t have to tackle any novels, poetry or drama during this review (unless, of course, you’re actually studying a PhD in English Literature, in which case that comes later).

The purpose of the PhD literature review isn’t just to summarise what other scholars have done before you. You should analyse and evaluate the current body of work , situating your own research within that context and demonstrating the significant original contribution your research will make.

Planning your PhD literature review

Your supervisor will be able to give you advice if you’re not quite sure where to begin your review, pointing you in the direction of key texts and research that you can then investigate. It’s worth paying attention to the bibliographies (and literature reviews!) of these publications, which can often lead you towards even more specialist texts that could prove invaluable in your research. At the same time, it’s important not to let yourself fall down an academic rabbit hole – make sure that the books and articles you’re surveying are genuinely relevant to your own project.

You should aim to include a broad range of literature in your review, showing the scope of your knowledge, from foundational texts to the most recent publications.

The note-taking process is crucial while you’re in the early stages of your literature review. Keep a clear record of the sources you’ve read, along with your critical analysis of their key arguments and what you think makes them relevant to your research project.

How long should a literature review be?

The length of a PhD literature review varies greatly by subject. In Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences the review will typically be around 5,000 words long, while STEM literature reviews will usually be closer to 10,000 words long. In any case, you should consult with your supervisor on the optimum length for your own literature review.

Structuring a PhD literature review

When you begin to write your PhD literature review, it’s important to have a clear idea of its outline. Roughly speaking, the literature review structure should:

• Introduce your topic and explain its significance
• Evaluate the existing literature with reference to your thesis
• Give a conclusion that considers the implications of your research for future study

The main body of your literature review will be spent critiquing the existing work that scholars have done in your field. There are a few different ways you may want to structure this part of the review, depending on the subject and the nature of your dissertation:

• Chronologically – If your research looks at how something has changed over time, it may make sense to review the literature chronologically, tracking the way that ideas, attitudes and theories have shifted. This might seem like quite a simple way to structure the review, but it’s also imperative to identify the common threads and sticking points between academics along the way, rather than merely reeling off a list of books and articles.
• Thematically – If your dissertation encompasses several different themes, you might want to group the literature by these subjects, while also emphasising the connections between them.
• Methodologically – If you are going to be working with experimental data or statistics, it could be a good idea to assess the different methods that previous scholars have used in your field to produce relevant literature.

Whichever technique you use to structure your literature review, you should take care not to simply list different books, articles and research papers without offering your own commentary.

Always highlight the similarities (and differences) between them, giving your analysis of the significance of these relationships, connections and contrasts.

Writing up a PhD literature review

The process of writing a literature review is different to that of writing the bulk of the dissertation itself. The aim at this point isn’t necessarily to illustrate your own original ideas and research – that’s what the dissertation is for – but rather to show the depth of your knowledge of the field and your ability to assess the work of other scholars . It’s also an opportunity for you to indicate exactly how your dissertation will make an original contribution to your subject area.

These are some tips to bear in mind when writing a literature review:

• Avoid paraphrasing – instead, offer your own evaluation of a source and its assertions
• Follow a logical path from one source or theme to the next – don’t make leaps between different books or articles without explaining the connection between them
• Critically analyse the literature – challenge assumptions, assess the validity of argument and write with authority
• Don’t be too broad in your scope – it can be easy to get carried away including every piece of related literature you come across, but it’s also important not to let your review become too sprawling or rambling

The fact that you usually begin your literature review right at the start of a PhD means that it’s likely you’ll come across plenty more relevant books and papers during the course of your research and while writing the dissertation. So, it’s useful to think of this first draft as a work-in-progress that you keep up-to-date as you write your thesis.

Finishing a PhD literature review

As you come to the end of your dissertation, it’s vital to take a close look at your initial literature review and make sure that it’s consistent with the conclusions that you’ve reached. Of course, a lot can change over the course of a PhD so it’s entirely possible that your research led you in a different direction than you imagined at the beginning.

The conclusion of your literature review should summarise the significance of the survey that you’ve just completed, explaining its relevance for the research your dissertation will undertake.

Literature reviews and PhD upgrade exams

The literature review is usually one of the first sections of a PhD to be completed, at least in its draft form. As such, it is often part of the material that you may submit for your PhD upgrade exam . This usually takes place at the end of your first year (though not all PhDs require it). Involves you discussing your work so far with academics in your department to confirm that your project is on track for a PhD. The feedback you get at this point may help shape your literature review, or reveal any areas you’ve missed.

Doing a PhD

For more information on what it’s like to do a PhD, read our guides to research proposals , dissertations and the viva . Or, search for your perfect PhD course on our website.

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Is your supervisor moving universities? Or have you discovered another doctoral programme that better suits your goals? In this guide we take a look at how you can transfer a PhD to another university.

Ever wondered how hard is a PhD? Our guide can help you learn the level of a PhD compared to Masters study, what hurdles make a PhD hard, and why they occur.

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• UNSW Library
• Library guides
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Systematic reviews

• Social sciences
• Comprehensive searching

What is a systematic review?

A  systematic review  identifies and analyses all available evidence-based literature on a specified research question. Methodology follows a structured research process, is transparent and reproducible and attempts to minimize possible bias. Key results and conclusions provide comprehensive evidence-based findings to inform those making practice and policy decisions.

Some systematic reviews involve a  meta-analysis  which uses statistical methods to combine numerical data from the separate research studies to reach a new statistical conclusion. This provides stronger statistical evidence than that found in an individual study.

Am I doing a systematic review?

Find out which review is right for your project using Cornell University's decision tree  or the Right Review decision support tool.

It takes 12-18 months to complete a systematic review. Before undertaking a systematic review, consider if this review type balances your need to find sufficient studies and/or concepts with the time and resources at your disposal.

See the PredicTER tool to help you estimate how long a systematic review would take to complete.

What are the different review types?

University of South Australia have outlined the scoping review , systematic review and narrative (literature) review in their Other review types guide.

A typology of reviews: an analysis of 14 review types and associated methodologies also provides a summary and comparison of common review types.

What Library support is available for systematic reviews?

The Library Research consultation service is available to help you with your search strategy and database training. You can also consult the Comprehensive searching guide.

Please note that the Library is not responsible for approving your search strategy. This will require your subject expertise and you will need to review this with your supervisor/CI and research team.

Further reading

• An introduction to systematic reviews (2nd edition)
• Assembling the pieces of a systematic review
• Doing a systematic review : a student's guide
• SAGE research methods online This link opens in a new window

Featured resource

• SR Toolbox NOTE: this resource is currently unavailable A catalogue of tools that support various tasks within the systematic review and wider evidence synthesis process.

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English literary studies

Open your heart and mind to the world around you

Literature is the richest record we have of what it means to be human—of our hopes, our fears, our passions, our struggles, our commitments. Studying English literary studies at UNSW, you will learn how literature from across the globe and across the centuries tells us who we are and shapes who we become.

Our teachers bring world-class expertise and infectious enthusiasm to the study of powerful and diverse literary texts. You will learn to appreciate literature’s cultural significance and formal sophistication, and to understand literature in its social and historical contexts. You will have an opportunity to think about the role of literature in your life and the lives of others, and the way in which literary writing is involved in solving problems and engaging with the world.

You will develop skills in textual analysis and in crafting compelling arguments—skills which are essential to navigating the modern world. Our offerings are also closely linked to courses in Creative Writing, giving you the opportunity to combine new analytical skills with creative experimentation.

Make a difference and expand your opportunities

In an increasingly uncertain world, innovative thinking and persuasive communication are vital. Students of English literary studies at UNSW acquire the skills to be the energetic leaders of the future, thinking critically and creatively about the world around them. Our students are uniquely placed to respond to the shifting demands of changing workplaces.

Graduates of UNSW English literary studies work all over the world in many fields, from publishing and arts administration, through education, the media, and the law, to careers as writers, actors, and practitioners in other creative industries.

Learn from world-renowned researchers

English literary studies at UNSW is a dynamic hub of researchers and writers with established international reputations. UNSW English literary studies was ranked in the world’s top 70 departments of English literature and 5th in Australia in the QS World University Rankings by Subject in 2024, and it has been home to multiple major ARC-funded research projects.

We are also home to Southerly , Australia’s oldest and most prestigious literary journal, and to Juvenilia Press, for which students themselves collaborate with teachers in producing edited editions of writers’ early works. In addition to research, scholarly editing is a significant strength in English literary studies at UNSW, and both these strengths feed our excellence in teaching.

Quick links

Our undergraduate degrees cover a broad range of literary periods, locations, and styles. Working extensively in the ‘long modern’ period extending from the Renaissance to today, you can specialise in several established academic specialisations including Australian literature, creative writing, modern and postmodern literature, and the generic understanding of texts.

Through your study you'll come to understand the intersections between literature and social justice. Many of our courses tackle the worldly, political entanglements of the literary tradition.

Our degree options include:

• Bachelor of Arts 
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We offer the below undergraduate courses with a minor only in English: 

• Bachelor of Design
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An honours degree is an extra year of study that combines aspects of undergraduate study with elements of postgraduate research and is available to students who have a grade average of 70% in a particular degree. Guided by professional staff, you’ll develop your research skills and strengthen your argumentation and written expression.

Postgraduate research candidates in English literary studies undertake original research that answers difficult and timely questions about national identity, place, culture, narrative and aesthetic achievement. We offer supervision in English in the  Doctor of Philosophy  and  Masters by Research  (MRes).

You'll benefit from interdisciplinary approaches to postgraduate study that links literary studies with film, music, the visual arts, cultural studies, theatre, history, politics, philosophy, creative writing and linguistics.

The school’s postgraduate research cohort is one of the largest and most vibrant at UNSW. Our dynamic and diverse graduate students research across a wide range of topics, contribute to the school’s annual postgraduate conference, publish in reputable journals, conduct archival research internationally, and regularly present at national and international conferences.

• Apr 15, 2021

7 Secrets to Write a PhD Literature Review The Right Way

Updated: Sep 27, 2021

A literature review gives your readers an idea about your scholarly understanding of the previous work in your research domain. It requires you to justify your work and demonstrate the importance of your research work with respect to the current state of knowledge. It is a great opportunity for you to examine the previous work and fill any gaps in it which may help you to make it a foundation for your own research.

The role of a literature review and its importance in your thesis can also be seen from here:

Role of a Literature Review|Walden University

Writing a literature review requires gathering loads of information by reading many articles, books, and papers related to your Ph.D. topic. And once you are done with the initial stage, you have to organize the important data collected and discuss it according to your learning. Now, all of this seems quite tedious.

You may have seen many people ranting when they have to write a literature review, and it is totally fine. But, does it help in writing a review? Obviously, no. You have to make this process interesting for yourself to remain focused.

Here are some secrets which can help you to enjoy writing an amazing literature review.

1. Make a Well-Structured Outline:

A literature review is exhaustive research on the topic under investigation so that you can become an expert on that topic. Therefore, it is important for you to make a well-structured outline before you start writing otherwise you won’t understand where to end as you’ll be having a lot of information. For example, a literature review must include an introduction and conclusion section, you should avoid direct quotations and use paraphrasing instead. Your literature review should be organized according to the theme and should be divided into various headings to shift from one topic to another. You can use comparative terms to agree or disagree with the author and provide your own opinion.

Check out this literature review template to have a more clear understanding of creating a well-structured outline for your literature review: Literature Review Template|Thompson Rivers University

2. Use Synthesis Matrix:

When you are gathering information from a lot of resources, and you have to ultimately gather them in one place then using a synthesis matrix could be very helpful for this purpose. A synthesis matrix is an outline that permits a researcher to sort and arrange the various contentions introduced on an issue. Across the highest point of the chart are the spaces to record sources, and at the edge of the chart are the spaces to record the primary concerns of contention on the current theme.

You can outline your whole literature review and keep a check and balance of which things you have covered and what is left. It simplifies your work greatly and helps in writing a literature review in a very organized manner.

See more on the use of synthesis matrix at Literature Review using synthesis Matrix and Synthesizing various sources

3. Change Your Perspective:

Another important thing that you must do before you start writing a literature review is to change your writing perspective. You don’t have to take it as a burden that Why am I even doing this? Yes, we know it is quite a dull task, but why not enjoy it if you have to do it after all?

Write it for yourself. Question yourself from time to time. Like what information would you like to extract from it while you are reading this review? Would it sound interesting to your self? Would you remain focused while reading this writing style? Will you love this review as a third person? Will this be an interesting thing to read?

When you become your critique you have high chances of improvement. You start writing a review such that you would like to read it yourself, and gradually you can write one interesting literature review for your thesis.

4. Read and Write Simultaneously:

A common mistake that many people make while writing a literature review is that they do all the readings and information gathering first and leave the writing at last. What happens is that they utilize all their energy and focus in the reading phase and when it's time to start the actual writing they feel exhausted and over-worked. Moreover, when they see a blank page in front of them after reading piles of paperwork they get demotivated and feel anxious that how they will manage to write such a long review.

How to avoid this anxiety?

One simple way is to start writing parallel to reading. When you are reading an article or paper, make notes of it or short bullet points. It will help you to keep a track of both what you have read and what you need to add to your literature review. And when you finally start compiling the review you will have your guideline instead of a blank paper which makes it quite easy for you to jot it all down on a paper.

5. Make a Proper Timeline and Stick To It:

Making a proper timeline to write a literature review is crucial. You don’t want to get stuck in it and end up completing your review in a year instead of weeks. To avoid this, take a day or two off, search through the internet or other resources that what helping material you would require reading, and then make a proper timeline of completing them and making notes simultaneously.

It will help you a lot to stay on track.

Here is a sample timeline you could follow: Research Sample Timeline

6. Go Easy On Yourself:

Yes, you heard it. Don’t be so harsh on yourself. Keep days off in your schedule and relax fully on those days. You don’t have to keep reading and writing 24/7, all days a week. Our mind needs to be relaxed on and off to remain functional. If you over-burden yourself you will eventually end up doing absolutely nothing because of over-work.

If you get stuck somewhere, seek help from your supervisor, friends or other resources, Don’t let your shyness or shame keep you away from achieving your target. We are all humans, and we do need help at some point in our lives so don’t discourage yourself to do so.

7. Interpret Your Understanding Comprehensively:

When writing a review you need to portray what you have truly learned from the already published work of other scholars. What many people do is they start cramming information to write a review and end up writing only a summary of that data, They don’t learn and understand anything from it. They just take it as a formality that has to be fulfilled. That is wrong.

You need to have clear concepts and must be able to demonstrate to others what you learned from the previous work and how your work would contribute towards it. This is the true essence of writing a literature review, and it will benefit you the most for your research process.

If you are having any difficulty in writing or editing your thesis Literature Review you can visit our website to seek help and guidance by the following link:

Scholars Doctoral Editing and Consulting

Scholars Professional Editing Group LLC :

Website: https://www.thescholarsediting.com/

Email Us: [email protected]

Contact Us: (302) 295-4953

CLICK HERE TO BOOK A FREE CONSULTATION NOW: Scholars Consultation

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Structuring Your Literature Review: Visualizing Key Themes and Sub-themes

Beginning Your Literature Review: Essential Techniques and Strategies

• What Is a PhD Literature Review?
• Doing a PhD

A literature review is a critical analysis of published academic literature, mainly peer-reviewed papers and books, on a specific topic. This isn’t just a list of published studies but is a document summarising and critically appraising the main work by researchers in the field, the key findings, limitations and gaps identified in the knowledge.

• The aim of a literature review is to critically assess the literature in your chosen field of research and be able to present an overview of the current knowledge gained from previous work.
• By the conclusion of your literature review, you as a researcher should have identified the gaps in knowledge in your field; i.e. the unanswered research questions which your PhD project will help to answer.
• Quality not quantity is the approach to use when writing a literature review for a PhD but as a general rule of thumb, most are between 6,000 and 12,000 words.

What Is the Purpose of a Literature Review?

First, to be clear on what a PhD literature review is NOT: it is not a ‘paper by paper’ summary of what others have done in your field. All you’re doing here is listing out all the papers and book chapters you’ve found with some text joining things together. This is a common mistake made by PhD students early on in their research project. This is a sign of poor academic writing and if it’s not picked up by your supervisor, it’ll definitely be by your examiners.

The biggest issue your examiners will have here is that you won’t have demonstrated an application of critical thinking when examining existing knowledge from previous research. This is an important part of the research process as a PhD student. It’s needed to show where the gaps in knowledge were, and how then you were able to identify the novelty of each research question and subsequent work.

The five main outcomes from carrying out a good literature review should be:

• An understanding of what has been published in your subject area of research,
• An appreciation of the leading research groups and authors in your field and their key contributions to the research topic,
• Knowledge of the key theories in your field,
• Knowledge of the main research areas within your field of interest,
• A clear understanding of the research gap in knowledge that will help to motivate your PhD research questions .

When assessing the academic papers or books that you’ve come across, you must think about the strengths and weaknesses of them; what was novel about their work and what were the limitations? Are different sources of relevant literature coming to similar conclusions and complementing each other, or are you seeing different outcomes on the same topic by different researchers?

When Should I Write My Literature Review?

In the structure of your PhD thesis , your literature review is effectively your first main chapter. It’s at the start of your thesis and should, therefore, be a task you perform at the start of your research. After all, you need to have reviewed the literature to work out how your research can contribute novel findings to your area of research. Sometimes, however, in particular when you apply for a PhD project with a pre-defined research title and research questions, your supervisor may already know where the gaps in knowledge are.

You may be tempted to skip the literature review and dive straight into tackling the set questions (then completing the review at the end before thesis submission) but we strongly advise against this. Whilst your supervisor will be very familiar with the area, you as a doctoral student will not be and so it is essential that you gain this understanding before getting into the research.

How Long Should the Literature Review Be?

As your literature review will be one of your main thesis chapters, it needs to be a substantial body of work. It’s not a good strategy to have a thesis writing process here based on a specific word count, but know that most reviews are typically between 6,000 and 12,000 words. The length will depend on how much relevant material has previously been published in your field.

A point to remember though is that the review needs to be easy to read and avoid being filled with unnecessary information; in your search of selected literature, consider filtering out publications that don’t appear to add anything novel to the discussion – this might be useful in fields with hundreds of papers.

How Do I Write the Literature Review?

Before you start writing your literature review, you need to be clear on the topic you are researching.

1. Evaluating and Selecting the Publications

After completing your literature search and downloading all the papers you find, you may find that you have a lot of papers to read through ! You may find that you have so many papers that it’s unreasonable to read through all of them in their entirety, so you need to find a way to understand what they’re about and decide if they’re important quickly.

A good starting point is to read the abstract of the paper to gauge if it is useful and, as you do so, consider the following questions in your mind:

• What was the overarching aim of the paper?
• What was the methodology used by the authors?
• Was this an experimental study or was this more theoretical in its approach?
• What were the results and what did the authors conclude in their paper?
• How does the data presented in this paper relate to other publications within this field?
• Does it add new knowledge, does it raise more questions or does it confirm what is already known in your field? What is the key concept that the study described?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of this study, and in particular, what are the limitations?

2. Identifying Themes

To put together the structure of your literature review you need to identify the common themes that emerge from the collective papers and books that you have read. Key things to think about are:

• Are there common methodologies different authors have used or have these changed over time?
• Do the research questions change over time or are the key question’s still unanswered?
• Is there general agreement between different research groups in the main results and outcomes, or do different authors provide differing points of view and different conclusions?
• What are the key papers in your field that have had the biggest impact on the research?
• Have different publications identified similar weaknesses or limitations or gaps in the knowledge that still need to be addressed?

Structuring and Writing Your Literature Review

There are several ways in which you can structure a literature review and this may depend on if, for example, your project is a science or non-science based PhD.

One approach may be to tell a story about how your research area has developed over time. You need to be careful here that you don’t just describe the different papers published in chronological order but that you discuss how different studies have motivated subsequent studies, how the knowledge has developed over time in your field, concluding with what is currently known, and what is currently not understood.

Alternatively, you may find from reading your papers that common themes emerge and it may be easier to develop your review around these, i.e. a thematic review. For example, if you are writing up about bridge design, you may structure the review around the themes of regulation, analysis, and sustainability.

As another approach, you might want to talk about the different research methodologies that have been used. You could then compare and contrast the results and ultimate conclusions that have been drawn from each.

As with all your chapters in your thesis, your literature review will be broken up into three key headings, with the basic structure being the introduction, the main body and conclusion. Within the main body, you will use several subheadings to separate out the topics depending on if you’re structuring it by the time period, the methods used or the common themes that have emerged.

The important thing to think about as you write your main body of text is to summarise the key takeaway messages from each research paper and how they come together to give one or more conclusions. Don’t just stop at summarising the papers though, instead continue on to give your analysis and your opinion on how these previous publications fit into the wider research field and where they have an impact. Emphasise the strengths of the studies you have evaluated also be clear on the limitations of previous work how these may have influenced the results and conclusions of the studies.

In your concluding paragraphs focus your discussion on how your critical evaluation of literature has helped you identify unanswered research questions and how you plan to address these in your PhD project. State the research problem you’re going to address and end with the overarching aim and key objectives of your work .

When writing at a graduate level, you have to take a critical approach when reading existing literature in your field to determine if and how it added value to existing knowledge. You may find that a large number of the papers on your reference list have the right academic context but are essentially saying the same thing. As a graduate student, you’ll need to take a methodological approach to work through this existing research to identify what is relevant literature and what is not.

You then need to go one step further to interpret and articulate the current state of what is known, based on existing theories, and where the research gaps are. It is these gaps in the literature that you will address in your own research project.

• Decide on a research area and an associated research question.
• Decide on the extent of your scope and start looking for literature.
• Review and evaluate the literature.
• Plan an outline for your literature review and start writing it.

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Wrestling an elephant into a cupboard: how to write a PhD literature review in nine easy steps

Feb 10, 2019

When I was writing my PhD I hated the literature review. I was scared of it. One day, my supervisor took me to one side and told me that I had no choice: ‘It was going to have to be done before you start fieldwork’. I was terrified.

Sound familiar? According to Google, 5,000 people a month search for advice on how to conduct a literature review. And we know from the one-on-one PhD coaching we offer and from the theses we proofread that many students struggle with this part of their thesis. 

If you’re feeling lost, keep reading. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the nine steps involved in conducting and writing a PhD literature review.

You’ll realise what I eventually found out: C onducting a literature review is easy. Okay, perhaps that’s a bit much. Let me rephrase: Conducting a PhD literature review isn’t as hard as you think.

What a PhD literature review isn’t

Let us make one thing very clear. A PhD literature review isn’t just a summary of existing literature. That’s an annotated bibliography and that isn’t what a PhD literature review is about. This is the mistake I see most frequently in the PhDs I proofread.

Not only will your examiners send this back for corrections, but it may mean the whole PhD thesis is problematic because it isn’t grounded in a critical review of the literature.

What a PhD literature review is

A PhD literature review is a critical assessment of the literature in your field and related to your specific research topic. When discussing each relevant piece of literature, the review must highlight where the gaps are and what the strengths and weaknesses are of particular studies, papers, books, etc. Also, different pieces of literature are compared and contrasted with one another so that themes and relationships are highlighted.

The job of a literature review is to show five things (if you’re using our PhD Writing Template , you may recognise these):

1. What has been written on your topic 2. Who the key authors are and what the key works are 3. The main theories and hypotheses 4. The main themes that exist in the literature 5. Gaps and weaknesses that your study will then help fill

Who cares what other people have written and said, or what they haven’t said? Well, you should and your examiners definitely will. For your own study to make sense, it has to be situated in the literature. That means you must relate it to what others are talking about.

If you wanted to build a new mobile phone, you would have to research how other mobile phones are built, find out where they can be improved and then design one that makes those improvements.

The literature review is the same.

But where do I start? Here, we list nine steps. Follow each and you’ll be on your way to literature review greatness.

We’ve made the infographic below to help you on your way. Click the image to download it.

Step One: Pick a Broad Topic

You will be reviewing literature on a particular topic, so knowing what your topic is beforehand means you can narrow down your search. At this stage your topic is broad. You won’t be able to know the specifics until you do the review itself.

For my PhD, which looked at the contributions that local government made to climate change policy, my literature review started with a broad topic of ‘climate change policy’. I didn’t focus in on local government until I had read the literature on climate change policy and realized there was a gap.

So, having a clearly defined purpose is really important. Otherwise you are searching blind. If you refer to your PhD Writing Template, take a look at the box titled ‘Aims & Objectives’ – you’ll need to make sure you have established your aims, scope and research questions.

Step Two: Find the Way In

If you search for your broad topic in Google Scholar, you’ll be presented with millions of results. With my own PhD, a search for ‘climate change policy’ bought up over 3 million results.

  Obviously it’s unfeasible to read through all these.

So where do you start? Easy: choose the biggest names in your field.

There are three ways to find these:

1. Textbooks 2. Review articles 3. Most-cited articles

Read through these seminal texts and you’ll begin to get an idea of the broad topic.

Step Three: Who’s Saying What & When

Your job at this stage is to find out the key debates in the field. 

• Who is making the most significant contribution?
• What are they saying?
• How are they saying it?
• What aren’t they saying?

Step Four: Notes, Notes, Notes.

Whenever you read anything you should be taking notes. Detailed notes. These need to cover the following points: 

• What is the author saying?
• How is it relevant to your research?
• What are the gaps/weaknesses?
• What are the key references that you should read?

The more of these kind of standardised notes you have, the easier it will be when you write your literature review.

Step Five: Narrow Down the Field

As you read the key texts, you will begin to see what the key debates are in your field. There might be a number of ’schools’, for example. When you become aware of them, start to focus your literature review around them.

Step Six: Filter Through Your Growing List of References

Don’t just read everything. You need to find a way to filter through the articles or books that are relevant. For example, scan the abstracts, introduction, keywords, titles and references.

Filter the sources you come across into three separate categories:

• Probably won’t read

Step Seven: Use Snowball Sampling

As you read through these articles, look at their reference list. Collect articles that you think will be relevant and use them in your literature review. This is known as snowball sampling.

Step Eight: Think About the Questions that Haven’t Been Asked

You must be reading critically, which means asking what the weaknesses are and where particular articles or book could be improved.

In order to tease out your own specific research topic, you need to think of the questions that haven’t been asked.

Master your lit review & theory framework.

Learn what goes where (and why), and how it all fit together with this free, interactive guide to the PhD literature review and theory framework.

Step Nine: Writing Up Your Literature Review

  The review will broadly follow the key debates you have spotted in step five above. As you write, focus on putting in more detail about particular sources (i.e. flesh out steps six and seven). The focus when writing is to elaborate upon the key patterns and themes that have emerged.

However, you need to include your own synthesis of the material. I said earlier that you shouldn’t just summarize the literature. Instead you should write critically. You should clearly and precisely present your argument. The argument will focus around the questions that haven’t been asked – step nine above – and will ground the literature review. We’ve written a guide to being critical in your literature review . You should read it if you’re unsure what’s required.

So, write early and write that first draft quickly. The earlier you start writing your literature review the better. You must accept that your first draft is going to be just that: a draft. When you write the first draft, focus on the broad structure first. This means focus on the broad themes you want to discuss in the review.

Something you need to consider is how to structure the chapter. The simple answer is that you can either structure it chronologically or thematically.

The long answer is that chronological literature reviews are restrictive and over-simplify the field. They are useful for very early drafts of the review and can help you to arrange the literature and trace threads and connections within it. However, your supervisors and examiners are looking for thematic reviews (unless they have told you otherwise), where you discuss the literature with reference to the themes that have emerged.

Equally important is knowing when to stop reviewing the literature.

The sooner you go out and do your fieldwork, the better. The literature review is a cruel mistress; you’ll struggle to fully nail down its various components and fully understand how everything you have read is related. But don’t despair; aspects of the literature review will become clearer when you enter the field and start to collect data.

Don’t fall into the trap of spending too long in the library and too little time doing fieldwork.

  It’s natural to be scared of the literature review. To conduct one, you have to read, process and synthesise hundreds of thousands of words. But it’s not impossible. Keep this guide to hand and refer to it when you feel yourself getting lost. Share it with your colleagues so they too can conquer their fear of the literature review.

Now read our guide to being critical in the literature review and, if you haven’t already, download our PhD writing template .

And if you need a little extra support, check out our one-on-one PhD coaching . It’s like having a personal trainer, but for your PhD. 

Hello, Doctor…

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24 comments.

Good. Clear guidance

I have read the guidelines and noted numerous tricks of writing a thesis. My understanding of writing literature review has improved a lot. Thanks a lot

You’re welcome 🙂

Another Great piece.

It’s understandable and clearer now. I do appreciate you. Thanks so much

Many thanks for the kind words.

You are just brilliant. Outstanding piece for the literature review.

You’re too kind. Thanks!

Great insights! Thanks indeed.

Thank you very much for your clear advice. I am beginning to see where my early literature review drafts were lacking and my feelings of panic are reducing!

is the process the same a research paper?

Broadly speaking, yes. It’ll follow the same overall structure, but you won’t be going into as much detail.

This is very helpful. Thank you so much for sharing

Great advice. Thank you!

You’re welcome!

Thank you for this! I’m a first-year Ph.D. candidate, and I’m super nervous about writing my first literature review. I’ll be sure to use this for some more insight!

Thanks for the kind words. You’re welcome to join us on a PhD Masterclass. We’re currently putting together the Spring 24 calendar and we always run literature review sessions. You can bookmark this page to be the first to hear when our new programme is ready for bookings: https://www.thephdproofreaders.com/phd-workshops/

I cannot tell you how much more concise this makes everything for my ADHD brain. Thank you!

I’m so glad. Thanks for the kind words Kimberly.

I’m staring down the barrel of my literature review and this article made it much clearer what I’m trying to accomplish and actually feel more doable. Thank you!

You’re welcome. I’m glad it helped. Best of luck with it. If you need any support you can get me at max[at]thephdproofreaders.com

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