Research findings can only be put into context through a well-written literature review, and you can achieve this by familiarizing yourself with the best practices for writing one. Read on for some easy-to-implement tips on how to write the best version of your literature review.

These recommendations—which are based on the articles “Writing a literature review” and “How to write a literature review“—will not only improve your overall work, but also increase its reach and impact. First, let’s look at what a literature review is and why it’s important to get it right. 

What is a literature review? 

A literature review is an evidence-based, thorough analysis of the existing collective knowledge on a topic. It is not a long list of everything that has been published, but an informative summary of the available information, presented in a balanced and unbiased way. 

Why the literature review matters 

A literature review gives you insights into the background of the topic you are working on. It helps you recognize the gaps in existing knowledge and research that your work can fill and to identify a research idea, hypothesis, and research question. 

A literature review is important for positioning your research in the field and provides reference points for your new data, making your findings more credible. If you intend to obtain funding for your research, a solid literature review can help you prove the scientific relevance of your research.

Conducting a literature review

Let’s now take a look at the key steps in conducting a literature review that can help you develop a structured approach to gathering information at this stage of your research. 

Note: While the steps outlined in this guide apply to most types of literature reviews, some specific types of reviews (e.g. systematic reviews, meta-analyses, or scoping reviews) may require a different approach or more rigorous methods. Be sure to consult the guidelines specific to your field or type of review. 

Determine keywords – Choose broad keywords that are relevant to your topic. These will guide your search and determine the material you find. Search engines use them to index references to make the information more accessible. Later, refine your keywords into subheadings to structure your review.

Start with review articles and textbooks – They provide background information, help identify key areas to investigate, and suggest relevant keywords. However, as they reflect the views of others, they should not form the basis of your literature review. 

Read peer-reviewed research – Focus on original research articles, balancing older foundational papers with more recent studies that support or challenge key ideas.

Use online databases – Search academic databases and citation indexes to compile a comprehensive reading list.

Reducing bias

To reduce bias in a literature review, it is advisable to follow a structured approach that helps you ensure objectivity. This involves collecting references from different sources to get a comprehensive perspective. Avoid selecting only articles that support your arguments. 

For consistency, you should also set clear inclusion and exclusion criteria. Check the reliability and objectivity of the studies you refer to by examining the design and methods of data collection and analysis. Finally, keep in mind that your own interpretation may lead to bias, which is important to consider. 

Organising your sources

As you collect more relevant sources, the amount of reading material will grow quickly. It is impossible to read everything in a subject area, so you need to be selective in your academic reading. 

A literature matrix, a simple spreadsheet, can help you focus on important points such as research methodology, scale of the research, conclusions, or other relevant aspects. 

After you have reviewed one source and noted important information, you can move on to the next. This organisation helps you identify the key themes for your review. Using a reference management tool can also help you organise your sources and create your bibliography. 

You can use two helpful resources: Make a copy of this literature matrix template (Google Sheet) to customise it to your needs, and check out this downloadable example to see how to organise your columns. 

Synthesising your sources

Once you have identified the key themes, organise your sources to explore them further, from the broadest to the most specific. A synthesis matrix helps you structure your literature review by organising the sources by themes and comparing them. The matrix contains a synthesis column where you can make connections between the sources. 

As you complete the matrix, ask yourself the following questions to identify the key relationships between the sources and their contribution to each theme. 

• Do the sources build on or develop one another, perhaps in chronological order?
• Do they challenge or contradict each other, revealing debates within the field?
• Do they point to a gap or an area of interest?
• Do they help fill gaps or paint a more complete picture? 

In the synthesis column, you can present your critical interpretation, which is an important part of a successful literature review. Make a copy of this synthesis matrix (Google Sheet) to organise your themes and plan your synthesis. You can also use this downloadable example synthesis matrix as a guide. 

See also: Why you should draft, edit, and proofread separately

Writing a literature review

After you have completed your background reading and organised your sources using a synthesis matrix, writing your review is about expanding on the information you have gathered. You write the review in the form of a narrative, using your matrix as a guide. 

A literature review typically follows this structure:

• Introduction: Introduce the topic and explain how you have organised your review by themes.
• Themes: Start with general themes and gradually narrow them down to more specific ones related to your research.
• Conclusion: Summarise how the review has influenced your thinking and state your research objectives if the review is part of a larger project, rather than a standalone analysis. 

Your review can either have section headings or flow continuously, with each theme clearly separated in paragraphs. Each section or paragraph describes a theme and concludes with a summary that includes your critical analysis. 

Key takeaways

A well-structured literature review is essential for framing your research within the academic context. By following the steps outlined—such as selecting keywords, organising sources, reducing bias, and synthesising key themes—you can create a review that supports your work and contributes to the broader field.

While the process may vary depending on the type of review, these steps provide a solid foundation for any literature review and can increase the credibility and impact of your research. 

Improve your academic writing with InstaText

As discussed, improving the quality of your academic writing is crucial to making a significant impact in your field. InstaText, an advanced editing assistant, can polish your text and make it readable.

Whether you’re aiming to get published, inform readers, or present persuasive findings, InstaText makes your editing process faster and more efficient while preserving originality and authorship. 

Are you ready to improve your work? Try InstaText for free and find out how it can be a cost-effective alternative to hiring a human editor. If you’re already a user, explore InstaText’s features and blog for tips and insights. For teams, InstaText One for Teams is the ideal solution for collaborative academic projects.  

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