6 Literature Review Tips for Dissertation Writing

A literature review is an essential part of any dissertation or thesis and involves critical analysis and synthesis of previous research and scholarly literature work related to the topic of the dissertation.

So, how do you write a literature review for a dissertation?

Here are the steps you can follow to write a literature review for a dissertation:

1. Identify the focus of your literature review: Before you start writing your literature review, you need to determine the scope and focus of your review. What specific research question or problem are you trying to address?
2. Conduct a comprehensive search for relevant literature: Start by conducting a thorough search of relevant literature on your topic. Use academic databases, journals, books, and other credible sources to identify relevant studies, research articles, and literature reviews.
3. Evaluate the literature: Once you have identified relevant literature, you need to critically evaluate it. Evaluate the quality and relevance of each study, identify any gaps or inconsistencies, and assess the overall contribution of each study to the field.
4. Organize the literature: Organize the literature into themes or categories that relate to your research question or problem. This will help you to identify common themes and patterns in the literature.
5. Synthesize the literature: After organizing the literature, you need to synthesize it. Identify the main arguments, findings, and conclusions of each study, and compare and contrast them. Look for areas of agreement and disagreement in the literature.
6. Write the literature review: Finally, you are ready to write the literature review. Start with an introduction that provides an overview of your research question or problem. Then, organize the literature by theme or category and summarize the main findings of each study. End with a conclusion that summarizes the main contributions of the literature to your research question or problem.

Remember that a literature review is not just a summary of previous research. It should be a critical analysis and synthesis of the literature that demonstrates your understanding of the field and your ability to identify gaps and opportunities for future research.