Starting your Literature Review
Diving into a literature review can feel overwhelming,
but breaking it into clear steps makes it manageable.
Follow this roadmap to organize existing research,
identify gaps, and set the stage for your own contribution.
Most PhD students do not appreciate the value of writing a Dissertation with a specific known process helps them in the longrun. If you follow our advice you will have minimize hardship and aggrevation.
Clarify Purpose & Scope
You may have already done this depending on whether you followed our method on clarifying your Topic. If you haven't you may wish to revisit our page on Topic Development.
- Frame the central question your review must address.
- Define boundaries: time frame, geographic focus, methodologies, or theoretical lenses.
- Write a two-sentence summary: “I’m reviewing how [X] influences [Y] in [Z context], focusing on studies from [year] to [year] using [methods].”
Conduct a Systematic Search
Identify key databases and search engines (e.g., Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, JSTOR).
Consider ProQuest to determine what others have written to ensure you have a gap.
Compile a list of 10–15 core keywords and their synonyms. Use Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) to refine searches. Put all your search results into a spreadsheet.
Also record search strings and number of hits—this audit trail prevents duplication later.
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When you find one “golden” paper, mine its reference list and check who cited it in Scopus or Web of Science. This is often how one uncovers a relevant cluster of work.
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Evaluate and Annotate sources
Skim abstracts first: tag each as “must read,” “maybe,” or “exclude.”
For "must read" papers, create annotated bibliographies capturing:
- Research question
- Methods
- Key findings
- Limitations
Track these annotations in your spreadsheet.
There are also reference managers (Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote) for those who like tools for everything. We find spreadsheets simple enough and google sheets is usable anywhere.
Write Section by Section
- Start each section with a mini-intro: define the theme or method.
- Make sure to synthesize, don’t summarize—explain how studies relate, contrast, or build on each other.
- Highlight gaps or contested findings to justify your own research.
- End each section with a brief transition into the next theme.
Hire a coach or Dissertation Strategist
Given the support level of many online PhD programs - having a second person on your side to support you when needed is invaluable. Your Literature Review is where you will start to really delve in with a lot of love and labor. Getting it correct is crucial.
Develop an Organizing Framework
Choose the structure that best tells the story of your field:
- Thematic: group studies by core themes or concepts.
- Methodological: compare approaches (quantitative vs. qualitative).
- Chronological: trace how understanding evolved over time.
Draft an outline with section headers and 2–3 bullet points of the main studies or debates to discuss under each.
