How do you conduct a literature review like a pro?

1 Define your scope

Before you start searching for sources, you need to define the scope of your literature review. What is the main topic or problem you are investigating? What are the key concepts, theories, and frameworks that relate to it? What are the main questions or objectives you want to address? How broad or narrow do you want your focus to be? You can use a mind map, a research question matrix, or a PICO framework to help you clarify your scope and refine your search terms.

2 Search for sources

Once you have defined your scope, search for relevant and reliable sources that cover your topic. You can use different databases, journals, books, reports, websites, and other sources, depending on your discipline and research design. You should use a combination of keywords, filters, and Boolean operators to narrow down your results and find the most suitable sources. You should also keep track of your search strategy and criteria, and update them as you go along.

3 Evaluate and select sources

Not all sources are equally valuable or trustworthy for your literature review. Evaluate and select sources based on their quality, relevance, and contribution to your topic. Use different criteria, such as the author's credentials, the publication date, the research methods, the findings, the limitations, and the citations, to assess the sources. Compare and contrast different sources, and look for similarities, differences, gaps, and controversies in the literature.

4 Analyze and synthesize sources

After you have selected your sources, analyze and synthesize them to create a coherent and structured literature review. Identify the main themes, arguments, and perspectives that emerge from the literature, and organize them into categories or subtopics. Synthesize the sources by summarizing, paraphrasing, and quoting them, and showing how they relate to each other and to your research question. Try a literature review matrix, a concept map, or an outline to help you structure your analysis and synthesis.

5 Write and cite sources

Compose an introduction that provides the context and purpose of your literature review, a body that discusses the main themes and subtopics in the literature, and a conclusion that summarizes the main findings and implications of your literature review. Cite your sources according to the citation style and format required by your institution or discipline. Use a citation manager, a style guide, or a citation generator to help you cite your sources correctly.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?