What's the secret to a comprehensive literature review for your proposal?

1 Define your scope

Before you start searching for relevant sources, you need to define the scope of your literature review. This means clarifying your research question, objectives, and criteria for selecting and evaluating the literature. You also need to consider the breadth and depth of your review, depending on your discipline, topic, and purpose. A narrow and focused scope will help you avoid being overwhelmed by irrelevant or outdated information, and enable you to synthesize and analyze the literature more effectively.

2 Search systematically

Once you have defined your scope, you need to search systematically for the literature that meets your criteria. This involves using various databases, keywords, filters, and references to find and access the most relevant and reliable sources for your topic. You also need to keep track of your search process, such as the sources you used, the terms you searched, and the results you obtained. This will help you avoid duplication, document your search strategy, and justify your selection of literature.

3 Organize and evaluate

After you have collected the literature, you need to organize and evaluate it according to your scope and objectives. This means sorting, categorizing, and grouping the sources based on their themes, methods, findings, or perspectives. You also need to critically appraise the sources, such as their quality, validity, relevance, and contribution to your research. You can use various tools and techniques to help you organize and evaluate the literature, such as tables, charts, matrices, or software.

4 Synthesize and analyze

The next step is to synthesize and analyze the literature, which means integrating, comparing, contrasting, and interpreting the sources in relation to your research question and objectives. You need to identify the main arguments, debates, gaps, and trends in the literature, and explain how they relate to your research. You also need to demonstrate your own position, contribution, and originality in the literature review, and show how your research will address the existing limitations or challenges.

5 Write and structure

The final step is to write and structure your literature review, which means presenting your findings and analysis in a clear and coherent way. You need to follow the guidelines and expectations of your discipline, institution, and audience, and use appropriate language, style, and format. You also need to structure your literature review logically, using headings, subheadings, transitions, and signposts to guide your readers. Moreover, you need to cite and reference your sources correctly, using the preferred citation style and avoiding plagiarism.

6 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?