How to write a literature review
Write a literature review by searching systematically for research on your question, grouping what you find into themes or debates, evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the evidence, and showing what is still unknown. It should synthesise sources, not summarise them one at a time.
What most advice leaves out
The most common weak literature review is a list: one paragraph per paper, each beginning "Smith (2019) found...". That shows you have read, but not that you have understood how the research fits together. Markers look for synthesis: where studies agree, where they conflict, why, and what gap that leaves. Organising by theme instead of by paper is the single biggest improvement most reviews can make.
Step by step
- 1
Define the question and scope
Write down the question your review answers and its limits: time period, population, type of study. A narrow question is easier to review well.
- 2
Search systematically
Use your library databases with planned search terms, and keep a record of what you searched and why sources were included or left out.
- 3
Read and take structured notes
For each source, note the question, method, main finding and limitations in the same format, so you can compare them.
- 4
Group by theme
Sort your notes into themes, debates or methods. Each theme becomes a section of the review.
- 5
Write each section as an argument
In each section, say what the evidence shows overall, where it disagrees and how strong it is, then end with the gap your own work, or future work, addresses.
Common mistakes
- Summarising papers one by one instead of comparing them.
- Describing findings without evaluating the quality of the evidence.
- Citing sources you have not checked yourself, including sources suggested by an AI tool.
Practise it with Migo AI Students
Migo will not write your review for you. It can help with the research and reading around it: Deep research, a Student Pro tool that uses credits, searches the web on a question and returns findings with the sources it used, which you then find and read yourself. Study Document lets you upload a paper as a PDF and have it explained page by page, and Chat Tutor can explain how a review is structured or what a method means. Always check sources in your library databases.
Questions
How many sources should a literature review have?
It depends on the level and length set by your course. Ask your supervisor or check the assignment brief; the quality and relevance of sources matters more than the count.
What is the difference between a literature review and an annotated bibliography?
An annotated bibliography summarises sources one by one. A literature review combines them into an argument about what the research as a whole shows.
Related guides
- How to find sources for an essayStart with your reading list and your library’s databases, search with specific terms, follow the references of the best sources you find, and check each source is credible and relevant before you use it.
- How to structure an essayStructure an essay with an introduction that states your answer to the question, body paragraphs that each make one point supported by evidence and linked back to the question, and a conclusion that draws the points together. The argument, not the topic, should decide the order.
- How to read a textbook effectivelyRead a textbook effectively by previewing the chapter first, reading one section at a time with a question in mind, and checking after each section that you can explain it without looking. You rarely need to read every word in order.
General study advice. Follow your own course’s guidance and your institution’s rules on assessment and AI use.