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How Long Should a Literature Review Be?

4-minute read

• 7th October 2023

If you’re writing a research paper or dissertation , then you know how important it is to include a thorough, comprehensive literature review. But exactly how long should your literature review be in relation to the rest of your work? While there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to that question, there are some factors that will help determine the length of your review. In this post, we’ll discuss what information to include in your literature review and how long it should be.

Keep reading to learn more.

What Is a Literature Review?

A literature review is a critical summary and evaluation of the current resources (e.g., books and journal articles) on a specific topic or research question. It is a crucial part of academic writing, such as dissertations, in all categories and fields. Essentially, literature reviews help contextualize your investigations and show how your work is building on existing research.

No matter how long your literature review is, it should generally:

●  Establish context for your research (i.e., provide relevant background information so your reader understands the historical significance of your study ).

●  Identify gaps in the existing literature (such as unaddressed questions or aspects of your topic).

●  Highlight significant concepts related to your topic.

●  Cite relevant studies.

●  Support your argument.

It’s also essential that a literature review critically analyze the sources cited in your study, considering factors such as sample size, research design, and potential biases. Be sure to structure your literature review using the same referencing style as the rest of your research paper (e.g., APA , Chicago , MLA ).

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The length of your literature review depends on several factors, including the scope and purpose of your research. In general, the length of the review should be proportionate to your overall paper. For example, if you’re writing a fifty-thousand-word dissertation, then your literature review will likely be an entire chapter comprising about 20 pages. If it’s for a 15-page research paper, your literature review may only be a few pages.

Here are several factors that could affect the length of your literature review:

●  Institutional guidelines : Always check the guidelines provided by your institution or journal (such as an APA journal ). There may be a specific length or word count required for publication.

●  Scope : If your research topic is narrow and focused, your literature review may be shorter. Conversely, if your topic is broad and encompasses a large body of literature, your review may need to be longer.

●  Field of study : Different academic fields may have different expectations regarding the length of literature reviews. For example, literature reviews in the humanities might be longer than those in the natural sciences.

Also, consider your audience. If your literature review is for a general audience or a class assignment, it can probably be shorter and less specialized. However, if it’s for an academic audience in your field of study, you may need to be more thorough and provide an extensive review of the existing literature.

Most literature reviews follow the same basic structure of an introduction, body, and conclusion. Most of the time, they are part of a larger work, so the introduction and conclusion paragraphs will be relatively brief.

However, if the review is a standalone piece, then your introduction and conclusion will be longer since you will need to discuss your research objectives, methods, and findings as well as analyze the literature used in your study.

To ensure your literature review makes an impression, have it professionally proofread by our expert literature review editing services . Submit your free sample of 500 words or less to get started today!

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Writing a Literature Review

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A literature review is a document or section of a document that collects key sources on a topic and discusses those sources in conversation with each other (also called synthesis ). The lit review is an important genre in many disciplines, not just literature (i.e., the study of works of literature such as novels and plays). When we say “literature review” or refer to “the literature,” we are talking about the research ( scholarship ) in a given field. You will often see the terms “the research,” “the scholarship,” and “the literature” used mostly interchangeably.

Where, when, and why would I write a lit review?

There are a number of different situations where you might write a literature review, each with slightly different expectations; different disciplines, too, have field-specific expectations for what a literature review is and does. For instance, in the humanities, authors might include more overt argumentation and interpretation of source material in their literature reviews, whereas in the sciences, authors are more likely to report study designs and results in their literature reviews; these differences reflect these disciplines’ purposes and conventions in scholarship. You should always look at examples from your own discipline and talk to professors or mentors in your field to be sure you understand your discipline’s conventions, for literature reviews as well as for any other genre.

A literature review can be a part of a research paper or scholarly article, usually falling after the introduction and before the research methods sections. In these cases, the lit review just needs to cover scholarship that is important to the issue you are writing about; sometimes it will also cover key sources that informed your research methodology.

Lit reviews can also be standalone pieces, either as assignments in a class or as publications. In a class, a lit review may be assigned to help students familiarize themselves with a topic and with scholarship in their field, get an idea of the other researchers working on the topic they’re interested in, find gaps in existing research in order to propose new projects, and/or develop a theoretical framework and methodology for later research. As a publication, a lit review usually is meant to help make other scholars’ lives easier by collecting and summarizing, synthesizing, and analyzing existing research on a topic. This can be especially helpful for students or scholars getting into a new research area, or for directing an entire community of scholars toward questions that have not yet been answered.

What are the parts of a lit review?

Most lit reviews use a basic introduction-body-conclusion structure; if your lit review is part of a larger paper, the introduction and conclusion pieces may be just a few sentences while you focus most of your attention on the body. If your lit review is a standalone piece, the introduction and conclusion take up more space and give you a place to discuss your goals, research methods, and conclusions separately from where you discuss the literature itself.

Introduction:

• An introductory paragraph that explains what your working topic and thesis is
• A forecast of key topics or texts that will appear in the review
• Potentially, a description of how you found sources and how you analyzed them for inclusion and discussion in the review (more often found in published, standalone literature reviews than in lit review sections in an article or research paper)
• Summarize and synthesize: Give an overview of the main points of each source and combine them into a coherent whole
• Analyze and interpret: Don’t just paraphrase other researchers – add your own interpretations where possible, discussing the significance of findings in relation to the literature as a whole
• Critically Evaluate: Mention the strengths and weaknesses of your sources
• Write in well-structured paragraphs: Use transition words and topic sentence to draw connections, comparisons, and contrasts.

Conclusion:

• Summarize the key findings you have taken from the literature and emphasize their significance
• Connect it back to your primary research question

How should I organize my lit review?

Lit reviews can take many different organizational patterns depending on what you are trying to accomplish with the review. Here are some examples:

• Chronological : The simplest approach is to trace the development of the topic over time, which helps familiarize the audience with the topic (for instance if you are introducing something that is not commonly known in your field). If you choose this strategy, be careful to avoid simply listing and summarizing sources in order. Try to analyze the patterns, turning points, and key debates that have shaped the direction of the field. Give your interpretation of how and why certain developments occurred (as mentioned previously, this may not be appropriate in your discipline — check with a teacher or mentor if you’re unsure).
• Thematic : If you have found some recurring central themes that you will continue working with throughout your piece, you can organize your literature review into subsections that address different aspects of the topic. For example, if you are reviewing literature about women and religion, key themes can include the role of women in churches and the religious attitude towards women.
• Qualitative versus quantitative research
• Empirical versus theoretical scholarship
• Divide the research by sociological, historical, or cultural sources
• Theoretical : In many humanities articles, the literature review is the foundation for the theoretical framework. You can use it to discuss various theories, models, and definitions of key concepts. You can argue for the relevance of a specific theoretical approach or combine various theorical concepts to create a framework for your research.

What are some strategies or tips I can use while writing my lit review?

Any lit review is only as good as the research it discusses; make sure your sources are well-chosen and your research is thorough. Don’t be afraid to do more research if you discover a new thread as you’re writing. More info on the research process is available in our "Conducting Research" resources .

As you’re doing your research, create an annotated bibliography ( see our page on the this type of document ). Much of the information used in an annotated bibliography can be used also in a literature review, so you’ll be not only partially drafting your lit review as you research, but also developing your sense of the larger conversation going on among scholars, professionals, and any other stakeholders in your topic.

Usually you will need to synthesize research rather than just summarizing it. This means drawing connections between sources to create a picture of the scholarly conversation on a topic over time. Many student writers struggle to synthesize because they feel they don’t have anything to add to the scholars they are citing; here are some strategies to help you:

• It often helps to remember that the point of these kinds of syntheses is to show your readers how you understand your research, to help them read the rest of your paper.
• Writing teachers often say synthesis is like hosting a dinner party: imagine all your sources are together in a room, discussing your topic. What are they saying to each other?
• Look at the in-text citations in each paragraph. Are you citing just one source for each paragraph? This usually indicates summary only. When you have multiple sources cited in a paragraph, you are more likely to be synthesizing them (not always, but often
• Read more about synthesis here.

The most interesting literature reviews are often written as arguments (again, as mentioned at the beginning of the page, this is discipline-specific and doesn’t work for all situations). Often, the literature review is where you can establish your research as filling a particular gap or as relevant in a particular way. You have some chance to do this in your introduction in an article, but the literature review section gives a more extended opportunity to establish the conversation in the way you would like your readers to see it. You can choose the intellectual lineage you would like to be part of and whose definitions matter most to your thinking (mostly humanities-specific, but this goes for sciences as well). In addressing these points, you argue for your place in the conversation, which tends to make the lit review more compelling than a simple reporting of other sources.

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Methodology

• How to Write a Literature Review | Guide, Examples, & Templates

How to Write a Literature Review | Guide, Examples, & Templates

Published on January 2, 2023 by Shona McCombes . Revised on September 11, 2023.

What is a literature review? A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources on a specific topic. It provides an overview of current knowledge, allowing you to identify relevant theories, methods, and gaps in the existing research that you can later apply to your paper, thesis, or dissertation topic .

There are five key steps to writing a literature review:

• Search for relevant literature
• Evaluate sources
• Identify themes, debates, and gaps
• Outline the structure
• Write your literature review

A good literature review doesn’t just summarize sources—it analyzes, synthesizes , and critically evaluates to give a clear picture of the state of knowledge on the subject.

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Table of contents

What is the purpose of a literature review, examples of literature reviews, step 1 – search for relevant literature, step 2 – evaluate and select sources, step 3 – identify themes, debates, and gaps, step 4 – outline your literature review’s structure, step 5 – write your literature review, free lecture slides, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions, introduction.

• Quick Run-through
• Step 1 & 2

When you write a thesis , dissertation , or research paper , you will likely have to conduct a literature review to situate your research within existing knowledge. The literature review gives you a chance to:

• Demonstrate your familiarity with the topic and its scholarly context
• Develop a theoretical framework and methodology for your research
• Position your work in relation to other researchers and theorists
• Show how your research addresses a gap or contributes to a debate
• Evaluate the current state of research and demonstrate your knowledge of the scholarly debates around your topic.

Writing literature reviews is a particularly important skill if you want to apply for graduate school or pursue a career in research. We’ve written a step-by-step guide that you can follow below.

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See an example

Writing literature reviews can be quite challenging! A good starting point could be to look at some examples, depending on what kind of literature review you’d like to write.

• Example literature review #1: “Why Do People Migrate? A Review of the Theoretical Literature” ( Theoretical literature review about the development of economic migration theory from the 1950s to today.)
• Example literature review #2: “Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines” ( Methodological literature review about interdisciplinary knowledge acquisition and production.)
• Example literature review #3: “The Use of Technology in English Language Learning: A Literature Review” ( Thematic literature review about the effects of technology on language acquisition.)
• Example literature review #4: “Learners’ Listening Comprehension Difficulties in English Language Learning: A Literature Review” ( Chronological literature review about how the concept of listening skills has changed over time.)

You can also check out our templates with literature review examples and sample outlines at the links below.

Download Word doc Download Google doc

Before you begin searching for literature, you need a clearly defined topic .

If you are writing the literature review section of a dissertation or research paper, you will search for literature related to your research problem and questions .

Make a list of keywords

Start by creating a list of keywords related to your research question. Include each of the key concepts or variables you’re interested in, and list any synonyms and related terms. You can add to this list as you discover new keywords in the process of your literature search.

• Social media, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok
• Body image, self-perception, self-esteem, mental health
• Generation Z, teenagers, adolescents, youth

Search for relevant sources

Use your keywords to begin searching for sources. Some useful databases to search for journals and articles include:

• Your university’s library catalogue
• Google Scholar
• Project Muse (humanities and social sciences)
• Medline (life sciences and biomedicine)
• EconLit (economics)
• Inspec (physics, engineering and computer science)

You can also use boolean operators to help narrow down your search.

Make sure to read the abstract to find out whether an article is relevant to your question. When you find a useful book or article, you can check the bibliography to find other relevant sources.

You likely won’t be able to read absolutely everything that has been written on your topic, so it will be necessary to evaluate which sources are most relevant to your research question.

For each publication, ask yourself:

• What question or problem is the author addressing?
• What are the key concepts and how are they defined?
• What are the key theories, models, and methods?
• Does the research use established frameworks or take an innovative approach?
• What are the results and conclusions of the study?
• How does the publication relate to other literature in the field? Does it confirm, add to, or challenge established knowledge?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the research?

Make sure the sources you use are credible , and make sure you read any landmark studies and major theories in your field of research.

You can use our template to summarize and evaluate sources you’re thinking about using. Click on either button below to download.

Take notes and cite your sources

As you read, you should also begin the writing process. Take notes that you can later incorporate into the text of your literature review.

It is important to keep track of your sources with citations to avoid plagiarism . It can be helpful to make an annotated bibliography , where you compile full citation information and write a paragraph of summary and analysis for each source. This helps you remember what you read and saves time later in the process.

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To begin organizing your literature review’s argument and structure, be sure you understand the connections and relationships between the sources you’ve read. Based on your reading and notes, you can look for:

• Trends and patterns (in theory, method or results): do certain approaches become more or less popular over time?
• Themes: what questions or concepts recur across the literature?
• Debates, conflicts and contradictions: where do sources disagree?
• Pivotal publications: are there any influential theories or studies that changed the direction of the field?
• Gaps: what is missing from the literature? Are there weaknesses that need to be addressed?

This step will help you work out the structure of your literature review and (if applicable) show how your own research will contribute to existing knowledge.

• Most research has focused on young women.
• There is an increasing interest in the visual aspects of social media.
• But there is still a lack of robust research on highly visual platforms like Instagram and Snapchat—this is a gap that you could address in your own research.

There are various approaches to organizing the body of a literature review. Depending on the length of your literature review, you can combine several of these strategies (for example, your overall structure might be thematic, but each theme is discussed chronologically).

Chronological

The simplest approach is to trace the development of the topic over time. However, if you choose this strategy, be careful to avoid simply listing and summarizing sources in order.

Try to analyze patterns, turning points and key debates that have shaped the direction of the field. Give your interpretation of how and why certain developments occurred.

If you have found some recurring central themes, you can organize your literature review into subsections that address different aspects of the topic.

For example, if you are reviewing literature about inequalities in migrant health outcomes, key themes might include healthcare policy, language barriers, cultural attitudes, legal status, and economic access.

Methodological

If you draw your sources from different disciplines or fields that use a variety of research methods , you might want to compare the results and conclusions that emerge from different approaches. For example:

• Look at what results have emerged in qualitative versus quantitative research
• Discuss how the topic has been approached by empirical versus theoretical scholarship
• Divide the literature into sociological, historical, and cultural sources

Theoretical

A literature review is often the foundation for a theoretical framework . You can use it to discuss various theories, models, and definitions of key concepts.

You might argue for the relevance of a specific theoretical approach, or combine various theoretical concepts to create a framework for your research.

Like any other academic text , your literature review should have an introduction , a main body, and a conclusion . What you include in each depends on the objective of your literature review.

The introduction should clearly establish the focus and purpose of the literature review.

Depending on the length of your literature review, you might want to divide the body into subsections. You can use a subheading for each theme, time period, or methodological approach.

As you write, you can follow these tips:

• Summarize and synthesize: give an overview of the main points of each source and combine them into a coherent whole
• Analyze and interpret: don’t just paraphrase other researchers — add your own interpretations where possible, discussing the significance of findings in relation to the literature as a whole
• Critically evaluate: mention the strengths and weaknesses of your sources
• Write in well-structured paragraphs: use transition words and topic sentences to draw connections, comparisons and contrasts

In the conclusion, you should summarize the key findings you have taken from the literature and emphasize their significance.

When you’ve finished writing and revising your literature review, don’t forget to proofread thoroughly before submitting. Not a language expert? Check out Scribbr’s professional proofreading services !

This article has been adapted into lecture slides that you can use to teach your students about writing a literature review.

Scribbr slides are free to use, customize, and distribute for educational purposes.

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If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• Sampling methods
• Simple random sampling
• Stratified sampling
• Cluster sampling
• Likert scales
• Reproducibility

 Statistics

• Null hypothesis
• Statistical power
• Probability distribution
• Effect size
• Poisson distribution

Research bias

• Optimism bias
• Cognitive bias
• Implicit bias
• Hawthorne effect
• Anchoring bias
• Explicit bias

A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources (such as books, journal articles, and theses) related to a specific topic or research question .

It is often written as part of a thesis, dissertation , or research paper , in order to situate your work in relation to existing knowledge.

There are several reasons to conduct a literature review at the beginning of a research project:

• To familiarize yourself with the current state of knowledge on your topic
• To ensure that you’re not just repeating what others have already done
• To identify gaps in knowledge and unresolved problems that your research can address
• To develop your theoretical framework and methodology
• To provide an overview of the key findings and debates on the topic

Writing the literature review shows your reader how your work relates to existing research and what new insights it will contribute.

The literature review usually comes near the beginning of your thesis or dissertation . After the introduction , it grounds your research in a scholarly field and leads directly to your theoretical framework or methodology .

A literature review is a survey of credible sources on a topic, often used in dissertations , theses, and research papers . Literature reviews give an overview of knowledge on a subject, helping you identify relevant theories and methods, as well as gaps in existing research. Literature reviews are set up similarly to other  academic texts , with an introduction , a main body, and a conclusion .

An  annotated bibliography is a list of  source references that has a short description (called an annotation ) for each of the sources. It is often assigned as part of the research process for a  paper .  

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The Guide to Literature Reviews

• What is a Literature Review?
• The Purpose of Literature Reviews
• Guidelines for Writing a Literature Review
• How to Organize a Literature Review?
• Software for Literature Reviews
• Using Artificial Intelligence for Literature Reviews
• How to Conduct a Literature Review?
• Common Mistakes and Pitfalls in a Literature Review
• Methods for Literature Reviews
• What is a Systematic Literature Review?
• What is a Narrative Literature Review?
• What is a Descriptive Literature Review?
• What is a Scoping Literature Review?
• What is a Realist Literature Review?
• What is a Critical Literature Review?
• Meta Analysis vs. Literature Review
• What is an Umbrella Literature Review?
• Differences Between Annotated Bibliographies and Literature Reviews
• Literature Review vs. Theoretical Framework
• How to Write a Literature Review?
• How to Structure a Literature Review?
• How to Make a Cover Page for a Literature Review?
• How to Write an Abstract for a Literature Review?
• How to Write a Literature Review Introduction?
• How to Write the Body of a Literature Review?
• How to Write a Literature Review Conclusion?
• How to Make a Literature Review Bibliography?
• How to Format a Literature Review?

Introduction

What determines the length of a literature review, structure and organization, lengths in different kinds of literature reviews.

• Examples of Literature Reviews
• How to Present a Literature Review?
• How to Publish a Literature Review?

How Long Should a Literature Review Be?

A literature review is an essential part of many academic papers and research projects. It provides a comprehensive overview of existing research on a particular topic, allowing the researcher to identify gaps, build on previous work, and position their study within the broader academic context. The length of a literature review can vary significantly depending on the context, purpose, and research scope . In this article, we will explore the factors that influence the length of a literature review and provide guidelines to help you determine the appropriate length for your work.

The length of a literature review is influenced by multiple factors, including the type of review, the research aims, the scope of the topic, and institutional guidelines. Writing a literature review involves synthesizing existing research and providing a critical analysis, which varies depending on the depth and breadth of the subject. Additionally, a literature review involves evaluating and summarizing scholarly sources to support the research objectives. Understanding these factors is crucial for researchers to effectively plan and structure their reviews, ensuring they meet academic standards and adequately cover the relevant literature.

Context and purpose

In most literature reviews, the length largely depends on the context and purpose of your research. Here are some common scenarios to consider:

Undergraduate research papers : Typically concise, these reviews range from 1,000 to 3,000 words (4-12 pages) and provide a basic overview of the existing literature. They are usually integrated into the introduction or background section of the paper.

Master's theses : More detailed and comprehensive, literature reviews for master's theses usually span 3,000 to 10,000 words (10-40 pages). They demonstrate the student's understanding of the field and justify the research question.

Doctoral dissertations : The literature review can be extensive for postgraduate dissertations, often ranging from 8,000 to 20,000 words (30-80 pages). These reviews need to cover a wide range of studies and theories, providing a thorough background for the research and highlighting gaps the dissertation aims to address.

Journal articles : Concise and focused, literature reviews in journal articles typically range from 2,000 to 5,000 words (8-20 pages), depending on the journal's guidelines. They concentrate on recent and relevant studies that directly inform the research question.

Grant proposals : Brief and focused, literature reviews in grant proposals are usually around 1,000 to 2,000 words (4-8 pages). Their purpose is to provide a quick overview of the current state of research and justify the need for the proposed study.

Research scope

The breadth and depth of the literature you need to cover will also affect the length of your review. If your research focuses on a specific niche or well-defined topic, your literature review might be shorter, around 1,000 to 3,000 words. This is because there may be fewer studies to review, allowing you to focus on the most relevant ones. For topics that span multiple disciplines or have a vast body of literature, the review will be longer, potentially exceeding 10,000 words. A broader scope requires a more extensive review to ensure all relevant research is covered.

Guidelines and requirements

Always check the guidelines provided by your institution, advisor, or the journal to which you are submitting. These guidelines often specify the expected length and format for the literature review. Adhering to these requirements is crucial for ensuring your review meets academic standards and is accepted for publication or evaluation.

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A well-structured literature review typically includes the following sections, which can influence its length:

Provides an overview of the topic and the review's purpose. This section usually accounts for 5-10% of the total word count. In a 3,000-word review, the introduction might be around 150-300 words.

Discusses key themes, theories, and findings in the literature. This section is the core of the review and can be divided into sub-sections based on themes, methodologies, or chronological order. It usually makes up 70-80% of the total word count. For example, in a 3,000-word review, the main body might be around 2,100-2,400 words.

Summarizes the key findings and highlights gaps or areas for future research. This section usually accounts for 10-15% of the total word count. In a 3,000-word review, the conclusion might be around 300-450 words.

Different methods of conducting literature reviews affect the length. The length of a literature review depends on several factors, including the chosen approach, institutional guidelines, and the specific requirements of the research project. Systematic reviews are usually the most extensive due to their rigorous and comprehensive nature, while narrative reviews are more flexible and shorter. Scoping reviews provide a broad overview without the detailed synthesis required by systematic reviews, placing them in the middle range of length. Umbrella reviews and realist reviews vary in length but generally provide a comprehensive synthesis of existing reviews or focus on the mechanisms of interventions.

Understanding these differences helps researchers select the appropriate approach and determine the optimal length for their literature review, ensuring it meets academic standards and contributes meaningfully to the field of study.

The length of a literature review is influenced by several factors, including the type of review, the scope of the research topic, and institutional guidelines. Most literature reviews vary in length depending on the specific requirements of the research project. The process of literature review writing is crucial for determining length, as it involves synthesizing research articles, current research, and existing scholarship to adequately cover the topic. For instance, a thesis literature review tends to be more extensive compared to a literature review for a research paper or journal article.

When determining how long a literature review should be, it's essential to consider the need to address current theories and provide a critical analysis of scholarly sources. Systematic reviews are typically more detailed and extensive, often requiring a substantial number of pages, while narrative reviews may only span a few pages. The length is also shaped by the research aims and the depth of coverage needed for the original research. Creating an annotated bibliography also affects the length of the review. Adhering to institutional guidelines is crucial, as they often provide specific directions on the expected length and structure of the review.

Ultimately, the length of a literature review is dictated by the comprehensive coverage required to support the research aims and the specific nature of the research project. Whether it's a thesis literature review, a journal article, or part of a larger research paper, the goal is to ensure the review is thorough, insightful, and aligned with the objectives of the current project. By understanding these factors, researchers can determine the optimal length for their literature review, ensuring it meets academic standards and effectively contributes to the field of study.

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How To Write A Literature Review - A Complete Guide

Table of Contents

A literature review is much more than just another section in your research paper. It forms the very foundation of your research. It is a formal piece of writing where you analyze the existing theoretical framework, principles, and assumptions and use that as a base to shape your approach to the research question.

Curating and drafting a solid literature review section not only lends more credibility to your research paper but also makes your research tighter and better focused. But, writing literature reviews is a difficult task. It requires extensive reading, plus you have to consider market trends and technological and political changes, which tend to change in the blink of an eye.

Now streamline your literature review process with the help of SciSpace Copilot. With this AI research assistant, you can efficiently synthesize and analyze a vast amount of information, identify key themes and trends, and uncover gaps in the existing research. Get real-time explanations, summaries, and answers to your questions for the paper you're reviewing, making navigating and understanding the complex literature landscape easier.

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore everything from the definition of a literature review, its appropriate length, various types of literature reviews, and how to write one.

What is a literature review?

A literature review is a collation of survey, research, critical evaluation, and assessment of the existing literature in a preferred domain.

Eminent researcher and academic Arlene Fink, in her book Conducting Research Literature Reviews , defines it as the following:

“A literature review surveys books, scholarly articles, and any other sources relevant to a particular issue, area of research, or theory, and by so doing, provides a description, summary, and critical evaluation of these works in relation to the research problem being investigated.

Literature reviews are designed to provide an overview of sources you have explored while researching a particular topic, and to demonstrate to your readers how your research fits within a larger field of study.”

Simply put, a literature review can be defined as a critical discussion of relevant pre-existing research around your research question and carving out a definitive place for your study in the existing body of knowledge. Literature reviews can be presented in multiple ways: a section of an article, the whole research paper itself, or a chapter of your thesis.

A literature review does function as a summary of sources, but it also allows you to analyze further, interpret, and examine the stated theories, methods, viewpoints, and, of course, the gaps in the existing content.

As an author, you can discuss and interpret the research question and its various aspects and debate your adopted methods to support the claim.

What is the purpose of a literature review?

A literature review is meant to help your readers understand the relevance of your research question and where it fits within the existing body of knowledge. As a researcher, you should use it to set the context, build your argument, and establish the need for your study.

What is the importance of a literature review?

The literature review is a critical part of research papers because it helps you:

• Gain an in-depth understanding of your research question and the surrounding area
• Convey that you have a thorough understanding of your research area and are up-to-date with the latest changes and advancements
• Establish how your research is connected or builds on the existing body of knowledge and how it could contribute to further research
• Elaborate on the validity and suitability of your theoretical framework and research methodology
• Identify and highlight gaps and shortcomings in the existing body of knowledge and how things need to change
• Convey to readers how your study is different or how it contributes to the research area

How long should a literature review be?

Ideally, the literature review should take up 15%-40% of the total length of your manuscript. So, if you have a 10,000-word research paper, the minimum word count could be 1500.

Your literature review format depends heavily on the kind of manuscript you are writing — an entire chapter in case of doctoral theses, a part of the introductory section in a research article, to a full-fledged review article that examines the previously published research on a topic.

Another determining factor is the type of research you are doing. The literature review section tends to be longer for secondary research projects than primary research projects.

What are the different types of literature reviews?

All literature reviews are not the same. There are a variety of possible approaches that you can take. It all depends on the type of research you are pursuing.

Here are the different types of literature reviews:

Argumentative review

It is called an argumentative review when you carefully present literature that only supports or counters a specific argument or premise to establish a viewpoint.

Integrative review

It is a type of literature review focused on building a comprehensive understanding of a topic by combining available theoretical frameworks and empirical evidence.

Methodological review

This approach delves into the ''how'' and the ''what" of the research question —  you cannot look at the outcome in isolation; you should also review the methodology used.

Systematic review

This form consists of an overview of existing evidence pertinent to a clearly formulated research question, which uses pre-specified and standardized methods to identify and critically appraise relevant research and collect, report, and analyze data from the studies included in the review.

Meta-analysis review

Meta-analysis uses statistical methods to summarize the results of independent studies. By combining information from all relevant studies, meta-analysis can provide more precise estimates of the effects than those derived from the individual studies included within a review.

Historical review

Historical literature reviews focus on examining research throughout a period, often starting with the first time an issue, concept, theory, or phenomenon emerged in the literature, then tracing its evolution within the scholarship of a discipline. The purpose is to place research in a historical context to show familiarity with state-of-the-art developments and identify future research's likely directions.

Theoretical Review

This form aims to examine the corpus of theory accumulated regarding an issue, concept, theory, and phenomenon. The theoretical literature review helps to establish what theories exist, the relationships between them, the degree the existing approaches have been investigated, and to develop new hypotheses to be tested.

Scoping Review

The Scoping Review is often used at the beginning of an article, dissertation, or research proposal. It is conducted before the research to highlight gaps in the existing body of knowledge and explains why the project should be greenlit.

State-of-the-Art Review

The State-of-the-Art review is conducted periodically, focusing on the most recent research. It describes what is currently known, understood, or agreed upon regarding the research topic and highlights where there are still disagreements.

Can you use the first person in a literature review?

When writing literature reviews, you should avoid the usage of first-person pronouns. It means that instead of "I argue that" or "we argue that," the appropriate expression would be "this research paper argues that."

Do you need an abstract for a literature review?

Ideally, yes. It is always good to have a condensed summary that is self-contained and independent of the rest of your review. As for how to draft one, you can follow the same fundamental idea when preparing an abstract for a literature review. It should also include:

• The research topic and your motivation behind selecting it
• A one-sentence thesis statement
• An explanation of the kinds of literature featured in the review
• Summary of what you've learned
• Conclusions you drew from the literature you reviewed
• Potential implications and future scope for research

Here's an example of the abstract of a literature review

Is a literature review written in the past tense?

Yes, the literature review should ideally be written in the past tense. You should not use the present or future tense when writing one. The exceptions are when you have statements describing events that happened earlier than the literature you are reviewing or events that are currently occurring; then, you can use the past perfect or present perfect tenses.

How many sources for a literature review?

There are multiple approaches to deciding how many sources to include in a literature review section. The first approach would be to look level you are at as a researcher. For instance, a doctoral thesis might need 60+ sources. In contrast, you might only need to refer to 5-15 sources at the undergraduate level.

The second approach is based on the kind of literature review you are doing — whether it is merely a chapter of your paper or if it is a self-contained paper in itself. When it is just a chapter, sources should equal the total number of pages in your article's body. In the second scenario, you need at least three times as many sources as there are pages in your work.

Quick tips on how to write a literature review

To know how to write a literature review, you must clearly understand its impact and role in establishing your work as substantive research material.

You need to follow the below-mentioned steps, to write a literature review:

• Outline the purpose behind the literature review
• Search relevant literature
• Examine and assess the relevant resources
• Discover connections by drawing deep insights from the resources
• Structure planning to write a good literature review

1. Outline and identify the purpose of  a literature review

As a first step on how to write a literature review, you must know what the research question or topic is and what shape you want your literature review to take. Ensure you understand the research topic inside out, or else seek clarifications. You must be able to the answer below questions before you start:

• How many sources do I need to include?
• What kind of sources should I analyze?
• How much should I critically evaluate each source?
• Should I summarize, synthesize or offer a critique of the sources?
• Do I need to include any background information or definitions?

Additionally, you should know that the narrower your research topic is, the swifter it will be for you to restrict the number of sources to be analyzed.

2. Search relevant literature

Dig deeper into search engines to discover what has already been published around your chosen topic. Make sure you thoroughly go through appropriate reference sources like books, reports, journal articles, government docs, and web-based resources.

You must prepare a list of keywords and their different variations. You can start your search from any library’s catalog, provided you are an active member of that institution. The exact keywords can be extended to widen your research over other databases and academic search engines like:

• Google Scholar
• Microsoft Academic
• Science.gov

Besides, it is not advisable to go through every resource word by word. Alternatively, what you can do is you can start by reading the abstract and then decide whether that source is relevant to your research or not.

Additionally, you must spend surplus time assessing the quality and relevance of resources. It would help if you tried preparing a list of citations to ensure that there lies no repetition of authors, publications, or articles in the literature review.

3. Examine and assess the sources

It is nearly impossible for you to go through every detail in the research article. So rather than trying to fetch every detail, you have to analyze and decide which research sources resemble closest and appear relevant to your chosen domain.

While analyzing the sources, you should look to find out answers to questions like:

• What question or problem has the author been describing and debating?
• What is the definition of critical aspects?
• How well the theories, approach, and methodology have been explained?
• Whether the research theory used some conventional or new innovative approach?
• How relevant are the key findings of the work?
• In what ways does it relate to other sources on the same topic?
• What challenges does this research paper pose to the existing theory
• What are the possible contributions or benefits it adds to the subject domain?

Be always mindful that you refer only to credible and authentic resources. It would be best if you always take references from different publications to validate your theory.

Always keep track of important information or data you can present in your literature review right from the beginning. It will help steer your path from any threats of plagiarism and also make it easier to curate an annotated bibliography or reference section.

4. Discover connections

At this stage, you must start deciding on the argument and structure of your literature review. To accomplish this, you must discover and identify the relations and connections between various resources while drafting your abstract.

A few aspects that you should be aware of while writing a literature review include:

• Rise to prominence: Theories and methods that have gained reputation and supporters over time.
• Constant scrutiny: Concepts or theories that repeatedly went under examination.
• Contradictions and conflicts: Theories, both the supporting and the contradictory ones, for the research topic.
• Knowledge gaps: What exactly does it fail to address, and how to bridge them with further research?
• Influential resources: Significant research projects available that have been upheld as milestones or perhaps, something that can modify the current trends

Once you join the dots between various past research works, it will be easier for you to draw a conclusion and identify your contribution to the existing knowledge base.

5. Structure planning to write a good literature review

There exist different ways towards planning and executing the structure of a literature review. The format of a literature review varies and depends upon the length of the research.

Like any other research paper, the literature review format must contain three sections: introduction, body, and conclusion. The goals and objectives of the research question determine what goes inside these three sections.

Nevertheless, a good literature review can be structured according to the chronological, thematic, methodological, or theoretical framework approach.

Literature review samples

1. Standalone

2. As a section of a research paper

How SciSpace Discover makes literature review a breeze?

SciSpace Discover is a one-stop solution to do an effective literature search and get barrier-free access to scientific knowledge. It is an excellent repository where you can find millions of only peer-reviewed articles and full-text PDF files. Here’s more on how you can use it:

Find the right information

Find what you want quickly and easily with comprehensive search filters that let you narrow down papers according to PDF availability, year of publishing, document type, and affiliated institution. Moreover, you can sort the results based on the publishing date, citation count, and relevance.

Assess credibility of papers quickly

When doing the literature review, it is critical to establish the quality of your sources. They form the foundation of your research. SciSpace Discover helps you assess the quality of a source by providing an overview of its references, citations, and performance metrics.

Get the complete picture in no time

SciSpace Discover’s personalized suggestion engine helps you stay on course and get the complete picture of the topic from one place. Every time you visit an article page, it provides you links to related papers. Besides that, it helps you understand what’s trending, who are the top authors, and who are the leading publishers on a topic.

Make referring sources super easy

To ensure you don't lose track of your sources, you must start noting down your references when doing the literature review. SciSpace Discover makes this step effortless. Click the 'cite' button on an article page, and you will receive preloaded citation text in multiple styles — all you've to do is copy-paste it into your manuscript.

Final tips on how to write a literature review

A massive chunk of time and effort is required to write a good literature review. But, if you go about it systematically, you'll be able to save a ton of time and build a solid foundation for your research.

We hope this guide has helped you answer several key questions you have about writing literature reviews.

Would you like to explore SciSpace Discover and kick off your literature search right away? You can get started here .

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. how to start a literature review.

• What questions do you want to answer?

• What sources do you need to answer these questions?

• What information do these sources contain?

• How can you use this information to answer your questions?

2. What to include in a literature review?

• A brief background of the problem or issue

• What has previously been done to address the problem or issue

• A description of what you will do in your project

• How this study will contribute to research on the subject

3. Why literature review is important?

The literature review is an important part of any research project because it allows the writer to look at previous studies on a topic and determine existing gaps in the literature, as well as what has already been done. It will also help them to choose the most appropriate method for their own study.

4. How to cite a literature review in APA format?

To cite a literature review in APA style, you need to provide the author's name, the title of the article, and the year of publication. For example: Patel, A. B., & Stokes, G. S. (2012). The relationship between personality and intelligence: A meta-analysis of longitudinal research. Personality and Individual Differences, 53(1), 16-21

5. What are the components of a literature review?

• A brief introduction to the topic, including its background and context. The introduction should also include a rationale for why the study is being conducted and what it will accomplish.

• A description of the methodologies used in the study. This can include information about data collection methods, sample size, and statistical analyses.

• A presentation of the findings in an organized format that helps readers follow along with the author's conclusions.

6. What are common errors in writing literature review?

• Not spending enough time to critically evaluate the relevance of resources, observations and conclusions.

• Totally relying on secondary data while ignoring primary data.

• Letting your personal bias seep into your interpretation of existing literature.

• No detailed explanation of the procedure to discover and identify an appropriate literature review.

7. What are the 5 C's of writing literature review?

• Cite - the sources you utilized and referenced in your research.

• Compare - existing arguments, hypotheses, methodologies, and conclusions found in the knowledge base.

• Contrast - the arguments, topics, methodologies, approaches, and disputes that may be found in the literature.

• Critique - the literature and describe the ideas and opinions you find more convincing and why.

• Connect - the various studies you reviewed in your research.

8. How many sources should a literature review have?

When it is just a chapter, sources should equal the total number of pages in your article's body. if it is a self-contained paper in itself, you need at least three times as many sources as there are pages in your work.

9. Can literature review have diagrams?

• To represent an abstract idea or concept

• To explain the steps of a process or procedure

• To help readers understand the relationships between different concepts

10. How old should sources be in a literature review?

Sources for a literature review should be as current as possible or not older than ten years. The only exception to this rule is if you are reviewing a historical topic and need to use older sources.

11. What are the types of literature review?

• Argumentative review

• Integrative review

• Methodological review

• Systematic review

• Meta-analysis review

• Historical review

• Theoretical review

• Scoping review

• State-of-the-Art review

12. Is a literature review mandatory?

Yes. Literature review is a mandatory part of any research project. It is a critical step in the process that allows you to establish the scope of your research, and provide a background for the rest of your work.

But before you go,

• Six Online Tools for Easy Literature Review
• Evaluating literature review: systematic vs. scoping reviews
• Systematic Approaches to a Successful Literature Review
• Writing Integrative Literature Reviews: Guidelines and Examples

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• What is a Literature Review? | Guide, Template, & Examples

What is a Literature Review? | Guide, Template, & Examples

Published on 22 February 2022 by Shona McCombes . Revised on 7 June 2022.

What is a literature review? A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources on a specific topic. It provides an overview of current knowledge, allowing you to identify relevant theories, methods, and gaps in the existing research.

There are five key steps to writing a literature review:

• Search for relevant literature
• Evaluate sources
• Identify themes, debates and gaps
• Outline the structure
• Write your literature review

A good literature review doesn’t just summarise sources – it analyses, synthesises, and critically evaluates to give a clear picture of the state of knowledge on the subject.

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Table of contents

Why write a literature review, examples of literature reviews, step 1: search for relevant literature, step 2: evaluate and select sources, step 3: identify themes, debates and gaps, step 4: outline your literature review’s structure, step 5: write your literature review, frequently asked questions about literature reviews, introduction.

• Quick Run-through
• Step 1 & 2

When you write a dissertation or thesis, you will have to conduct a literature review to situate your research within existing knowledge. The literature review gives you a chance to:

• Demonstrate your familiarity with the topic and scholarly context
• Develop a theoretical framework and methodology for your research
• Position yourself in relation to other researchers and theorists
• Show how your dissertation addresses a gap or contributes to a debate

You might also have to write a literature review as a stand-alone assignment. In this case, the purpose is to evaluate the current state of research and demonstrate your knowledge of scholarly debates around a topic.

The content will look slightly different in each case, but the process of conducting a literature review follows the same steps. We’ve written a step-by-step guide that you can follow below.

Prevent plagiarism, run a free check.

Writing literature reviews can be quite challenging! A good starting point could be to look at some examples, depending on what kind of literature review you’d like to write.

• Example literature review #1: “Why Do People Migrate? A Review of the Theoretical Literature” ( Theoretical literature review about the development of economic migration theory from the 1950s to today.)
• Example literature review #2: “Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines” ( Methodological literature review about interdisciplinary knowledge acquisition and production.)
• Example literature review #3: “The Use of Technology in English Language Learning: A Literature Review” ( Thematic literature review about the effects of technology on language acquisition.)
• Example literature review #4: “Learners’ Listening Comprehension Difficulties in English Language Learning: A Literature Review” ( Chronological literature review about how the concept of listening skills has changed over time.)

You can also check out our templates with literature review examples and sample outlines at the links below.

Download Word doc Download Google doc

Before you begin searching for literature, you need a clearly defined topic .

If you are writing the literature review section of a dissertation or research paper, you will search for literature related to your research objectives and questions .

If you are writing a literature review as a stand-alone assignment, you will have to choose a focus and develop a central question to direct your search. Unlike a dissertation research question, this question has to be answerable without collecting original data. You should be able to answer it based only on a review of existing publications.

Make a list of keywords

Start by creating a list of keywords related to your research topic. Include each of the key concepts or variables you’re interested in, and list any synonyms and related terms. You can add to this list if you discover new keywords in the process of your literature search.

• Social media, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok
• Body image, self-perception, self-esteem, mental health
• Generation Z, teenagers, adolescents, youth

Search for relevant sources

Use your keywords to begin searching for sources. Some databases to search for journals and articles include:

• Your university’s library catalogue
• Google Scholar
• Project Muse (humanities and social sciences)
• Medline (life sciences and biomedicine)
• EconLit (economics)
• Inspec (physics, engineering and computer science)

You can use boolean operators to help narrow down your search:

Read the abstract to find out whether an article is relevant to your question. When you find a useful book or article, you can check the bibliography to find other relevant sources.

To identify the most important publications on your topic, take note of recurring citations. If the same authors, books or articles keep appearing in your reading, make sure to seek them out.

You probably won’t be able to read absolutely everything that has been written on the topic – you’ll have to evaluate which sources are most relevant to your questions.

For each publication, ask yourself:

• What question or problem is the author addressing?
• What are the key concepts and how are they defined?
• What are the key theories, models and methods? Does the research use established frameworks or take an innovative approach?
• What are the results and conclusions of the study?
• How does the publication relate to other literature in the field? Does it confirm, add to, or challenge established knowledge?
• How does the publication contribute to your understanding of the topic? What are its key insights and arguments?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the research?

Make sure the sources you use are credible, and make sure you read any landmark studies and major theories in your field of research.

You can find out how many times an article has been cited on Google Scholar – a high citation count means the article has been influential in the field, and should certainly be included in your literature review.

The scope of your review will depend on your topic and discipline: in the sciences you usually only review recent literature, but in the humanities you might take a long historical perspective (for example, to trace how a concept has changed in meaning over time).

Remember that you can use our template to summarise and evaluate sources you’re thinking about using!

Take notes and cite your sources

As you read, you should also begin the writing process. Take notes that you can later incorporate into the text of your literature review.

It’s important to keep track of your sources with references to avoid plagiarism . It can be helpful to make an annotated bibliography, where you compile full reference information and write a paragraph of summary and analysis for each source. This helps you remember what you read and saves time later in the process.

You can use our free APA Reference Generator for quick, correct, consistent citations.

To begin organising your literature review’s argument and structure, you need to understand the connections and relationships between the sources you’ve read. Based on your reading and notes, you can look for:

• Trends and patterns (in theory, method or results): do certain approaches become more or less popular over time?
• Themes: what questions or concepts recur across the literature?
• Debates, conflicts and contradictions: where do sources disagree?
• Pivotal publications: are there any influential theories or studies that changed the direction of the field?
• Gaps: what is missing from the literature? Are there weaknesses that need to be addressed?

This step will help you work out the structure of your literature review and (if applicable) show how your own research will contribute to existing knowledge.

• Most research has focused on young women.
• There is an increasing interest in the visual aspects of social media.
• But there is still a lack of robust research on highly-visual platforms like Instagram and Snapchat – this is a gap that you could address in your own research.

There are various approaches to organising the body of a literature review. You should have a rough idea of your strategy before you start writing.

Depending on the length of your literature review, you can combine several of these strategies (for example, your overall structure might be thematic, but each theme is discussed chronologically).

Chronological

The simplest approach is to trace the development of the topic over time. However, if you choose this strategy, be careful to avoid simply listing and summarising sources in order.

Try to analyse patterns, turning points and key debates that have shaped the direction of the field. Give your interpretation of how and why certain developments occurred.

If you have found some recurring central themes, you can organise your literature review into subsections that address different aspects of the topic.

For example, if you are reviewing literature about inequalities in migrant health outcomes, key themes might include healthcare policy, language barriers, cultural attitudes, legal status, and economic access.

Methodological

If you draw your sources from different disciplines or fields that use a variety of research methods , you might want to compare the results and conclusions that emerge from different approaches. For example:

• Look at what results have emerged in qualitative versus quantitative research
• Discuss how the topic has been approached by empirical versus theoretical scholarship
• Divide the literature into sociological, historical, and cultural sources

Theoretical

A literature review is often the foundation for a theoretical framework . You can use it to discuss various theories, models, and definitions of key concepts.

You might argue for the relevance of a specific theoretical approach, or combine various theoretical concepts to create a framework for your research.

Like any other academic text, your literature review should have an introduction , a main body, and a conclusion . What you include in each depends on the objective of your literature review.

The introduction should clearly establish the focus and purpose of the literature review.

If you are writing the literature review as part of your dissertation or thesis, reiterate your central problem or research question and give a brief summary of the scholarly context. You can emphasise the timeliness of the topic (“many recent studies have focused on the problem of x”) or highlight a gap in the literature (“while there has been much research on x, few researchers have taken y into consideration”).

Depending on the length of your literature review, you might want to divide the body into subsections. You can use a subheading for each theme, time period, or methodological approach.

As you write, make sure to follow these tips:

• Summarise and synthesise: give an overview of the main points of each source and combine them into a coherent whole.
• Analyse and interpret: don’t just paraphrase other researchers – add your own interpretations, discussing the significance of findings in relation to the literature as a whole.
• Critically evaluate: mention the strengths and weaknesses of your sources.
• Write in well-structured paragraphs: use transitions and topic sentences to draw connections, comparisons and contrasts.

In the conclusion, you should summarise the key findings you have taken from the literature and emphasise their significance.

If the literature review is part of your dissertation or thesis, reiterate how your research addresses gaps and contributes new knowledge, or discuss how you have drawn on existing theories and methods to build a framework for your research. This can lead directly into your methodology section.

A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources (such as books, journal articles, and theses) related to a specific topic or research question .

It is often written as part of a dissertation , thesis, research paper , or proposal .

There are several reasons to conduct a literature review at the beginning of a research project:

• To familiarise yourself with the current state of knowledge on your topic
• To ensure that you’re not just repeating what others have already done
• To identify gaps in knowledge and unresolved problems that your research can address
• To develop your theoretical framework and methodology
• To provide an overview of the key findings and debates on the topic

Writing the literature review shows your reader how your work relates to existing research and what new insights it will contribute.

The literature review usually comes near the beginning of your  dissertation . After the introduction , it grounds your research in a scholarly field and leads directly to your theoretical framework or methodology .

Cite this Scribbr article

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What is a literature review? [with examples]

What is a literature review?

The purpose of a literature review, how to write a literature review, the format of a literature review, general formatting rules, the length of a literature review, literature review examples, frequently asked questions about literature reviews, related articles.

A literature review is an assessment of the sources in a chosen topic of research.

In a literature review, you’re expected to report on the existing scholarly conversation, without adding new contributions.

If you are currently writing one, you've come to the right place. In the following paragraphs, we will explain:

• the objective of a literature review
• how to write a literature review
• the basic format of a literature review

Tip: It’s not always mandatory to add a literature review in a paper. Theses and dissertations often include them, whereas research papers may not. Make sure to consult with your instructor for exact requirements.

The four main objectives of a literature review are:

• Studying the references of your research area
• Summarizing the main arguments
• Identifying current gaps, stances, and issues
• Presenting all of the above in a text

Ultimately, the main goal of a literature review is to provide the researcher with sufficient knowledge about the topic in question so that they can eventually make an intervention.

The format of a literature review is fairly standard. It includes an:

• introduction that briefly introduces the main topic
• body that includes the main discussion of the key arguments
• conclusion that highlights the gaps and issues of the literature

➡️ Take a look at our guide on how to write a literature review to learn more about how to structure a literature review.

First of all, a literature review should have its own labeled section. You should indicate clearly in the table of contents where the literature can be found, and you should label this section as “Literature Review.”

➡️ For more information on writing a thesis, visit our guide on how to structure a thesis .

There is no set amount of words for a literature review, so the length depends on the research. If you are working with a large amount of sources, it will be long. If your paper does not depend entirely on references, it will be short.

Take a look at these three theses featuring great literature reviews:

• School-Based Speech-Language Pathologist's Perceptions of Sensory Food Aversions in Children [ PDF , see page 20]
• Who's Writing What We Read: Authorship in Criminological Research [ PDF , see page 4]
• A Phenomenological Study of the Lived Experience of Online Instructors of Theological Reflection at Christian Institutions Accredited by the Association of Theological Schools [ PDF , see page 56]

Literature reviews are most commonly found in theses and dissertations. However, you find them in research papers as well.

There is no set amount of words for a literature review, so the length depends on the research. If you are working with a large amount of sources, then it will be long. If your paper does not depend entirely on references, then it will be short.

No. A literature review should have its own independent section. You should indicate clearly in the table of contents where the literature review can be found, and label this section as “Literature Review.”

The main goal of a literature review is to provide the researcher with sufficient knowledge about the topic in question so that they can eventually make an intervention.

How long should a literature review be? Writing a literature review properly. 

Embarking on a journey through academic research, one is often faced with the question: How long should a thesis literature review be?

Typically, a literature review comprises 20-40% of the thesis, equating to around 20-40 pages, yet this can fluctuate based on the topic, field, and institutional guidelines. However, if the literature review is for an assignment/project report it only needs to be a few pages long.

A literature review represents a critical exploration of existing scholarship on a specific topic, serving as the backbone for dissertations, research articles, book chapters, conference papers, and more.

This comprehensive, concise, and well-structured survey of the current knowledge landscape provides insight into established findings, research methodologies, and highlights the gaps that your research aims to fill.

The endeavor of writing a literature review not only deepens your understanding of your chosen area but also lays a strong foundation for your unique inquiry and contribution to the field.

How Long Should a Thesis Literature Review Be? Dissertation, research paper, journal article, and more

The length of a thesis literature review can vary based on the topic, research field, and guidelines provided by your institution.

However, as a general rule, it often comprises 20-40% of the thesis. This equates to around 20-40 pages.

However, if the literature review is for an assignment it only needs to be a few pages long. 

It’s crucial to ensure your review is comprehensive, concise, and well-structured, adequately summarizing existing research, identifying gaps, discussing limitations, and suggesting future research directions. 

What is a literature review?

A literature review is a critical examination of existing research on a particular topic. It is often the beginning of any area of study and is often used as the introduction to a dissertation. 

I have done one at the beginning of any research project, the beginning of my PhD and postdocs and in industry research positions. 

It involves analyzing relevant resources such as books, journal articles, and other scholarly works to gain a comprehensive understanding of the current knowledge in your area of interest.

For example, if your topic is the impact of social media on the mental health of younger generations, you’ll explore previous studies to understand established findings, methodologies, and gaps in the field.

The purpose is threefold: 

• to comprehend what is already known,
• to give your readers an overview of existing knowledge (showing where your research fits in), and
• to identify any unexplored areas or gaps, thus allowing you to contribute something original to the field.

The process aids in refining your research question and defining your unique angle of inquiry.

How do I create a literature review?

Creating a literature review involves several key steps:

• Conceptualize : Start by forming a conceptual framework. It’s an overview of the topic, helping you structure your review.
• Synthesis : Synthesize the literature. Read, categorize, and summarize the material to create a narrative.
• Analysis : This is your main body of work. Develop arguments and critique the literature.
• Conclusion : Recap your findings, discussing the implications of your work and highlighting any limitations.
• Future Research : If applicable, suggest areas for future research or policy actions based on your findings.
• Introduction : Write the introduction last. It includes the importance of the topic, gaps in knowledge, and your motivation for the review.
• Transparency : Always be transparent about limitations in your work and the body of evidence reviewed.

How many sources do you need in a literature review?

The number of sources required in a literature review can vary significantly depending on several factors such as:

• the nature of your research topic,
• the length of the literature review, and
• the specific instructions from your professor or institution.

In general, it’s crucial to include a wide range of sources to fully capture the breadth of scholarship on your research topic.

For a dissertation or thesis, a literature review might involve dozens of sources. For a stand-alone literature review or an overview for a journal article, fewer sources might be appropriate. For instance, a PhD thesis literature review might require anywhere from 50 to 300+ sources.

My PhD thesis had 256 papers cited

Rather than focusing on a specific number, the key is to ensure that your literature review provides a comprehensive, balanced overview of existing scholarship on your research topic.

This should ideally include both seminal works and recent publications, highlighting any gaps your research aims to fill.

Remember, the quality of your sources is as important as the quantity.

Your literature review should demonstrate that you have critically engaged with a variety of scholarly sources to gain a deep understanding of your research topic.

What Makes a Good Literature Review?

A good literature review for a dissertation or thesis is a comprehensive survey of existing scholarship on a particular topic, demonstrating your understanding of current research in your field of study.

The length of a literature review can vary depending on the research topic and level of study, but the University of Kent suggests that for a PhD thesis, it could range up to 20 pages or more.

Start by organizing your literature review either thematically, chronologically, or by methodology.

An annotated bibliography can assist in this process.

You must summarize the main points of each source, focusing on its relevance to your research project. Scholarly sources are preferable; consult your instructor for the minimum number of sources required.

It is essential to identify a gap in knowledge within the existing scholarship, which your research aims to fill.

This should be highlighted in your review, underlining the significance and worthiness of your proposed research. It’s crucial that your review provides a complete overview of the current state of research and shows why your research is important.

Bear in mind the word count, as a concise, focused review is typically preferred.

Structure is key and the title page, introduction, and conclusion should be included. 

Despite the absence of a hard and fast rule on length, your review must provide a robust base of knowledge for your research, allowing readers to understand your research’s purpose and audience.

Wrapping up – How long should a literature review be?

The question “how long should a literature review be?” hinges on various factors, including the nature of the research project, area of study, and instructions from your instructor.

Whether it’s for a thesis, dissertation, or a research paper, writing a literature review requires a comprehensive survey of existing scholarship on your particular topic.

Remember, the length of a literature review is not a hard and fast rule; it could comprise anywhere from 20 pages to much more in a PhD thesis, or be a stand-alone brief overview in a journal article.

The structure of your review, whether thematically, chronologically, or by methodology, helps to summarize and highlight specific findings in the field of study.

Bear in mind the importance of identifying a gap in knowledge, which your research aims to fill.

Above all, your literature review should be a concise, scholarly synthesis of your research topic, providing a robust base of knowledge for your audience and demonstrating the significance and worthiness of your proposed research. 

Dr Andrew Stapleton has a Masters and PhD in Chemistry from the UK and Australia. He has many years of research experience and has worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow and Associate at a number of Universities. Although having secured funding for his own research, he left academia to help others with his YouTube channel all about the inner workings of academia and how to make it work for you.

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Determining the Ideal Length: How Long Should Your Literature Review Be?

A literature review is a critical component of academic research, providing a comprehensive overview of existing knowledge on a particular topic. It contextualizes your work within the broader academic conversation, identifies gaps in current research, and demonstrates a clear understanding of your field. The length of a literature review can vary widely depending on several factors, such as the scope of the study, academic level, and the complexity of the research topic. This article offers insights into determining the ideal length for your literature review to ensure it is thorough, relevant, and aligned with academic expectations.

Key Takeaways

• The purpose and scope of your literature review significantly influence its length; it should be long enough to cover key theories and research but concise enough to remain focused.
• Academic level and expectations play a crucial role in determining the length; literature reviews in dissertations will be more extensive than those in undergraduate papers.
• The complexity and novelty of the research topic can necessitate a longer review to adequately cover the existing literature and establish the research's relevance.
• Effective literature sourcing strategies, such as using relevant databases and evaluating source credibility, contribute to a literature review's comprehensive yet precise nature.
• The literature review should balance a coherent narrative flow with critical analysis, ensuring that it not only summarizes existing research but also critiques and contextualizes it.

Conceptualizing the Literature Review

Defining the purpose and scope.

Before diving into the vast sea of existing literature, it's crucial to anchor your research with a clear purpose and well-defined scope. Defining your topic may require an initial review to grasp the full breadth of your subject. This preliminary step is not about exhaustive reading but about identifying the contours of your research landscape.

Consider the following questions to clarify your intentions and set the boundaries of your review:

• What specific research question are you aiming to address?
• Will your literature review be comprehensive or will you focus on a selective examination of sources?
• How does the scope align with your academic level and the expectations of your field?

By answering these questions, you establish a framework that guides your literature sourcing, ensuring relevance and depth. Remember, the scope of your review is not static; it may evolve as you delve deeper into your topic. However, having a clear starting point will help you maintain focus and avoid being overwhelmed by the sheer volume of available literature.

Understanding the Role of Literature in Research

In your quest to comprehend the vast landscape of existing knowledge, the literature review serves as your compass, guiding you through the scholarly terrain. It is the foundation upon which your research is built , providing context, identifying gaps, and highlighting the significance of your study. The literature review not only synthesizes relevant literature but also critically evaluates it, establishing a framework for your research questions and hypotheses.

The role of literature in research extends beyond mere summarization. It involves a meticulous process of selection and analysis, where you:

• Engage with key theories and concepts
• Compare and contrast various studies
• Uncover trends and patterns in research
• Assess the methodological rigor of past work

By delving into the analysis of scientific production and communication , you analyze the main recent contributions made by researchers in the field of academic production and communication. This exploration is crucial for situating your work within the broader academic conversation and for ensuring that your research is informed by the most current and relevant findings.

Setting the Boundaries: Depth versus Breadth

In your quest to craft a literature review that is both comprehensive and focused, you must strike a delicate balance between depth and breadth. Depth ensures that you cover each relevant topic thoroughly, providing a detailed understanding and critical analysis . However, too much detail can lead to an overwhelming amount of information that may obscure the main findings and arguments. On the other hand, breadth allows you to present a wide range of studies and perspectives, but a review that is too broad may lack the necessary focus to offer insightful conclusions.

To navigate this balance, consider the following points:

• Define the scope of your review based on the research question.
• Decide whether your coverage will be selective or exhaustive.
• Determine the inclusion and exclusion criteria for your literature search.

Remember, the goal is to provide an overview that is as informative as it is accessible, ensuring that your literature review makes a meaningful contribution to the field without becoming mired in excessive detail.

Strategies for Effective Literature Sourcing

Identifying relevant databases and resources.

Embarking on a literature review begins with the crucial step of identifying the right databases and resources. Efficiently search for relevant articles by utilizing filters, accessing full-text articles, evaluating sources, managing search results, and using advanced search techniques in academic databases. For instance, databases such as Academic Search Complete, JSTOR, ERIC , Sociological Abstracts, and PsycInfo are indispensable for the humanities and social sciences.

When considering the vast array of information available, it's essential to evaluate the credibility of your sources. This ensures that your literature review is grounded in reliable and authoritative research. Here are some steps to guide you:

• Use database research logs to track your searches.
• Apply Boolean operators to refine search results.
• Look for peer-reviewed journals and grey literature.
• Check for the presence of literature gaps and future research directions.

Remember, the structure of your literature review, whether it's for a Master's thesis or another academic endeavor, will typically include sections like the Abstract, Literature Review, Methodology, Results, and Conclusion. The theoretical framework will guide your research design and analysis, shaping the depth and breadth of the literature you review.

Evaluating the Credibility of Sources

In your quest to construct a robust literature review, the credibility of your sources is paramount. Ensure that each source you consider is reliable and authoritative to support your research effectively. Employ the C.R.A.P. test (Currency, Relevance, Authority, Purpose) to assess the quality of information. Ask yourself: Is the information current? Does it relate directly to your topic? Who is the author, and what is their expertise? What is the purpose of the information?

Consider the following criteria when evaluating sources:

• Accuracy : Verify the facts and data presented. Is the information supported by evidence?
• Authority: Check the author's credentials and the publisher's reputation.
• Objectivity: Determine if the source has a bias or a specific agenda.
• Currency: Ensure the information is up-to-date and relevant.
• Coverage: Evaluate the depth and breadth of the information provided.

Remember, using credible sources not only strengthens your literature review but also establishes you as a more informed writer . Be vigilant and selective to maintain the integrity of your research.

Organizing Literature for Efficient Review

Once you have gathered a substantial number of sources, the next step is to organize them in a way that enhances your understanding and supports the structure of your literature review. As you read sources, themes will emerge that will guide the organization of your review. A practical tool to assist you in this process is the Synthesis Matrix , which allows you to track your notes and observations as you read.

There are several approaches to organizing a literature review, including theoretical, thematic, methodological, and chronological. Each approach serves a different purpose and may suit your research question differently. For instance, a thematic organization groups literature based on common themes, which can be particularly useful when synthesizing research across various studies.

To systematically organize and synthesize knowledge, consider the following steps:

• Identify key themes and concepts from your sources.
• Use a Synthesis Matrix to track themes and connections.
• Choose an organizational structure that aligns with your research objectives.
• Continuously refine the organization as your understanding deepens.

Structuring the Literature Review

Creating a coherent narrative flow.

In crafting your literature review, it is essential to weave a seamless narrative that guides your reader through the research landscape. Begin by clearly defining key terms and terminologies , setting the stage for the discussion that follows. This initial clarity helps in establishing a solid foundation for your arguments.

Organize the selected papers and studies by identifying patterns and developing subtopics . This thematic approach allows you to create a structure that is both logical and compelling. Remember, the goal is to tell a coherent "story" that makes the connections between works clear and meaningful. As you arrange your literature, be prepared to move pieces around to achieve the best fit under different themes or arguments.

Finally, ensure that your narrative is coherent and transitions smoothly from one section to the next. A well-structured literature review not only summarizes research but also critically analyzes and synthesizes the information to provide a comprehensive understanding of the topic. Here are some steps to consider:

• Define key terms and concepts
• Identify patterns and develop subtopics
• Arrange literature to tell a coherent story
• Transition smoothly between sections
• Summarize, analyze, and synthesize findings

Thematic Organization versus Chronological Order

When you embark on structuring your literature review, you are faced with a pivotal decision: whether to organize the material thematically or in chronological order. Thematic organization allows you to cluster studies by concepts or topics, which can be particularly helpful in highlighting the development of theoretical concepts over time or across different contexts. This approach can aid others in understanding complex subjects by breaking them down into more digestible themes.

On the other hand, a chronological structure presents the evolution of scholarship over time. It can be the simplest way to organize literature, as it follows the natural progression of published work, from the earliest studies to the most recent. This method is especially useful when examining a trend or history of a topic, such as the ' history of whaling ', where you can observe how perspectives and methodologies have shifted.

Consider the following points when deciding on the structure of your review:

• The nature of your research question
• The volume and patterns of the literature available
• Your intended audience and their familiarity with the topic

Ultimately, the choice between thematic and chronological organization should align with your research objectives and the most effective way to communicate your findings to your audience.

Balancing Summary and Critical Analysis

In your literature review, you must strike a delicate balance between summarizing the existing body of work and providing a critical analysis of it. Summarization is necessary to give your readers a clear understanding of the current knowledge landscape. However, it's the critical analysis that showcases your scholarly insight, as you evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the research, identify gaps, and suggest areas for further study.

Consider the following points when balancing these two aspects:

• Summarize key findings and theories succinctly to provide a foundation for your analysis.
• Critically assess methodologies, results, and arguments presented in the literature.
• Reflect on the relevance and impact of the research in relation to your study.
• Highlight inconsistencies or controversies that may warrant additional investigation.

Remember, the depth of your literature review should align with the academic level and expectations of your research. For instance, a bachelor thesis might explore research gaps within a 30-60 page review , while a master thesis will demand a more extensive engagement with literature, emphasizing meticulous data collection and analysis. The purpose of your review, whether to summarize current knowledge, generate new ideas, or perform a critical assessment , will ultimately guide its length and complexity.

Determining the Appropriate Length

Factors influencing the extent of the review.

The extent of your literature review is not a one-size-fits-all matter; it is influenced by several factors that you must consider to ensure its effectiveness and relevance. The purpose of your review is paramount; are you providing a comprehensive background for a dissertation, or are you focusing on a specific aspect for a journal article? The scope of your research question also plays a critical role. A broad question may require a more extensive review, while a narrow one might only necessitate a focused survey of the literature.

When considering the length of your literature review, reflect on the following points:

• The literature gap and potential for future research. An exhaustive review is essential to identify these gaps.
• The quality and design of the study, including the population, intervention, and outcomes.
• The need to formulate testable hypotheses and review existing literature to address knowledge gaps.
• The turnaround time for publishing, which may influence the depth and timing of your review.

Ultimately, the length of your literature review should be dictated by its contribution to your research objectives, ensuring a balance between comprehensiveness and focus.

Academic Level and Expectations

The academic level at which you are operating significantly dictates the expected length and depth of your literature review. For instance, high school term papers typically range from 3 to 5 pages, while final projects may extend to 5 to 7 pages. Undergraduate assignments often require a more comprehensive review , as do honor's capstone projects or theses.

At the graduate level, expectations escalate. A master's thesis not only demands a substantial literature review but also an independent research contribution to the field. The complexity of your review should mirror the academic rigor of your program. For example, a doctoral dissertation will necessitate an even more extensive survey of literature, reflecting the high level of scholarly inquiry.

Consider the following points when determining the length of your literature review:

• The objective of your research project
• The requirements of your academic program
• The expectations set by your advisor or committee

Remember, a well-crafted literature review is a keystone of your academic work, serving as both a foundation for your research and a demonstration of your scholarly competence.

The Relationship Between Review Length and Research Complexity

The complexity of your research topic plays a pivotal role in determining the length of your literature review. A nuanced and intricate topic will naturally require a more extensive review to cover the relevant literature comprehensively. The ultimate length of the Literature Review depends entirely on the types of sources and the resulting arguments that emerge from synthesizing those sources. This synthesis is not merely a summary but a detailed analysis that evaluates and integrates the findings into your research context.

When you embark on a literature review, consider the following points:

• Analyze gaps in the literature to identify where your research fits.
• Explore personal interests and align them with your academic goals.
• Identify your expertise and use it to guide your literature selection.

Remember, the goal is not to include as many sources as possible but to critically engage with the most relevant ones. Your review should not only reflect the existing body of knowledge but also pave the way for your original contribution. Tools and tips for thesis writing can be invaluable in organizing your research and defining the purpose of your thesis. Features like worksheets and academic project planners can help manage references and streamline the literature review process.

Writing and Refining the Literature Review

Crafting clear and concise arguments.

In the quest to articulate your research findings and perspectives, clarity and brevity are your allies . Your literature review should present a persuasive argument, grounded in a robust analysis of the literature. Begin with a definitive thesis statement that encapsulates the essence of your argument. This statement serves as the anchor for your entire review, guiding the reader through your critical discourse.

To ensure your arguments are both clear and concise, consider the following points:

• Identify the central theme of your research and align your literature review accordingly.
• Avoid superfluous language; be succinct yet thorough in your explanations.
• Distinguish between essential details and extraneous information.
• Use transitional phrases to maintain a logical flow between ideas.

Remember, a well-crafted argument is not measured by its length but by its ability to convey complex ideas with simplicity and precision. By adhering to these principles, you will enhance the readability and impact of your literature review.

Incorporating Feedback and Revisions

Once you have drafted your literature review, it is crucial to engage in the iterative process of receiving and incorporating feedback . This step is not merely about correcting errors but about refining your arguments and ensuring your review aligns with your research objectives. Begin by revisiting your initial assumptions and the design of your research, especially if you encounter contradictory data. This re-evaluation is essential for maintaining accuracy and opening up new insights.

When you receive feedback, whether from peers, advisors, or through peer review, focus on the constructive elements . Offer clear, specific, and practical suggestions to address any weaknesses identified. Remember, the goal is to enhance the quality of your literature review, making it a robust foundation for your research. The final stage involves writing and revising the literature review to polish your narrative and arguments. Here is a simple checklist to guide you through this phase:

• Review comments and suggestions carefully.
• Prioritize revisions based on their impact on your review's clarity and coherence.
• Make necessary changes while maintaining your own scholarly voice.
• Ensure all revisions are consistent with the overall structure and theme of your review.
• Revisit your sources to verify citations and avoid any potential issues with plagiarism.

Ensuring Adequate Citation and Avoiding Plagiarism

In the meticulous process of crafting your literature review, ensuring adequate citation is paramount. Not only does it demonstrate the breadth of your research, but it also pays homage to the original authors of the works you reference. Proper citation practices are the bulwark against the serious academic offense of plagiarism. To maintain the integrity of your work, consider the following steps:

• Familiarize yourself with the citation style required for your discipline, whether it be APA, MLA, or another format.
• Keep a detailed record of all sources consulted during your research, including page numbers for direct quotes.
• Utilize citation management tools or software to streamline the referencing process.

Remember, a literature review is not just a summary of existing knowledge; it is a scholarly conversation where you engage with and build upon the work of others. As such, the LibGuides at MIT Libraries emphasize the importance of listing sources to show thorough research. By citing sources properly , you acknowledge the creators of the original information resources, thereby avoiding the pitfalls of plagiarism. This practice not only reflects your academic diligence but also upholds the ethical standards of scholarly writing.

Embarking on the journey of crafting a literature review can be daunting, but with the right guidance, it becomes an enlightening experience. At Research Rebels , we understand the challenges you face and offer a step-by-step Thesis Action Plan to streamline your writing process. Our proven methodologies, endorsed by professors and tested by students worldwide, are designed to alleviate your anxiety and help you write with confidence. Don't let sleepless nights hinder your academic progress. Visit our website now to claim your special offer and take the first step towards a stress-free literature review!

In conclusion, the ideal length of a literature review is not a one-size-fits-all measurement but rather a reflection of the scope, depth, and purpose of the research at hand. It should be long enough to cover the key literature comprehensively, yet concise enough to remain focused and relevant. The review's length may vary depending on the academic level, the complexity of the topic, and the requirements of the research paper or thesis. Ultimately, the literature review should serve as a critical synthesis of the research that establishes a foundation for understanding the research problem, justifies the study's necessity, and guides the research methodology. Striking the right balance in length will ensure that the literature review fulfills its role as an integral component of scholarly research.

Frequently Asked Questions

What factors determine the ideal length of a literature review.

The ideal length of a literature review is influenced by the purpose and scope of the research, the academic level, the complexity of the topic, and specific guidelines provided by the institution or publication.

How does academic level affect the length of a literature review?

Higher academic levels typically require more comprehensive literature reviews. Undergraduate reviews may be shorter, while doctoral theses often demand extensive reviews to demonstrate a thorough understanding of the field.

Can the length of a literature review impact the quality of research?

Yes, both overly brief and excessively long reviews can affect research quality. A well-balanced review should be long enough to cover the key literature comprehensively but concise enough to remain focused and relevant.

Is there a standard page count for literature reviews in research papers?

There is no strict standard, as the length varies by field and research scope. However, guidelines suggest that reviews for short papers might range from 2-3 pages, while longer works may require more extensive reviews.

Should a literature review cover every source on the topic?

No, a literature review should be selective, focusing on the most relevant and significant sources that directly relate to the research question and objectives.

How can I ensure my literature review is neither too long nor too short?

Consult with your advisor or follow institutional guidelines, organize your review effectively, and focus on synthesizing key findings while maintaining a clear connection to your research question.

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Ten Simple Rules for Writing a Literature Review

Marco pautasso.

1 Centre for Functional and Evolutionary Ecology (CEFE), CNRS, Montpellier, France

2 Centre for Biodiversity Synthesis and Analysis (CESAB), FRB, Aix-en-Provence, France

Literature reviews are in great demand in most scientific fields. Their need stems from the ever-increasing output of scientific publications [1] . For example, compared to 1991, in 2008 three, eight, and forty times more papers were indexed in Web of Science on malaria, obesity, and biodiversity, respectively [2] . Given such mountains of papers, scientists cannot be expected to examine in detail every single new paper relevant to their interests [3] . Thus, it is both advantageous and necessary to rely on regular summaries of the recent literature. Although recognition for scientists mainly comes from primary research, timely literature reviews can lead to new synthetic insights and are often widely read [4] . For such summaries to be useful, however, they need to be compiled in a professional way [5] .

When starting from scratch, reviewing the literature can require a titanic amount of work. That is why researchers who have spent their career working on a certain research issue are in a perfect position to review that literature. Some graduate schools are now offering courses in reviewing the literature, given that most research students start their project by producing an overview of what has already been done on their research issue [6] . However, it is likely that most scientists have not thought in detail about how to approach and carry out a literature review.

Reviewing the literature requires the ability to juggle multiple tasks, from finding and evaluating relevant material to synthesising information from various sources, from critical thinking to paraphrasing, evaluating, and citation skills [7] . In this contribution, I share ten simple rules I learned working on about 25 literature reviews as a PhD and postdoctoral student. Ideas and insights also come from discussions with coauthors and colleagues, as well as feedback from reviewers and editors.

Rule 1: Define a Topic and Audience

How to choose which topic to review? There are so many issues in contemporary science that you could spend a lifetime of attending conferences and reading the literature just pondering what to review. On the one hand, if you take several years to choose, several other people may have had the same idea in the meantime. On the other hand, only a well-considered topic is likely to lead to a brilliant literature review [8] . The topic must at least be:

• interesting to you (ideally, you should have come across a series of recent papers related to your line of work that call for a critical summary),
• an important aspect of the field (so that many readers will be interested in the review and there will be enough material to write it), and
• a well-defined issue (otherwise you could potentially include thousands of publications, which would make the review unhelpful).

Ideas for potential reviews may come from papers providing lists of key research questions to be answered [9] , but also from serendipitous moments during desultory reading and discussions. In addition to choosing your topic, you should also select a target audience. In many cases, the topic (e.g., web services in computational biology) will automatically define an audience (e.g., computational biologists), but that same topic may also be of interest to neighbouring fields (e.g., computer science, biology, etc.).

Rule 2: Search and Re-search the Literature

After having chosen your topic and audience, start by checking the literature and downloading relevant papers. Five pieces of advice here:

• keep track of the search items you use (so that your search can be replicated [10] ),
• keep a list of papers whose pdfs you cannot access immediately (so as to retrieve them later with alternative strategies),
• use a paper management system (e.g., Mendeley, Papers, Qiqqa, Sente),
• define early in the process some criteria for exclusion of irrelevant papers (these criteria can then be described in the review to help define its scope), and
• do not just look for research papers in the area you wish to review, but also seek previous reviews.

The chances are high that someone will already have published a literature review ( Figure 1 ), if not exactly on the issue you are planning to tackle, at least on a related topic. If there are already a few or several reviews of the literature on your issue, my advice is not to give up, but to carry on with your own literature review,

The bottom-right situation (many literature reviews but few research papers) is not just a theoretical situation; it applies, for example, to the study of the impacts of climate change on plant diseases, where there appear to be more literature reviews than research studies [33] .

• discussing in your review the approaches, limitations, and conclusions of past reviews,
• trying to find a new angle that has not been covered adequately in the previous reviews, and
• incorporating new material that has inevitably accumulated since their appearance.

When searching the literature for pertinent papers and reviews, the usual rules apply:

• be thorough,
• use different keywords and database sources (e.g., DBLP, Google Scholar, ISI Proceedings, JSTOR Search, Medline, Scopus, Web of Science), and
• look at who has cited past relevant papers and book chapters.

Rule 3: Take Notes While Reading

If you read the papers first, and only afterwards start writing the review, you will need a very good memory to remember who wrote what, and what your impressions and associations were while reading each single paper. My advice is, while reading, to start writing down interesting pieces of information, insights about how to organize the review, and thoughts on what to write. This way, by the time you have read the literature you selected, you will already have a rough draft of the review.

Of course, this draft will still need much rewriting, restructuring, and rethinking to obtain a text with a coherent argument [11] , but you will have avoided the danger posed by staring at a blank document. Be careful when taking notes to use quotation marks if you are provisionally copying verbatim from the literature. It is advisable then to reformulate such quotes with your own words in the final draft. It is important to be careful in noting the references already at this stage, so as to avoid misattributions. Using referencing software from the very beginning of your endeavour will save you time.

Rule 4: Choose the Type of Review You Wish to Write

After having taken notes while reading the literature, you will have a rough idea of the amount of material available for the review. This is probably a good time to decide whether to go for a mini- or a full review. Some journals are now favouring the publication of rather short reviews focusing on the last few years, with a limit on the number of words and citations. A mini-review is not necessarily a minor review: it may well attract more attention from busy readers, although it will inevitably simplify some issues and leave out some relevant material due to space limitations. A full review will have the advantage of more freedom to cover in detail the complexities of a particular scientific development, but may then be left in the pile of the very important papers “to be read” by readers with little time to spare for major monographs.

There is probably a continuum between mini- and full reviews. The same point applies to the dichotomy of descriptive vs. integrative reviews. While descriptive reviews focus on the methodology, findings, and interpretation of each reviewed study, integrative reviews attempt to find common ideas and concepts from the reviewed material [12] . A similar distinction exists between narrative and systematic reviews: while narrative reviews are qualitative, systematic reviews attempt to test a hypothesis based on the published evidence, which is gathered using a predefined protocol to reduce bias [13] , [14] . When systematic reviews analyse quantitative results in a quantitative way, they become meta-analyses. The choice between different review types will have to be made on a case-by-case basis, depending not just on the nature of the material found and the preferences of the target journal(s), but also on the time available to write the review and the number of coauthors [15] .

Rule 5: Keep the Review Focused, but Make It of Broad Interest

Whether your plan is to write a mini- or a full review, it is good advice to keep it focused 16 , 17 . Including material just for the sake of it can easily lead to reviews that are trying to do too many things at once. The need to keep a review focused can be problematic for interdisciplinary reviews, where the aim is to bridge the gap between fields [18] . If you are writing a review on, for example, how epidemiological approaches are used in modelling the spread of ideas, you may be inclined to include material from both parent fields, epidemiology and the study of cultural diffusion. This may be necessary to some extent, but in this case a focused review would only deal in detail with those studies at the interface between epidemiology and the spread of ideas.

While focus is an important feature of a successful review, this requirement has to be balanced with the need to make the review relevant to a broad audience. This square may be circled by discussing the wider implications of the reviewed topic for other disciplines.

Rule 6: Be Critical and Consistent

Reviewing the literature is not stamp collecting. A good review does not just summarize the literature, but discusses it critically, identifies methodological problems, and points out research gaps [19] . After having read a review of the literature, a reader should have a rough idea of:

• the major achievements in the reviewed field,
• the main areas of debate, and
• the outstanding research questions.

It is challenging to achieve a successful review on all these fronts. A solution can be to involve a set of complementary coauthors: some people are excellent at mapping what has been achieved, some others are very good at identifying dark clouds on the horizon, and some have instead a knack at predicting where solutions are going to come from. If your journal club has exactly this sort of team, then you should definitely write a review of the literature! In addition to critical thinking, a literature review needs consistency, for example in the choice of passive vs. active voice and present vs. past tense.

Rule 7: Find a Logical Structure

Like a well-baked cake, a good review has a number of telling features: it is worth the reader's time, timely, systematic, well written, focused, and critical. It also needs a good structure. With reviews, the usual subdivision of research papers into introduction, methods, results, and discussion does not work or is rarely used. However, a general introduction of the context and, toward the end, a recapitulation of the main points covered and take-home messages make sense also in the case of reviews. For systematic reviews, there is a trend towards including information about how the literature was searched (database, keywords, time limits) [20] .

How can you organize the flow of the main body of the review so that the reader will be drawn into and guided through it? It is generally helpful to draw a conceptual scheme of the review, e.g., with mind-mapping techniques. Such diagrams can help recognize a logical way to order and link the various sections of a review [21] . This is the case not just at the writing stage, but also for readers if the diagram is included in the review as a figure. A careful selection of diagrams and figures relevant to the reviewed topic can be very helpful to structure the text too [22] .

Rule 8: Make Use of Feedback

Reviews of the literature are normally peer-reviewed in the same way as research papers, and rightly so [23] . As a rule, incorporating feedback from reviewers greatly helps improve a review draft. Having read the review with a fresh mind, reviewers may spot inaccuracies, inconsistencies, and ambiguities that had not been noticed by the writers due to rereading the typescript too many times. It is however advisable to reread the draft one more time before submission, as a last-minute correction of typos, leaps, and muddled sentences may enable the reviewers to focus on providing advice on the content rather than the form.

Feedback is vital to writing a good review, and should be sought from a variety of colleagues, so as to obtain a diversity of views on the draft. This may lead in some cases to conflicting views on the merits of the paper, and on how to improve it, but such a situation is better than the absence of feedback. A diversity of feedback perspectives on a literature review can help identify where the consensus view stands in the landscape of the current scientific understanding of an issue [24] .

Rule 9: Include Your Own Relevant Research, but Be Objective

In many cases, reviewers of the literature will have published studies relevant to the review they are writing. This could create a conflict of interest: how can reviewers report objectively on their own work [25] ? Some scientists may be overly enthusiastic about what they have published, and thus risk giving too much importance to their own findings in the review. However, bias could also occur in the other direction: some scientists may be unduly dismissive of their own achievements, so that they will tend to downplay their contribution (if any) to a field when reviewing it.

In general, a review of the literature should neither be a public relations brochure nor an exercise in competitive self-denial. If a reviewer is up to the job of producing a well-organized and methodical review, which flows well and provides a service to the readership, then it should be possible to be objective in reviewing one's own relevant findings. In reviews written by multiple authors, this may be achieved by assigning the review of the results of a coauthor to different coauthors.

Rule 10: Be Up-to-Date, but Do Not Forget Older Studies

Given the progressive acceleration in the publication of scientific papers, today's reviews of the literature need awareness not just of the overall direction and achievements of a field of inquiry, but also of the latest studies, so as not to become out-of-date before they have been published. Ideally, a literature review should not identify as a major research gap an issue that has just been addressed in a series of papers in press (the same applies, of course, to older, overlooked studies (“sleeping beauties” [26] )). This implies that literature reviewers would do well to keep an eye on electronic lists of papers in press, given that it can take months before these appear in scientific databases. Some reviews declare that they have scanned the literature up to a certain point in time, but given that peer review can be a rather lengthy process, a full search for newly appeared literature at the revision stage may be worthwhile. Assessing the contribution of papers that have just appeared is particularly challenging, because there is little perspective with which to gauge their significance and impact on further research and society.

Inevitably, new papers on the reviewed topic (including independently written literature reviews) will appear from all quarters after the review has been published, so that there may soon be the need for an updated review. But this is the nature of science [27] – [32] . I wish everybody good luck with writing a review of the literature.

Acknowledgments

Many thanks to M. Barbosa, K. Dehnen-Schmutz, T. Döring, D. Fontaneto, M. Garbelotto, O. Holdenrieder, M. Jeger, D. Lonsdale, A. MacLeod, P. Mills, M. Moslonka-Lefebvre, G. Stancanelli, P. Weisberg, and X. Xu for insights and discussions, and to P. Bourne, T. Matoni, and D. Smith for helpful comments on a previous draft.

Funding Statement

This work was funded by the French Foundation for Research on Biodiversity (FRB) through its Centre for Synthesis and Analysis of Biodiversity data (CESAB), as part of the NETSEED research project. The funders had no role in the preparation of the manuscript.

Length of Literature Review: Guidelines and Best Practices

A literature review is an essential component of many research projects, providing a comprehensive overview of the existing knowledge and studies on a particular topic. One question that often arises when writing a literature review is how long it should be. In this article, we will explore the factors that influence the length of a literature review, as well as provide guidelines and best practices for determining the appropriate length for your literature review. We will also examine the relationship between literature review length and quality, and provide tips for keeping your literature review concise and focused.

This Article

Factors that Influence the Length of a Literature Review

How to determine the appropriate length for your literature review, the relationship between literature review length and quality, common mistakes to avoid when writing a literature review, tips for keeping your literature review concise and focused, previous articles.

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Several factors can influence the length of a literature review. These include the scope and complexity of the topic, the purpose of the review, and the requirements of the assignment or publication.

1. Scope and complexity of the topic

A literature review on a broad and complex topic is likely to be longer than a review on a narrow and specific topic. For example, a literature review on the topic of “climate change” may be significantly longer than a review on the topic of “the impact of a particular policy on carbon emissions.”

2. Purpose of the review

The purpose of the literature review will also influence its length. A review that is intended to provide a comprehensive overview of the existing research on a topic will likely be longer than a review that is focused on a specific question or objective.

3. Requirements of the assignment or publication

The length of a literature review may also be influenced by the requirements of the assignment or publication. For example, a literature review for a master’s thesis may be longer than a review for a journal article due to different word count requirements.

So how do you determine the appropriate length for your literature review? Here are some guidelines to consider:

• Follow the requirements of the assignment or publication: As mentioned above, the requirements of the assignment or publication will often dictate the length of the literature review. Make sure to carefully review any guidelines or instructions provided, and strive to meet the required word count.
• Consider the purpose of the review: As mentioned earlier, the purpose of the literature review will also influence its length. If your review is intended to provide a comprehensive overview of the existing research on a topic, it will likely be longer than a review that is focused on a specific question or objective.
• Review the literature: The length of your literature review should be proportional to the amount of relevant literature available. If there is a large amount of research on your topic, your review may be longer. On the other hand, if there is a limited amount of research, your review will likely be shorter.

It is important to note that the length of a literature review is not necessarily an indicator of its quality. A lengthy literature review does not necessarily mean that it is comprehensive or thorough, and a shorter review does not necessarily mean that it is lacking in depth or breadth. Instead, the quality of a literature review is determined by the way in which it is written and the relevance and reliability of the sources it includes.

To ensure that your literature review is of high quality, it is important to:

• Select relevant and reliable sources: Make sure to choose sources that are relevant to your research question and are published in reputable journals or other sources.
• Use appropriate criteria for evaluating sources: Use established criteria for evaluating the quality and reliability of sources, such as the credibility of the authors and the peer-review process.
• Use a logical and well-organized structure: Organize your literature review in a logical and well-structured manner, with a clear attempt to meet the objective.

Writing a literature review can be a challenging task, and it is important to avoid common mistakes in order to produce a high-quality review. Here are some common mistakes to avoid when writing a literature review:

1. Failing to provide an overview of the literature:

A literature review should provide a comprehensive overview of the existing research on a particular topic. It is important to include a summary of the main findings and conclusions of the studies you review, rather than simply listing the studies without any context or analysis.

2. Not clearly defining the scope and purpose of the review:

It is essential to clearly define the scope and purpose of your literature review. This will help you to focus your review and ensure that you include only relevant studies. If you do not define the scope and purpose of your review, it may become too broad or unfocused.

3. Not properly evaluating the quality of sources:

It is important to carefully evaluate the quality of the sources you include in your literature review. This involves considering the credibility of the authors, the peer-review process, and the relevance and reliability of the sources. Failing to do so may result in a review that is based on weak or unreliable sources.

4. Not organizing the review in a logical manner:

A well-organized literature review is easier to read and understand. Make sure to use a logical structure, with clear headings and subheadings, to help guide the reader through your review.

5. Not including a critical analysis of the literature:

A literature review is not simply a list of studies, but rather a critical analysis of the existing research on a particular topic. Make sure to include your own analysis and interpretation of the studies you review, and to relate your findings to the broader context of your research.

By avoiding these common mistakes, you can ensure that your literature review is comprehensive, well-organized, and of high quality.

One of the key challenges of writing a literature review is ensuring that it is concise and focused. A literature review that is too long or unfocused can be difficult to read and understand, and may not effectively convey the main points of your research. Here are some tips for keeping your literature review concise and focused:

• Clearly define the scope and purpose of your review: Defining the scope and purpose of your literature review will help you to focus your review and ensure that you include only relevant studies. By limiting the scope of your review, you can avoid including unnecessary or tangential information.
• Use a logical structure: A logical and well-organized structure can help to make your literature review more concise and easier to follow. Use clear headings and subheadings to guide the reader through your review, and consider using tables or figures to summarize key points.
• Select relevant and reliable sources: Choose sources that are relevant to your research question and are published in reputable journals or other sources. This will help you to avoid including unnecessary or irrelevant information in your review.
• Summarize, rather than quote: Instead of quoting large sections of text, consider summarizing the main points of the studies you review in your own words. This can help to save space and make your review more concise.
• Edit and revise: Editing and revising your literature review can help to eliminate unnecessary or repetitive information and ensure that it is as concise and focused as possible. Consider asking a colleague or mentor to review your review and provide feedback.

By following these tips, you can help to ensure that your literature review is concise and focused, and effectively communicates the key points of your research.

In conclusion, the length of a literature review is determined by a variety of factors. These include the scope and complexity of the topic, the purpose of the review, and the requirements of the assignment or publication.

To determine the appropriate length for your literature review, it is important to follow any guidelines or instructions provided. Also, consider the purpose of the review, and review the available literature.

The quality of a literature review is not necessarily determined by its length, but rather by the way in which it is written and the relevance and reliability of the sources it includes. By following the guidelines and best practices outlined in this article, you can help to ensure that your literature review is of high quality and effectively communicates the key points of your research.

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Writing Research Papers

• Writing a Literature Review

When writing a research paper on a specific topic, you will often need to include an overview of any prior research that has been conducted on that topic.  For example, if your research paper is describing an experiment on fear conditioning, then you will probably need to provide an overview of prior research on fear conditioning.  That overview is typically known as a literature review.  

Please note that a full-length literature review article may be suitable for fulfilling the requirements for the Psychology B.S. Degree Research Paper .  For further details, please check with your faculty advisor.

Different Types of Literature Reviews

Literature reviews come in many forms.  They can be part of a research paper, for example as part of the Introduction section.  They can be one chapter of a doctoral dissertation.  Literature reviews can also “stand alone” as separate articles by themselves.  For instance, some journals such as Annual Review of Psychology , Psychological Bulletin , and others typically publish full-length review articles.  Similarly, in courses at UCSD, you may be asked to write a research paper that is itself a literature review (such as, with an instructor’s permission, in fulfillment of the B.S. Degree Research Paper requirement). Alternatively, you may be expected to include a literature review as part of a larger research paper (such as part of an Honors Thesis). 

Literature reviews can be written using a variety of different styles.  These may differ in the way prior research is reviewed as well as the way in which the literature review is organized.  Examples of stylistic variations in literature reviews include: 

• Summarization of prior work vs. critical evaluation. In some cases, prior research is simply described and summarized; in other cases, the writer compares, contrasts, and may even critique prior research (for example, discusses their strengths and weaknesses).
• Chronological vs. categorical and other types of organization. In some cases, the literature review begins with the oldest research and advances until it concludes with the latest research.  In other cases, research is discussed by category (such as in groupings of closely related studies) without regard for chronological order.  In yet other cases, research is discussed in terms of opposing views (such as when different research studies or researchers disagree with one another).

Overall, all literature reviews, whether they are written as a part of a larger work or as separate articles unto themselves, have a common feature: they do not present new research; rather, they provide an overview of prior research on a specific topic . 

How to Write a Literature Review

When writing a literature review, it can be helpful to rely on the following steps.  Please note that these procedures are not necessarily only for writing a literature review that becomes part of a larger article; they can also be used for writing a full-length article that is itself a literature review (although such reviews are typically more detailed and exhaustive; for more information please refer to the Further Resources section of this page).

Steps for Writing a Literature Review

1. Identify and define the topic that you will be reviewing.

The topic, which is commonly a research question (or problem) of some kind, needs to be identified and defined as clearly as possible.  You need to have an idea of what you will be reviewing in order to effectively search for references and to write a coherent summary of the research on it.  At this stage it can be helpful to write down a description of the research question, area, or topic that you will be reviewing, as well as to identify any keywords that you will be using to search for relevant research.

2. Conduct a literature search.

Use a range of keywords to search databases such as PsycINFO and any others that may contain relevant articles.  You should focus on peer-reviewed, scholarly articles.  Published books may also be helpful, but keep in mind that peer-reviewed articles are widely considered to be the “gold standard” of scientific research.  Read through titles and abstracts, select and obtain articles (that is, download, copy, or print them out), and save your searches as needed.  For more information about this step, please see the Using Databases and Finding Scholarly References section of this website.

3. Read through the research that you have found and take notes.

Absorb as much information as you can.  Read through the articles and books that you have found, and as you do, take notes.  The notes should include anything that will be helpful in advancing your own thinking about the topic and in helping you write the literature review (such as key points, ideas, or even page numbers that index key information).  Some references may turn out to be more helpful than others; you may notice patterns or striking contrasts between different sources ; and some sources may refer to yet other sources of potential interest.  This is often the most time-consuming part of the review process.  However, it is also where you get to learn about the topic in great detail.  For more details about taking notes, please see the “Reading Sources and Taking Notes” section of the Finding Scholarly References page of this website.

4. Organize your notes and thoughts; create an outline.

At this stage, you are close to writing the review itself.  However, it is often helpful to first reflect on all the reading that you have done.  What patterns stand out?  Do the different sources converge on a consensus?  Or not?  What unresolved questions still remain?  You should look over your notes (it may also be helpful to reorganize them), and as you do, to think about how you will present this research in your literature review.  Are you going to summarize or critically evaluate?  Are you going to use a chronological or other type of organizational structure?  It can also be helpful to create an outline of how your literature review will be structured.

5. Write the literature review itself and edit and revise as needed.

The final stage involves writing.  When writing, keep in mind that literature reviews are generally characterized by a summary style in which prior research is described sufficiently to explain critical findings but does not include a high level of detail (if readers want to learn about all the specific details of a study, then they can look up the references that you cite and read the original articles themselves).  However, the degree of emphasis that is given to individual studies may vary (more or less detail may be warranted depending on how critical or unique a given study was).   After you have written a first draft, you should read it carefully and then edit and revise as needed.  You may need to repeat this process more than once.  It may be helpful to have another person read through your draft(s) and provide feedback.

6. Incorporate the literature review into your research paper draft.

After the literature review is complete, you should incorporate it into your research paper (if you are writing the review as one component of a larger paper).  Depending on the stage at which your paper is at, this may involve merging your literature review into a partially complete Introduction section, writing the rest of the paper around the literature review, or other processes.

Further Tips for Writing a Literature Review

Full-length literature reviews

• Many full-length literature review articles use a three-part structure: Introduction (where the topic is identified and any trends or major problems in the literature are introduced), Body (where the studies that comprise the literature on that topic are discussed), and Discussion or Conclusion (where major patterns and points are discussed and the general state of what is known about the topic is summarized)

Literature reviews as part of a larger paper

• An “express method” of writing a literature review for a research paper is as follows: first, write a one paragraph description of each article that you read. Second, choose how you will order all the paragraphs and combine them in one document.  Third, add transitions between the paragraphs, as well as an introductory and concluding paragraph. 1
• A literature review that is part of a larger research paper typically does not have to be exhaustive. Rather, it should contain most or all of the significant studies about a research topic but not tangential or loosely related ones. 2   Generally, literature reviews should be sufficient for the reader to understand the major issues and key findings about a research topic.  You may however need to confer with your instructor or editor to determine how comprehensive you need to be.

Benefits of Literature Reviews

By summarizing prior research on a topic, literature reviews have multiple benefits.  These include:

• Literature reviews help readers understand what is known about a topic without having to find and read through multiple sources.
• Literature reviews help “set the stage” for later reading about new research on a given topic (such as if they are placed in the Introduction of a larger research paper). In other words, they provide helpful background and context.
• Literature reviews can also help the writer learn about a given topic while in the process of preparing the review itself. In the act of research and writing the literature review, the writer gains expertise on the topic .

Downloadable Resources

• How to Write APA Style Research Papers (a comprehensive guide) [ PDF ]
• Tips for Writing APA Style Research Papers (a brief summary) [ PDF ]
• Example APA Style Research Paper (for B.S. Degree – literature review) [ PDF ]

Further Resources

How-To Videos     

• Writing Research Paper Videos
• UCSD Library Psychology Research Guide: Literature Reviews

External Resources

• Developing and Writing a Literature Review from N Carolina A&T State University
• Example of a Short Literature Review from York College CUNY
• How to Write a Review of Literature from UW-Madison
• Writing a Literature Review from UC Santa Cruz  
• Pautasso, M. (2013). Ten Simple Rules for Writing a Literature Review. PLoS Computational Biology, 9 (7), e1003149. doi : 1371/journal.pcbi.1003149

1 Ashton, W. Writing a short literature review . [PDF]     

2 carver, l. (2014).  writing the research paper [workshop]. , prepared by s. c. pan for ucsd psychology.

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• Formatting Research Papers
• Using Databases and Finding References
• What Types of References Are Appropriate?
• Evaluating References and Taking Notes
• Citing References
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• Academic Integrity and Avoiding Plagiarism
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Best Length for Literature Review: Thesis, Essays or Papers

• by Joseph Kenas
• November 30, 2023
• Writing Tips

Literature reviews are surveys on different topics using scholarly sources. Literature reviews help understand the current knowledge on different topics and hence identify gaps, methods, and relevant theories existing in an area of study.

To write a literature review, one needs to search for relevant literature, evaluate sources, identify themes and gaps, and outline structures. A good literature review will analyze, synthesize, and evaluate a study critically to give a clear picture of knowledge on that subject. 

How Long Should a Literature Review Be?

The length of a literature review depends on the audience and its purpose. The level of study also determines the length of a literature review.

Literature reviews of topics done by undergraduate students are expected to be shorter than literature reviews of postgraduate students.

Literature reviews of essays are also expected to be shorter than literature reviews done for a thesis or dissertation. But how long should it be?

Overall, The length of a literature review should be between 20% and 40% of the total project. This is because the length of your paper also determines the length of the literature review.

Papers with a lot of content have longer literature reviews than papers with lesser amounts of content.

There is a general rule that the length of the literature review should be proportional to the length of your paper.

Optimal Length of a Literature Review for Different Projects

1. optimal literature for thesis.

A thesis can be defined as a long essay that includes personal research done by undergraduate and post-graduate students. The length of a thesis depends on the level of study.

A thesis written by bachelor’s degree students should be between 40-60 pages, while a thesis written for master’s and doctorate studies should be between 60-100 pages.

The length of the literature review for a thesis should be at least 8 pages to the minimum. The optimal length of the literature review for this should be 20% of the total length of the thesis project.

The length varies with the length of the thesis a student is writing. For example, in a 40-page thesis, the literature review should be not less than 8 pages.

Not less than 12 pages for a 60-page thesis and not less than 16 pages for an 80-page thesis. The literature review for a thesis should at least be a whole chapter. 

2. Literature Review Length for Dissertation

A dissertation is a research project that is completed as part of a postgraduate or undergraduate degree. Dissertations allow students to present their findings on areas of research that they choose themselves. The length of a dissertation varies depending on the field of study.

The discipline, type of analysis, and area of research all determine the length of a dissertation.

The general length of a dissertation is usually between 150-300 pages. 

A literature review for a dissertation should at least be between 40-60 pages. There is no specific set length for dissertation literature reviews. The length depends largely on your area of study.

If you have a short literature review, ask yourself whether there is other relevant research that you have not explored or if the information you have provided for what you explored is enough. 

For proper preparation when writing a dissertation literature review, do the following:

• Search using key terms

Using key terms will help you do proper research and find many key terms to search. You will also find articles that are directly related to your area of study. 

• Immerse yourself in literature

Immersing yourself in literature helps you massively explore your area of study and choose the right approach for your dissertation. 

• Consider the research gaps

Focus on an area that has not been studied for your research. Recommendations made by authors can help you identify gaps in different areas of study. 

• Organize what you find

Note down what you find in sections to avoid mixing of ideas. Copy and paste your findings to avoid losing them. Note the references of each researched work to avoid inconveniences later. 

To write a literature review of your dissertations, create an outline, write the paragraphs, analyze the study, and justify the methodology.

3. Literature review length for Published Journal Articles

These are articles that are shorter than books and are written about very specific topics.

Journal articles are written regularly throughout the year and are written by experts for experts.

Journal articles can be original research, short reports or letters, review articles, case studies, or methodologies.

A published journal article should have an average of 5000 words. 

The best length of the literature review section of published journal articles should be at least 2 pages or a few pages. This depends on t he length of the journal. Different topics vary in content which determines the length of the journal article.

The literature review of a 5000-word journal article should be between 1200 and 2000 words. 

4. Literature review length for Research Paper

A research paper argues a point and analyses perspectives. It is centered on the writer’s thinking which is backed by other ideas and information. To write a research paper , pick a topic if you are not provided with one, do research, and present it.

Conduct the research, organize the research, form a thesis, create an outline, and then write your research. After writing, edit the content and re-read it to make sure that your research is ready for submission.

The length of a research paper should be at least 25% of the research paper or term paper. However, this usually depends on the area of study. There are also short research papers and long research papers. Short research papers are between 5 and 8 pages long and are usually direct to the point.

The literature review of research papers depends on the length of the research papers. Short research papers can have 2-3-page research reviews. The longer the research paper gets, the longer the literature review should be.

Research papers are common and instructors can give a maximum length of the literature review. In such cases, the instructions of the instructor have to be followed. 

5. Best length for Capstone Paper Literature

This is a form of academic paper that students write to summarize their experiences. They are usually written in the last year of high school or middle school as part of a university or college course.

To write a capstone research paper, think of the topic you want to write, create a capstone project proposal, gather information, and come up with a structure.

After writing your paper, proofread the text and prepare the defense. The average length of a capstone paper is between 20-25 pages. A capstone paper should not exceed the length of 45 pages. 

A literature review of a capstone paper depends on its length and the instructions given by your faculty. For instance, a 20-25-page capstone paper should have a 5 to 6-page long literature review. The longer the paper gets, the longer the literature review should be.

After writing the literature review, submit a draft to your capstone adviser for corrections before proceeding. 

Optimal Length for Essays

An essay is a piece of writing that can be used to support an argument, present an idea, express emotion, or initiate debate. Ideas are presented in essays in a non-fictional way. There are many different types of essays. Essays can be as short as 500 words and as long as 10,00 words.

The length of the literature review section for an essay depends on the length of your essay. A 15-page essay can have a 3-page long literature review. The lesser the pages the lesser the literature review. Therefore, there is no universal length for the literature review of an essay.

The more the pages, the longer the literature review. Literature reviews of essays should have an introduction, main body, and conclusion.

The introduction part should introduce your topic, introduce your point of view, review the literature and state the scope of the literature.

The main body should organize the literature into themes, show the relation between the chosen topic and the wider subject, and move from a general view to a specific view.

The conclusion should summarize the important aspects of the main body, identify areas for future study, and link your research to existing knowledge. 

Factors Determining the Length of a Literature Review

1. type of the project.

The type of project you have determines the length of your literature review.

Dissertations have longer literature reviews than published journal articles.

A thesis has a longer literature review compared to essays.

One, therefore, will need to know the type of project at hand before starting and writing the literature review to avoid making mistakes.

Each type of project has its specified length of the literature review. 

2. The Number of Sources

The number of sources one has regarding a certain topic will determine the length of the work they right. Longer writings have longer literature reviews and shorter writing has shorter literature reviews.

Sources of information determine the content one will gather before writing an essay. It is the sources of information that will help you gain knowledge of the topic you are handling.

The less content and knowledge about a topic one has, the lesser the content and knowledge one will write. Without content and knowledge about a topic, even formulating a literature review becomes hard.

When one has many sources of information, ideas will flow and understanding of the area of study will increase. This helps one formulate accurate literature reviews and include the majority of information obtained from the sources in them. 

3. Your Experience in Writing

You can have everything needed to write a literature review of the required length, but without experience writing, it may prove to be hard. If one has never written a literature review before, he or she will experience difficulties in writing it.

In most cases, one may write literature reviews that are too short or too long. Transforming the information gathered into a literature review is hard.

This is why one may use too much or less information in the literature review. Such writers are advised to go through beginner tutorials to explain the writing of literature reviews to avoid too many mistakes.

Experienced writers, on the other hand, know how to utilize every piece of information gathered and transform it into a literature review of the required size. Amateur literature review writers are also advised to seek help from experienced writers. 

4. The Length of the Entire Project

In most academic assignments, instructors give students the length required in different projects. This length should guide students in determining the length of the literature review.

A literature review should not take the majority of your project. Longer assignments have longer literature reviews, while shorter assignments have shorter literature reviews.

Students should consider the number of words or pages provided by the instructor for certain assignments and gauge the length that the literature review.

The literature review reflects the whole content of your project. You can’t have a short literature review and a very long essay. You will probably include things that do not relate to your literature review in the essay.

Short projects like essays and term papers mostly have mini-reviews. Read this guide on how long a mini literature review is so that you can get the point.

5. The Topic Involved

Different topics usually have different sources of information. Some topics are majorly researched on the internet, and some topics are rarely researched.

The topics that many people have looked into have a lot of information that one can use in writing literature reviews. This is contrary to the topics that have been looked into by few people and have little content.

A writer will usually find it hard to write long literature reviews on such topics. When you are asked for a specific length of an essay and given the mandate to choose a topic yourself, never choose a topic that has not been majorly researched which is likely to cause you problems writing the length required by the instructor. 

6. The Technicality of the Research

Some topics are usually hard for students to understand, while others are easy for students to understand. This usually varies among students.

Some students will find history projects harder than science projects, while to other students, it is different.

It is hard for students to write long literature reviews or essays on subjects or topics that they find hard to understand. This is different in the subjects and topics that students enjoy. 

7. Level of Study

This is the most obvious reason that influences the length of literature reviews. Postgraduate students will always be required to write longer essays than undergraduate students. Their level of knowledge and understanding is different.

Though the post-graduate level is more complex, the students are expected to be able to handle the problems that the project poses. Postgraduate students are also required to conduct research that provides them with more information about their projects, unlike undergraduate students. 

8. Professor Factors

Professor factors that determine the length of the of literature review include:

• The number of words expected.

Most professors usually give the length that they expect the assignment they give to be. This length determines the length of the literature review. Some professors can be specific and give the length they expect the literature review of projects to be. 

• Availability.

If the professor feels like he will not have enough time to deal with the projects of all students, he can give shorter projects that he will be able to handle. If the professor is available, he can give longer assignments to the students. 

• Gauging students’ understanding.

Professors can give long assignments to students to establish their level of understanding of an already tackled area. They use this to find out how well can students apply the knowledge gained in different areas. 

Types of Literature Reviews

The most common types of literature reviews include argumentative reviews, integrative reviews, historical reviews, systematic reviews, systematic reviews, methodological reviews, and theoretical reviews. Argumentative and historical reviews are usually longer than the other types of reviews. 

Projects Deadlines

Shorter deadlines usually limit students from conducting enough research. The lesser the research one conducts the lesser the amount of information one has to write about.

This leads to short literature reviews. When one is given enough time to conduct research, they gather all the information needed to write full-length projects hence longer literature reviews as well.

FAQs on Optimal Literature Review

How long should a literature review be in a research proposal .

Research proposals vary in length depending on the level of study and the topics involved. Longer literature proposals should have longer literature reviews, whereas shorter research proposals should have shorter literature reviews.

Literature reviews are usually the longest part of research proposals. The introduction and the methodology parts are always shorter. If your introduction part is 2 pages long and the methodology part is 4 pages long, the research proposal should be longer than the two.

How long does it take to write a literature review?

Most students do not know how long it should take to write a literature review because the deadlines are determined by the professors.

Most believe that the time the professor sets the deadline is the time required to write a literature review. The time one uses to write a literature review usually depends on the hours allocated per day to do the work.

The more hours, the fewer days it will take. The fewer the hours, the longer it will take. A literature review can take between 2-6 months to be completed. 

How long should a literature review be for a PhD

A Ph.D. literature review is the main chapter of your Ph.D. thesis. Your Ph.D. literature review should assess your field of research critically and present the current knowledge that you have gained from previous work.

The literature review should help you identify the gaps in your knowledge of your field. Most Ph.D. literature reviews are always between 6000-12000 words. The main focus of Ph.D. literature reviews is the quality of the work and not the quantity.

Joseph is a freelance journalist and a part-time writer with a particular interest in the gig economy. He writes about schooling, college life, and changing trends in education. When not writing, Joseph is hiking or playing chess.

How to write a literature review introduction (+ examples)

The introduction to a literature review serves as your reader’s guide through your academic work and thought process. Explore the significance of literature review introductions in review papers, academic papers, essays, theses, and dissertations. We delve into the purpose and necessity of these introductions, explore the essential components of literature review introductions, and provide step-by-step guidance on how to craft your own, along with examples.

Why you need an introduction for a literature review

In academic writing , the introduction for a literature review is an indispensable component. Effective academic writing requires proper paragraph structuring to guide your reader through your argumentation. This includes providing an introduction to your literature review.

It is imperative to remember that you should never start sharing your findings abruptly. Even if there isn’t a dedicated introduction section .

When you need an introduction for a literature review

There are three main scenarios in which you need an introduction for a literature review:

What to include in a literature review introduction

It is crucial to customize the content and depth of your literature review introduction according to the specific format of your academic work.

Academic literature review paper

The introduction of an academic literature review paper, which does not rely on empirical data, often necessitates a more extensive introduction than the brief literature review introductions typically found in empirical papers. It should encompass:

Regular literature review section in an academic article or essay

In a standard 8000-word journal article, the literature review section typically spans between 750 and 1250 words. The first few sentences or the first paragraph within this section often serve as an introduction. It should encompass:

Introduction to a literature review chapter in thesis or dissertation

Some students choose to incorporate a brief introductory section at the beginning of each chapter, including the literature review chapter. Alternatively, others opt to seamlessly integrate the introduction into the initial sentences of the literature review itself. Both approaches are acceptable, provided that you incorporate the following elements:

Examples of literature review introductions

Example 1: an effective introduction for an academic literature review paper.

To begin, let’s delve into the introduction of an academic literature review paper. We will examine the paper “How does culture influence innovation? A systematic literature review”, which was published in 2018 in the journal Management Decision.

Example 2: An effective introduction to a literature review section in an academic paper

The second example represents a typical academic paper, encompassing not only a literature review section but also empirical data, a case study, and other elements. We will closely examine the introduction to the literature review section in the paper “The environmentalism of the subalterns: a case study of environmental activism in Eastern Kurdistan/Rojhelat”, which was published in 2021 in the journal Local Environment.

Thus, the author successfully introduces the literature review, from which point onward it dives into the main concept (‘subalternity’) of the research, and reviews the literature on socio-economic justice and environmental degradation.

Examples 3-5: Effective introductions to literature review chapters

Numerous universities offer online repositories where you can access theses and dissertations from previous years, serving as valuable sources of reference. Many of these repositories, however, may require you to log in through your university account. Nevertheless, a few open-access repositories are accessible to anyone, such as the one by the University of Manchester . It’s important to note though that copyright restrictions apply to these resources, just as they would with published papers.

Master’s thesis literature review introduction

Phd thesis literature review chapter introduction.

The second example is Deep Learning on Semi-Structured Data and its Applications to Video-Game AI, Woof, W. (Author). 31 Dec 2020, a PhD thesis completed at the University of Manchester . In Chapter 2, the author offers a comprehensive introduction to the topic in four paragraphs, with the final paragraph serving as an overview of the chapter’s structure:

PhD thesis literature review introduction

The last example is the doctoral thesis Metacognitive strategies and beliefs: Child correlates and early experiences Chan, K. Y. M. (Author). 31 Dec 2020 . The author clearly conducted a systematic literature review, commencing the review section with a discussion of the methodology and approach employed in locating and analyzing the selected records.

Steps to write your own literature review introduction

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What is a Literature Review? How to Write It (with Examples)

A literature review is a critical analysis and synthesis of existing research on a particular topic. It provides an overview of the current state of knowledge, identifies gaps, and highlights key findings in the literature. 1 The purpose of a literature review is to situate your own research within the context of existing scholarship, demonstrating your understanding of the topic and showing how your work contributes to the ongoing conversation in the field. Learning how to write a literature review is a critical tool for successful research. Your ability to summarize and synthesize prior research pertaining to a certain topic demonstrates your grasp on the topic of study, and assists in the learning process. 

Table of Contents

• What is the purpose of literature review? 
• a. Habitat Loss and Species Extinction: 
• b. Range Shifts and Phenological Changes: 
• c. Ocean Acidification and Coral Reefs: 
• d. Adaptive Strategies and Conservation Efforts: 

How to write a good literature review 

• Choose a Topic and Define the Research Question: 
• Decide on the Scope of Your Review: 
• Select Databases for Searches: 
• Conduct Searches and Keep Track: 
• Review the Literature: 
• Organize and Write Your Literature Review: 
• How to write a literature review faster with Paperpal? 
• Frequently asked questions 

What is a literature review?

A well-conducted literature review demonstrates the researcher’s familiarity with the existing literature, establishes the context for their own research, and contributes to scholarly conversations on the topic. One of the purposes of a literature review is also to help researchers avoid duplicating previous work and ensure that their research is informed by and builds upon the existing body of knowledge.

What is the purpose of literature review?

A literature review serves several important purposes within academic and research contexts. Here are some key objectives and functions of a literature review: 2  

1. Contextualizing the Research Problem: The literature review provides a background and context for the research problem under investigation. It helps to situate the study within the existing body of knowledge. 

2. Identifying Gaps in Knowledge: By identifying gaps, contradictions, or areas requiring further research, the researcher can shape the research question and justify the significance of the study. This is crucial for ensuring that the new research contributes something novel to the field. 

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3. Understanding Theoretical and Conceptual Frameworks: Literature reviews help researchers gain an understanding of the theoretical and conceptual frameworks used in previous studies. This aids in the development of a theoretical framework for the current research. 

4. Providing Methodological Insights: Another purpose of literature reviews is that it allows researchers to learn about the methodologies employed in previous studies. This can help in choosing appropriate research methods for the current study and avoiding pitfalls that others may have encountered. 

5. Establishing Credibility: A well-conducted literature review demonstrates the researcher’s familiarity with existing scholarship, establishing their credibility and expertise in the field. It also helps in building a solid foundation for the new research. 

6. Informing Hypotheses or Research Questions: The literature review guides the formulation of hypotheses or research questions by highlighting relevant findings and areas of uncertainty in existing literature. 

Literature review example

Let’s delve deeper with a literature review example: Let’s say your literature review is about the impact of climate change on biodiversity. You might format your literature review into sections such as the effects of climate change on habitat loss and species extinction, phenological changes, and marine biodiversity. Each section would then summarize and analyze relevant studies in those areas, highlighting key findings and identifying gaps in the research. The review would conclude by emphasizing the need for further research on specific aspects of the relationship between climate change and biodiversity. The following literature review template provides a glimpse into the recommended literature review structure and content, demonstrating how research findings are organized around specific themes within a broader topic. 

Literature Review on Climate Change Impacts on Biodiversity:

Climate change is a global phenomenon with far-reaching consequences, including significant impacts on biodiversity. This literature review synthesizes key findings from various studies: 

a. Habitat Loss and Species Extinction:

Climate change-induced alterations in temperature and precipitation patterns contribute to habitat loss, affecting numerous species (Thomas et al., 2004). The review discusses how these changes increase the risk of extinction, particularly for species with specific habitat requirements. 

b. Range Shifts and Phenological Changes:

Observations of range shifts and changes in the timing of biological events (phenology) are documented in response to changing climatic conditions (Parmesan & Yohe, 2003). These shifts affect ecosystems and may lead to mismatches between species and their resources. 

c. Ocean Acidification and Coral Reefs:

The review explores the impact of climate change on marine biodiversity, emphasizing ocean acidification’s threat to coral reefs (Hoegh-Guldberg et al., 2007). Changes in pH levels negatively affect coral calcification, disrupting the delicate balance of marine ecosystems. 

d. Adaptive Strategies and Conservation Efforts:

Recognizing the urgency of the situation, the literature review discusses various adaptive strategies adopted by species and conservation efforts aimed at mitigating the impacts of climate change on biodiversity (Hannah et al., 2007). It emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary approaches for effective conservation planning. 

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Writing a literature review involves summarizing and synthesizing existing research on a particular topic. A good literature review format should include the following elements. 

Introduction: The introduction sets the stage for your literature review, providing context and introducing the main focus of your review. 

• Opening Statement: Begin with a general statement about the broader topic and its significance in the field. 
• Scope and Purpose: Clearly define the scope of your literature review. Explain the specific research question or objective you aim to address. 
• Organizational Framework: Briefly outline the structure of your literature review, indicating how you will categorize and discuss the existing research. 
• Significance of the Study: Highlight why your literature review is important and how it contributes to the understanding of the chosen topic. 
• Thesis Statement: Conclude the introduction with a concise thesis statement that outlines the main argument or perspective you will develop in the body of the literature review. 

Body: The body of the literature review is where you provide a comprehensive analysis of existing literature, grouping studies based on themes, methodologies, or other relevant criteria. 

• Organize by Theme or Concept: Group studies that share common themes, concepts, or methodologies. Discuss each theme or concept in detail, summarizing key findings and identifying gaps or areas of disagreement. 
• Critical Analysis: Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each study. Discuss the methodologies used, the quality of evidence, and the overall contribution of each work to the understanding of the topic. 
• Synthesis of Findings: Synthesize the information from different studies to highlight trends, patterns, or areas of consensus in the literature. 
• Identification of Gaps: Discuss any gaps or limitations in the existing research and explain how your review contributes to filling these gaps. 
• Transition between Sections: Provide smooth transitions between different themes or concepts to maintain the flow of your literature review. 

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Conclusion: The conclusion of your literature review should summarize the main findings, highlight the contributions of the review, and suggest avenues for future research. 

• Summary of Key Findings: Recap the main findings from the literature and restate how they contribute to your research question or objective. 
• Contributions to the Field: Discuss the overall contribution of your literature review to the existing knowledge in the field. 
• Implications and Applications: Explore the practical implications of the findings and suggest how they might impact future research or practice. 
• Recommendations for Future Research: Identify areas that require further investigation and propose potential directions for future research in the field. 
• Final Thoughts: Conclude with a final reflection on the importance of your literature review and its relevance to the broader academic community. 

Conducting a literature review

Conducting a literature review is an essential step in research that involves reviewing and analyzing existing literature on a specific topic. It’s important to know how to do a literature review effectively, so here are the steps to follow: 1  

Choose a Topic and Define the Research Question:

• Select a topic that is relevant to your field of study. 
• Clearly define your research question or objective. Determine what specific aspect of the topic do you want to explore? 

Decide on the Scope of Your Review:

• Determine the timeframe for your literature review. Are you focusing on recent developments, or do you want a historical overview? 
• Consider the geographical scope. Is your review global, or are you focusing on a specific region? 
• Define the inclusion and exclusion criteria. What types of sources will you include? Are there specific types of studies or publications you will exclude? 

Select Databases for Searches:

• Identify relevant databases for your field. Examples include PubMed, IEEE Xplore, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. 
• Consider searching in library catalogs, institutional repositories, and specialized databases related to your topic. 

Conduct Searches and Keep Track:

• Develop a systematic search strategy using keywords, Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT), and other search techniques. 
• Record and document your search strategy for transparency and replicability. 
• Keep track of the articles, including publication details, abstracts, and links. Use citation management tools like EndNote, Zotero, or Mendeley to organize your references. 

Review the Literature:

• Evaluate the relevance and quality of each source. Consider the methodology, sample size, and results of studies. 
• Organize the literature by themes or key concepts. Identify patterns, trends, and gaps in the existing research. 
• Summarize key findings and arguments from each source. Compare and contrast different perspectives. 
• Identify areas where there is a consensus in the literature and where there are conflicting opinions. 
• Provide critical analysis and synthesis of the literature. What are the strengths and weaknesses of existing research? 

Organize and Write Your Literature Review:

• Literature review outline should be based on themes, chronological order, or methodological approaches. 
• Write a clear and coherent narrative that synthesizes the information gathered. 
• Use proper citations for each source and ensure consistency in your citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.). 
• Conclude your literature review by summarizing key findings, identifying gaps, and suggesting areas for future research. 

Whether you’re exploring a new research field or finding new angles to develop an existing topic, sifting through hundreds of papers can take more time than you have to spare. But what if you could find science-backed insights with verified citations in seconds? That’s the power of Paperpal’s new Research feature!  

How to write a literature review faster with Paperpal?

Paperpal, an AI writing assistant, integrates powerful academic search capabilities within its writing platform. With the Research feature, you get 100% factual insights, with citations backed by 250M+ verified research articles, directly within your writing interface with the option to save relevant references in your Citation Library. By eliminating the need to switch tabs to find answers to all your research questions, Paperpal saves time and helps you stay focused on your writing.   

Here’s how to use the Research feature:  

• Ask a question: Get started with a new document on paperpal.com. Click on the “Research” feature and type your question in plain English. Paperpal will scour over 250 million research articles, including conference papers and preprints, to provide you with accurate insights and citations. 
• Review and Save: Paperpal summarizes the information, while citing sources and listing relevant reads. You can quickly scan the results to identify relevant references and save these directly to your built-in citations library for later access. 
• Cite with Confidence: Paperpal makes it easy to incorporate relevant citations and references into your writing, ensuring your arguments are well-supported by credible sources. This translates to a polished, well-researched literature review. 

The literature review sample and detailed advice on writing and conducting a review will help you produce a well-structured report. But remember that a good literature review is an ongoing process, and it may be necessary to revisit and update it as your research progresses. By combining effortless research with an easy citation process, Paperpal Research streamlines the literature review process and empowers you to write faster and with more confidence. Try Paperpal Research now and see for yourself.  

Frequently asked questions

A literature review is a critical and comprehensive analysis of existing literature (published and unpublished works) on a specific topic or research question and provides a synthesis of the current state of knowledge in a particular field. A well-conducted literature review is crucial for researchers to build upon existing knowledge, avoid duplication of efforts, and contribute to the advancement of their field. It also helps researchers situate their work within a broader context and facilitates the development of a sound theoretical and conceptual framework for their studies.

Literature review is a crucial component of research writing, providing a solid background for a research paper’s investigation. The aim is to keep professionals up to date by providing an understanding of ongoing developments within a specific field, including research methods, and experimental techniques used in that field, and present that knowledge in the form of a written report. Also, the depth and breadth of the literature review emphasizes the credibility of the scholar in his or her field.  

Before writing a literature review, it’s essential to undertake several preparatory steps to ensure that your review is well-researched, organized, and focused. This includes choosing a topic of general interest to you and doing exploratory research on that topic, writing an annotated bibliography, and noting major points, especially those that relate to the position you have taken on the topic. 

Literature reviews and academic research papers are essential components of scholarly work but serve different purposes within the academic realm. 3 A literature review aims to provide a foundation for understanding the current state of research on a particular topic, identify gaps or controversies, and lay the groundwork for future research. Therefore, it draws heavily from existing academic sources, including books, journal articles, and other scholarly publications. In contrast, an academic research paper aims to present new knowledge, contribute to the academic discourse, and advance the understanding of a specific research question. Therefore, it involves a mix of existing literature (in the introduction and literature review sections) and original data or findings obtained through research methods. 

Literature reviews are essential components of academic and research papers, and various strategies can be employed to conduct them effectively. If you want to know how to write a literature review for a research paper, here are four common approaches that are often used by researchers.  Chronological Review: This strategy involves organizing the literature based on the chronological order of publication. It helps to trace the development of a topic over time, showing how ideas, theories, and research have evolved.  Thematic Review: Thematic reviews focus on identifying and analyzing themes or topics that cut across different studies. Instead of organizing the literature chronologically, it is grouped by key themes or concepts, allowing for a comprehensive exploration of various aspects of the topic.  Methodological Review: This strategy involves organizing the literature based on the research methods employed in different studies. It helps to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of various methodologies and allows the reader to evaluate the reliability and validity of the research findings.  Theoretical Review: A theoretical review examines the literature based on the theoretical frameworks used in different studies. This approach helps to identify the key theories that have been applied to the topic and assess their contributions to the understanding of the subject.  It’s important to note that these strategies are not mutually exclusive, and a literature review may combine elements of more than one approach. The choice of strategy depends on the research question, the nature of the literature available, and the goals of the review. Additionally, other strategies, such as integrative reviews or systematic reviews, may be employed depending on the specific requirements of the research.

The literature review format can vary depending on the specific publication guidelines. However, there are some common elements and structures that are often followed. Here is a general guideline for the format of a literature review:  Introduction:   Provide an overview of the topic.  Define the scope and purpose of the literature review.  State the research question or objective.  Body:   Organize the literature by themes, concepts, or chronology.  Critically analyze and evaluate each source.  Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the studies.  Highlight any methodological limitations or biases.  Identify patterns, connections, or contradictions in the existing research.  Conclusion:   Summarize the key points discussed in the literature review.  Highlight the research gap.  Address the research question or objective stated in the introduction.  Highlight the contributions of the review and suggest directions for future research.

Both annotated bibliographies and literature reviews involve the examination of scholarly sources. While annotated bibliographies focus on individual sources with brief annotations, literature reviews provide a more in-depth, integrated, and comprehensive analysis of existing literature on a specific topic. The key differences are as follows: 

References 

• Denney, A. S., & Tewksbury, R. (2013). How to write a literature review.  Journal of criminal justice education ,  24 (2), 218-234. 
• Pan, M. L. (2016).  Preparing literature reviews: Qualitative and quantitative approaches . Taylor & Francis. 
• Cantero, C. (2019). How to write a literature review.  San José State University Writing Center . 

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Literature Review

What is a Literature Review?

A literature review is a survey and discussion of the literature in a given area of study. It is a concise overview of what has been studied, argued, and established about a topic, and it is usually organized chronologically or thematically. A literature review is written in essay format. It is not an annotated bibliography, because it groups related works together and discusses trends and developments rather than focusing on one item at a time. It is not a summary; rather, it evaluates previous and current research in regard to how relevant and/or useful it is and how it relates to your own research.

A Literature Review is more than an Annotated Bibliography or a summary, because you are organizing and presenting your sources in terms of their overall relationship to your own project.

A literature review is written to highlight specific arguments and ideas in a field of study. By highlighting these arguments, the writer attempts to show what has been studied in the field, and also where the weaknesses, gaps, or areas needing further study are. The review should therefore also demonstrate to the reader why the writer’s research is useful, necessary, important, and valid.

Literature reviews can have different types of audiences, so consider why and for whom you are writing your review. For example, a lot of literature reviews are written as a chapter for a thesis or dissertation, so the audience will want to know in what way your research is important and original. Highlighting the gap in knowledge which your research aims to fill is particularly important in this instance because you need to convince the reader that there is an opening in the area of study. A literature review in a proposal will similarly try to convince the audience of the significance and worthiness of the proposed project. In contrast, when you are writing a literature review for a course, your professor may want you to show that you understand what research has been done, giving you a base of knowledge. In this case, you may not need to focus as much on proving where the gaps in knowledge lie, but rather, that you know what the major areas of study and key ideas are.

Questions a Literature Review Should Answer:

Asking questions such as the following will help you sift through your sources and organize your literature review. Remember, the literature review organizes the previous research in the light of what you are planning to do in your own project.

• What's been done in this topic area to date? What are the significant discoveries, key concepts, arguments, and/or theories that scholars have put forward? Which are the important works?
• On which particular areas of the topic has previous research concentrated? Have there been developments over time? What methodologies have been used?
• Are there any gaps in the research? Are there areas that haven't been looked at closely yet, but which should be? Are there new ways of looking at the topic?
• Are there improved methodologies for researching this subject?
• What future directions should research in this subject take?
• How will your research build on or depart from current and previous research on the topic? What contribution will your research make to the field?

The length of a literature review varies depending on its purpose and audience. In a thesis or dissertation, the review is usually a full chapter (at least 20 pages), but for an assignment it may only be a few pages.

There are several ways to organize and structure a literature review. Two common ways are chronologically and thematically.

Chronological:   In a chronological review, you will group and discuss your sources in order of their appearance (usually publication), highlighting the changes in research in the field and your specific topic over time. This method is useful for papers focusing on research methodology, historiographical papers, and other writing where time becomes an important element. For example, a literature review on theories of mental illness might present how the understanding of mental illness has changed through the centuries, by giving a series of examples of key developments and ending with current theories and the direction your research will take.

Thematic:   In a thematic review, you will group and discuss your sources in terms of the themes or topics they cover. This method is often a stronger one organizationally, and it can help you resist the urge to summarize your sources. By grouping themes or topics of research together, you will be able to demonstrate the types of topics that are important to your research. For example, if the topic of the literature review is changes in popular music, then there might be separate sections on research involving the production of music, research on the dissemination of music, research on the interpretation of music, and historical studies of popular music.

No matter which method you choose, remember:   Within each section of a literature review, it is important to discuss how the research relates to other studies (how is it similar or different, what other studies have been done, etc.) as well as to demonstrate how it relates to your own work. This is what the review is for: don’t leave this connection out!

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Understanding the Length of a Literature Review

A literature review is an academic piece of writing acknowledging the authenticity and comprehension of academic literature in light of the topic. It summarizes the key elements of the research and previous research and demonstration in a specific field of study. In a literature review, you use historical data and available information to generate a new understanding. It will guide you throughout your research to understand your limits and your position. From  writing an introduction  to concluding your paper, the literature review can be your best friend. However, the question is, how long should a literature review be for a research paper?

Table of Contents

Understanding the ideal length of a research paper’s literature review

There is no one answer to how long a literature review should be. Every field of study has its requirements and conventions, which dictate the appropriate length for a given type of literature review. In general, however, a good rule of thumb is that the deeper the  research topic , the more detailed and extensive the literature review should be.

For example, a literature review for a business research topic might be relatively short and to the point, focusing mostly on key figures and data points. On the other hand, a literature review for a  history research topic  could be much longer and more detailed, delving into the various interpretations and implications of the research.

Ultimately, the decision of how long a literature review should be is up to the individual researcher and the specific requirements of the research project. However, no matter the length, a literature review should be comprehensive, clear, and concise, providing a thorough overview of the current state of knowledge on the chosen research topic.

Let’s talk about literature lengths for the various types of writings.

Literature Review Ideal Length for A Research Paper

What is your purpose, and who are your readers? That is the first question you must ask yourself when writing a research paper. Interestingly, this question will be valid for every aspect of your research. You are choosing a topic; you must consider your purpose and target audience. When writing an introduction for a research paper, you must think about the same question.

A literature review is an important part of any research paper. It provides an overview of the current state of knowledge on a topic and helps to identify areas where further research is needed.

The length of a literature review varies depending on the depth and purpose of the research. For example, a literature review for a PhD thesis will be much longer than one for a high school research paper. The length also depends on the scope of the research, with broader topics requiring more extensive reviews.

Generally speaking, a literature review should be at least 20 pages long. However, this will vary depending on the specific requirements of your assignment. A few paragraphs may suffice for high school paper topics, while a more comprehensive review is necessary for longer papers.

No matter the length, a literature review must be well-written and provide a critical overview of the current state of knowledge on a topic. It should identify gaps in the literature and offer suggestions for further research.

Ideal Length Of A Stand-alone literature review

A literature review can be a very impeccable treat to read as a stand-alone article. As a stand-alone write-up, a literature review can cover as many aspects as to provide much thorough background. It includes providing full background and contemporary backgrounds to provide authentic value to your topic. Still, the inspiration is like a river; sooner or later, you must have built a dam around it somewhere. A too-short stand-alone literature review will fail to provide enough insights.

On the other hand, the too-long literature review will wear the reader out and undermine your stance. The ideal length for a literature review as a stand-alone article is at least 20 pages. You can add more pages if you need to, but remember that there is a limit.

How long a literature review should be for a research paper could be answered in various ways. However, it all comes down to the type and the scope of your research paper and how you decide the length. By now, we are confident that you can answer this question and ace your literature review. You can consult us at Paper Perk if you still need  paper writing help .

How to decide the length of a literature review for a research paper?

There can be different lengths for a literature review for a research paper. You can not have an absolute answer for how long should a literature review be for a research paper. It would be best if you decided on your target audience and the scope of your research topic. Writing an outline for your research paper is one of the things that can give you an idea.

How many pages should a literature review be on average?

A literature review should be at least 20 pages for a dissertation or thesis. High school research or short research papers can be up to a few paragraphs. At the same time, when you're writing a scientific review research paper , you need to change the length critically.

What is the purpose of a literature review?

A literature review can provide a comprehensive understanding of a particular topic. It can also be used as a tool for educational purposes. A literature review can also help you in your career search.

What are the different types of literature reviews?

A literature review can be made up of either primary or secondary sources. Primary sources are the original documents that were used to produce the research that is being reviewed. Secondary sources are any sources that have been added after the original documents were used.

What is the goal of a literature review

A literature review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of a particular topic.

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How long Should a Literature Review be in a 10000 Words Dissertation?

Worried about your dissertation’s literature review? Well, you are certainly not alone. Thousands of students in Great Britain are confused when it comes to writing literature review for a dissertation UK institutes have burdened them.

The Significance

The literature review or the LR carries immense significance in a dissertation and is one of the two most influential aspects of the dissertation or a thesis project. The reason for this is that the entire background of the selected research topic is based on. An author needs to put as many relevant details as possible in order to display the importance of his or her research idea to the instructor. Even during the making of a dissertation proposal, a person needs to put enough details to keep the research committee interested.

Length of a Literature Review

How long should a literature review be in a 10,000 word dissertation? To answer is simple and most straightforwardly, a 10,000 words dissertation must include at least a 3,000 Words literature review which is 30% of the literary text. Different literature review samples on various websites on the internet will tell other lengths, they are not wrong either. Some dissertation by specific universities or programs requires a larger length of research papers. A 10,000-word length is the most common length of such a document and is perfectly balanced.

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Our top dissertation writing experts are waiting 24/7 to assist you with your university project, from critical literature reviews to a complete masters dissertation.

It Justifies the Need for Research

A literature review also justifies the reason for conducting the dissertation by having many previous works mentioned and relating it to the need of conducting this study. There are millions of searches on google regarding how to write a dissertation literature review by various UK students. This is because many of them fail to understand the value of a literature review.

It Creates a Bridge Between the Previous and the Current Work

A literature review smartly fills the gap between the old previous work which has been written and creates a relation. This helps massively in emphasizing the selected research topic and enriching the reader about the topic’s background.

It Signifies the importance for the Topic to be Research On

Once the instructor goes through the previous work written in your literature review, the importance of the topic will be conveyed effectively and this will drastically increase the level of importance for the topic. This will also increase the chances of the dissertation getting accepted.

Tips for Writing Down a 3000 Words Literature Review   

A 3000 words literature review is not as difficult as it sounds, yet it is not that easy as well. The following are some tips that are likely to guide any dissertation student for their LR.

• Doing Excessive Research Excessive research is mandatory in order to write down a professional 3000, words literature review. It is vital to seek information on various journals on the internet. However, do ensure that the journals are authentic and are a valid source for considering.
• Hand-Picking the Most Relevant Work After conducting detailed research and amassing a plethora of information links, students should not include all of them in their LR. It is highly suggested to select only the ones that seem the most pertaining to the finalized topic of research. This is required especially when you are having a literature review of a balanced length, that is 300 words.
• Maintaining a Decent Manner of Writing The writing style should obviously not be slang neither too much formal. It should be nothing but simple and straight to the point.
• Asking for Advice Sometimes,  students are overly occupied or the understanding can still seem incomprehensible. Hence in such scenarios, it is always better to search a literature review writing service for any sort of guidance

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To Conclude

To sum up, a literature review length varies significantly depending on the length of the whole dissertation. One thing to note down is that a literature review is highly important and maintaining a balanced length is crucial for the research student. For a 10,000 words dissertation which is the most common length in the UK, the literature review needs to be 30% of its written content.

For a normal dissertation which is of 10,000 words length, a literature review should be around 3000 words, which is 30% of the entire dissertation. However, there are dissertations and thesis with a word length of more than 10, 000, so the literature review will be different from such types of projects. It is better to confirm from the instructor of the institute before writing down Your literature review. 

The best way to write down a literature review is to first make a plan and sort out the previous work which will be mentioned in it. Make sure that the previous work you have planned to include in LR is authentic and most importantly, relevant. Try a simple manner of writing which is not too formal and neither a casual one. Make sure to cite each statement properly. Avoid making it lengthy as every sentence should be to the point.

The four major goals of a literature review are to explain the historical extent to which the topic has been researched previously, to compare the previous work and the current research. and to highlight the importance of the topic of research which has been conducted by you. It’s also to establishe the need for conducting the present research project.

The number of sources in a literature review is highly dependent upon the nature of research, the scope of the topic, and the length of the dissertation or thesis. Another important factor is the program a student is enrolled in. 

A doctoral thesis/dissertation requires 50 or more title sources whereas a Master’s thesis/dissertation requires 40 or more title sources. An Undergraduate thesis/dissertation requires between 5 to 20 title sources.

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What Personal Loan Term Length Should You Choose? (2024 Guide)

Taylor Milam-Samuel is a personal finance writer and credentialed educator with a master’s in education. She’s fascinated by how people earn, save and spend their money. Her work has been featured on Insider, Discover, Forbes Advisor, Policygenius and more. When she’s not demystifying financial terms and conditions for consumers, she can be found teaching.

Kelly Larson is a senior editor with 14 years of experience creating and optimizing data-driven, reader-focused digital content. Kelly enjoys running and exploring the outdoors with his sons.

Here’s a breakdown of how we reviewed and rated top personal loan providers

What Are Common Personal Loan Term Lengths?

Personal loans typically have terms between one and seven years, but they can vary depending on the lender. The term is the amount of time you have to make payments. It can significantly impact the size of your monthly payment and how much you pay toward interest fees. 

Short-term loans have higher monthly payments due to the condensed repayment period. Medium-term loans have a slightly longer term length of four to five years. The perk of shorter loan terms is that you’ll pay less interest overall. For example, imagine you have a $10,000 personal loan with 5% interest and a two-year term length. Your monthly payment would be $438.71 and you would pay $529.13 toward interest fees. 

If the same loan extends to a five-year repayment period, your monthly payment will decrease to $188.71. But the interest charges you pay would increase to $1,322.74. With a long-term loan that extends beyond six years, the monthly payments would decrease even further, but interest charges would continue to grow.

How To Choose the Right Personal Loan Term Length

The best personal loan term length depends on your finances and circumstances. Finding a balance between manageable monthly payments and minimal interest charges is crucial. Here are some factors to consider.

Assess Your Financial Goals and Budget

As you consider the best terms for a personal loan, it’s a great time to review your budget and financial obligations. Personal loans are installment loans, meaning you have fixed monthly payments. Consider how a new monthly expense might fit your current budget.

Your income and expenses can provide a straightforward way to determine which term length works best. For example, imagine your take-home pay is $5,000 per month, and your monthly expenses are $4,600. That means you have an additional $400 left over each month. Your personal loan payment shouldn’t exceed that amount unless you plan to decrease spending elsewhere.

Consider the Loan’s Purpose

Borrowers can use personal loans for nearly any expense , including weddings, home renovations, medical expenses and debt consolidation. How you plan to spend the money can help determine the best term length. 

If you intend to use the money to pay for wedding expenses, the loan payments will cause your monthly spending to increase. In that case, you might prioritize a medium- or long-term length with lower monthly payments to minimize the impact on your budget. However, your monthly expenses might decrease if you plan to use the funds to consolidate debt and secure a lower interest rate. Because of that, you might be able to afford a shorter term with higher monthly payments.

Evaluate Your Ability To Make Payments

As you select a term length, the goal is to balance affordable monthly payments and minimal interest charges. But it’s essential to be realistic about what you can manage. Opting for a long-term loan might make more sense if you can’t comfortably afford a higher monthly payment. The consequences of falling behind on payments can offset potential savings. 

If you miss payments, it can negatively impact your credit score. You might also have to pay late fees, which can add up quickly, or deal with third-party debt collectors. Even though extending your debt repayment is usually not ideal, it might make more sense in some circumstances.

Factor in Potential Life Changes

​​Whether you’re planning a cross-country move, switching careers or welcoming a new child, your life changes can significantly impact your finances. Consider upcoming life events as you determine the best term length for a personal loan. 

If there’s a big move on the horizon, for example, factor in moving costs and the impact those expenses will have on your ability to afford loan payments. Or maybe you know you’re due for a scheduled salary increase and can count on a raise soon, increasing your budget. Take time to evaluate upcoming changes as you find the loan term that’s the best fit.

Which Personal Loan Term Length Is Right for Me?

The best loan term length depends on your finances, goals and monthly budget. There are benefits and drawbacks to both short-term and long-term loans.

A short-term loan is an excellent choice if you can comfortably afford higher monthly payments and want to pay off debt fast. But depending on your circumstances, higher payments might mean you need to make temporary sacrifices in other areas of your budget and scale back on spending while you repay the loan.

For some borrowers, medium-term loans with three to five-year repayment periods offer the best of both worlds — manageable payments and reasonable interest charges. If you want to minimize the repayment timeline but need slightly lower monthly payments, this term length might make the most sense. 

Short or medium-term loans could make the most sense in the following situations.

• You can afford bigger monthly payments: If there’s room in your budget for a larger monthly payment, a short-term loan might be the right fit. 
• Debt payoff is your top priority: You may need to make financial sacrifices to afford a higher loan payment. It might be worth it if your goal is to become debt-free as soon as possible. 
• You want to minimize interest charges: A short-term loan helps ensure you pay as little interest as possible. The shorter the term, the less interest you pay.  

Long-term loans with term lengths of six years or more can offer flexibility with lower monthly payments. The downside? You’ll pay significantly more toward interest. If you opt for this term length, check if the lender charges prepayment penalties for paying off the loan early. If there aren’t any, you can pay the loan off early if your circumstances change, and you won’t accrue any fees for doing so. 

Long-term loans might be a better fit if you find yourself in any of these circumstances.

• You need lower monthly payments: A long-term loan could make sense if your budget cannot accommodate a large monthly payment. 
• Flexibility is most important: If you opt for a long-term loan with lower monthly payments and no prepayment penalty, you have maximum flexibility — smaller payments and the ability to pay it off early without charges.
• You have other financial priorities: If you’re juggling various financial obligations and goals, a long-term loan might be better for your current circumstances.

How To Get a Personal Loan

Once you’ve evaluated your finances, it’s time to apply for a personal loan and finalize the process. Expect the process to include the following steps.

Check Eligibility and Gather Documentation

Before you begin applying for a loan, gather documentation and prepare for the application process. Lenders typically require:

• Proof of income: Some lenders utilize an online verification process, but you typically need to provide recent pay stubs or bank statements. 
• Proof of identity: You usually need a government-issued ID to finalize your loan application. Lenders accept driver’s licenses, passports or state-issued identification cards.
• Proof of address: Lenders need to verify your address. Acceptable forms of documentation include utility bills, mortgage statements and lease contracts. 

It’s also a great time to check your credit report for errors or discrepancies. You can request a free copy of your report at AnnualCreditReport.com .

>> Related: Learn more about the documents required for a personal loan

Research and Compare Lenders

Once you’ve gathered the necessary documentation, you can compare lenders. There are three types of lenders: online lenders, banks and credit unions. If you’re already a bank or credit union customer, that might be a great place to start. You could also include some of the top online lenders in your shortlist.

Research potential lenders and review a handful of offers before you decide. It’s difficult to determine if you have a competitive loan offer unless you have other offers to compare it to.

>> Related: Online vs. In-Person Loans

Prequalify and Undergo Credit Check

After narrowing down your list of potential lenders, you can start the prequalification process, which allows you to review loan offers without undergoing a hard credit check. Not all lenders offer prequalification, so be sure to clarify before you complete the process, especially if you want to minimize hard credit checks, which can temporarily decrease your credit score.

The prequalification process is typically fast and straightforward. You’ll usually need to provide your Social Security number, address, income and estimated loan amount. The lender will then review your information, complete a soft credit check and provide prequalification offers.

>> Related: How to Prequalify for a Personal Loan

Review Loan Offers and Terms

Review the terms and conditions once you have prequalification offers from your top lenders. Consider the interest rate, term length and monthly payment amount. 

Some lenders offer different interest rates for different term lengths, so read the offer’s details and ask questions if you have any. It’s also an ideal time to ask about potential fees, including prepayment penalties and origination fees, which are a percentage of the loan amount.

>> Related: What Is a Good Interest Rate on a Personal Loan?

Finalize the Loan Agreement

Once you know your preferred lender, it’s time to submit an official loan application and finalize the agreement. During this step, you must provide the documentation you gathered at the beginning of the loan application process, including your proof of income and proof of identity.

Depending on the lender, finalizing the loan can take a few hours or a few business days. Once the loan application is complete, you’ll receive the funds. You might just need to allow for processing time while the money is transferred.

The Bottom Line

There’s no right or wrong answer regarding the best term length, but there’s usually an option that makes the most sense for your circumstances. Consider the implications of a loan agreement and compare offers from multiple lenders. Regardless of the term length, loans impact your finances and monthly cash flow. 

There are benefits and drawbacks to every financial decision, including term lengths. The longer you repay your loan, the more you’ll pay toward interest. But the perk is that your monthly payments will be smaller. A shorter loan term means you’ll be debt-free faster and pay less interest. But the drawback is that you have to commit to larger monthly payments. To make an informed decision, take time to review your budget, assess your goals and ask questions throughout the application process.

Frequently Asked Questions about Personal Loan Term Length

Do lenders prefer long-term loans.

It may seem like lenders would prefer longer loan terms due to the higher total interest fees. But longer loan terms can be risky for lenders. Personal loans often have a fixed interest rate, meaning it does not change throughout the loan term. Lenders could lose potential earnings if interest rates rise during that time because the borrower’s rate is locked in.

What are the disadvantages of long-term loans?

Borrowers with long-term loans pay more interest due to the extended repayment term length. For example, a $5,000 loan with 5% interest and a six-year term length equates to $797.78 paid toward interest. But the same loan with a two-year term length would only cost $264.57.

What are the dangers of using a short-term loan?

Short-term loans with one or two-year repayment periods come with high monthly payments. Because you’re paying the money back quickly, the payments are higher. You could fall behind if you overestimate your ability to make the payments. If that happens, it could negatively impact your credit score and lead to fees or wage garnishment.

Editor’s Note: Before making significant financial decisions, consider reviewing your options with someone you trust, such as a financial adviser, credit counselor or financial professional, since every person’s situation and needs are different.

If you have feedback or questions about this article, please email the MarketWatch Guides team at editors@marketwatchguides. com .

REVIEW article

Crafting personalized learning paths with ai for lifelong learning: a systematic literature review.

• 1 Business School, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Faculty of Informatics, Autonomous University of Querétaro, Monterrey, Mexico
• 2 EGADE Business School, Institute for the Future of Education, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
• 3 Faculty of Informatics, Autonomous University of Querétaro, Juriquilla, Mexico

The rapid evolution of knowledge requires constantly acquiring and updating skills, making lifelong learning crucial. Despite decades of artificial intelligence, recent advances promote new solutions to personalize learning in this context. The purpose of this article is to explore the current state of research on the development of artificial intelligence-mediated solutions for the design of personalized learning paths. To achieve this, a systematic literature review (SRL) of 78 articles published between 2019 and 2024 from the Scopus and Web or Science databases was conducted, answering seven questions grouped into three themes: characteristics of the published research, context of the research, and type of solution analyzed. This study identified that: (a) the greatest production of scientific research on the topic is developed in China, India and the United States, (b) the focus is mainly directed towards the educational context at the higher education level with areas of opportunity for application in the work context, and (c) the development of adaptive learning technologies predominates; however, there is a growing interest in the application of generative language models. This article contributes to the growing interest and literature related to personalized learning under artificial intelligence mediated solutions that will serve as a basis for academic institutions and organizations to design programs under this model.

Introduction

Today, lifelong learning has become an imperative to thrive in an ever-changing and evolving world. The quest for knowledge is no longer limited to traditional classrooms; instead, it has transformed into a personalized and adaptive journey that spans a lifetime. The individual’s life cycle can no longer be divided into a period of preparation followed by a period of action, but rather learning extends throughout all stages of life ( UNESCO, 2022 ). Promoting lifelong learning means creating systems that realize the right to education for people of all ages and provide opportunities to unleash their potential. Within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as guiding axes of the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), SDG 4 promotes ensuring inclusive quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for people ( UNESCO, 2017 ). The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) proposes four fundamental characteristics for lifelong learning: a systematic vision that includes both formal and informal educational contexts, the centrality of the learner by placing him/her as the focus of learning, the motivation to learn by developing the ability to “learn to learn” through self-regulated and self-directed learning, and the focus on a multi-objective education where learning priorities and goals can be transformed throughout the individual’s life ( OECD, 2009 ), in addition to the above, the recognition of the evolution of the concept of a single job for life makes it imperative for workers’ organizations to direct their efforts towards the development of new skills and lifelong learning ( Organización Internacional del Trabajo, 2020 ). With a view to increasing the life expectancy and quality of life of individuals, the study and development of lifelong learning options is becoming increasingly relevant.

Despite the growing recognition of the importance of lifelong learning, there is a significant gap in understanding how to effectively personalize learning experiences to meet the diverse and evolving needs of individuals throughout their lives. Traditional educational methods often fall short in providing the flexibility and adaptability required for lifelong learning. This gap necessitates the exploration of innovative solutions to enhance the personalization of learning experiences.

In this context, artificial intelligence (AI) emerges as a powerful and transformative ally, enabling the creation of personalized and effective learning experiences capable of adapting to the priorities and needs of the individual at a specific point in his or her life. The integration of AI-assisted learning solutions are key to the modernization of education as they have the ability to create motivating and quality learning environments ( Zhang et al., 2023 ). Artificial intelligence chatbots, for example, can provide individualized instruction and feedback based on the needs and progress of each learner, revolutionizing the concept of personalized learning ( Osamor et al., 2023 ). With the advent of generative language models, AI has reached new heights of capability and versatility, sparking unprecedented interest in its application for the design of learning trajectories ( Ifelebuegu, 2023 ). Because of its ability to transform education by offering motivating and personalized experiences that are tailored to individual needs, AI is positioned as an ally for lifelong learning.

The application of AI in educational contexts is not only based on the development of learning objects or tools for their creation but encompasses a wide range of applications. For the personalization of AI-mediated learning, researchers can opt for solutions such as mobile learning, educational games, collaborative learning in social networks, MOOCs or the application of augmented reality, among many others ( Hamal et al., 2022 ; Del Campo et al., 2023 ), without leaving aside the conversion towards an assessment of learning focused on complex thinking skills, avoiding the implicit risk of bad practices in the use of AI by students that constitute a threat to the legitimacy of online assessment and academic integrity ( Ifelebuegu, 2023 ). It is necessary, then, to consider that the use of IA in the educational context involves risks and limitations, among which are the problems of privacy, misinformation, plagiarism, biases and cultural differences and the lack of human connection, as well as other ethical implications, especially the gaps that may arise between students with access to these new technologies and those students who will be left behind due to the impossibility of access to these new educational models ( Wang et al., 2023 ; Bulathwela et al., 2024 ). Finally, it is important to note that the adoption of AI is not in itself the answer to meet the educational challenges in higher education and its use must be accompanied by a correct pedagogical design ( O’dea and O’Dea, 2023 ; Osamor et al., 2023 ). The adoption of AI in the educational context implies enormous advantages, however it is necessary to adopt a careful approach that allows minimizing its risks and maximizing its benefits in the development of solutions for the personalization of learning under a sound pedagogical design as an indispensable complement to this process. This research uses systematic literature review (SLR) to identify design strategies for artificial intelligence solutions in learning personalization. It aims to provide a broad overview of the current state of AI in learning personalization, highlight key areas of research, and advance the use of AI to enhance personalized learning in lifelong learning by proposing recommendations based on the findings to advance the integration of AI in personalized lifelong learning environments. The results contribute to the advancement of AI in learning personalization, key to educational innovation.

Literature review

Lifelong learning.

The growing need for adults to acquire new skills and knowledge to advance their careers, address personal problems, or start and manage ventures has generated a growing interest in designing online education programs that are tailored to their specific needs and characteristics. In today’s evolving work environment, students entering the job market must demonstrate not only performance, but also collaboration, negotiation, planning, and organizational skills ( Partnership for 21st Century Learning, 2019 ). The labor market is experiencing a shift toward complex “hybrid” jobs with emerging roles. This transition reflects a movement from manufacturing to service-oriented industries, reducing the demand for mechanical-routine workers and emphasizing the need for autonomous, flexible, and creative individuals capable of problem solving ( Chiappe et al., 2020 ). The European Area of Lifelong Learning (2021) defines lifelong learning as any learning activity undertaken throughout life to improve knowledge, skills and competences with a personal, civic, social or occupational perspective. Adult education, especially in the context of lifelong learning, is a field that has become increasingly important in an ever-changing world. The idea that learning is a continuous process throughout life has become a fundamental principle.

Lifelong learning is crucial for the continued development and progress of individuals throughout their lives. Lifelong learning is important for several reasons. Firstly, it allows individuals to continuously acquire new knowledge and skills, enabling personal and professional growth throughout their lives ( Merriam et al., 2007 ). Secondly lifelong learning also promotes community well-being and contributes to social cohesion ( Merriam and Kee, 2014 ). Thirdly, it can enhance political stability and non-violence by fostering a culture of learning and knowledge acquisition ( Asongu and Nwachukwu, 2016 ). Fourthly lifelong learning is crucial for adapting to the changing demands of the labor market, as it helps individuals stay relevant and employable ( Schultheiss and Backes-Gellner, 2023 ), and lastly, it can also promote equality by providing opportunities for disadvantaged individuals to access education and improve their socio-economic status ( Hällsten, 2011 ). In summary, lifelong learning is crucial to adapt to the changing demands of the labor market, promote equality and improve individual and community well-being, a tool that can help enhance the acquisition of new skills and knowledge for adults in a flexible environment and that advances at great speed thanks to AI for its ability to generate flexible and adaptable environments for the learner.

Artificial intelligence

In the current era, characterized by rapid technological evolution and the growing need for continuous adaptation, artificial intelligence emerges as an invaluable resource that transforms and enriches the educational landscape, offering personalized and motivating solutions that enhance lifelong learning. AI plays a crucial role in adult and lifelong learning. Lifelong learning aims to emulate the capability of humans to continuously acquire knowledge and skills throughout their lives ( Chen and Liu, 2018 ). AI systems can support lifelong learning by providing personalized and adaptive learning experiences, allowing individuals to learn at their own pace and according to their specific needs ( Ally and Perris, 2022 ). AI can enhance learning efficiency and cognitive abilities, improving teaching and learning outcomes ( Huang et al., 2021 ). Additionally, AI can automate the construction of visual–linguistic knowledge, enabling continuous knowledge construction for lifelong learning ( Ha et al., 2015 ). The use of AI in education can transform learning into an ongoing, lifelong process ( Tang and Deng, 2022 ). AI supports ongoing initiatives to promote lifelong learning by providing tailored and adaptable experiences. Moreover, AI aids lifelong learning through automated assessment and progress tracking ( Sanabria-Z et al., 2023 ). Overall, AI has the potential to revolutionize adult and lifelong learning by providing personalized, adaptive, and continuous learning experiences.

Despite the growing importance of online adult education and the existence of effective design principles, relatively little attention has been paid to how to adapt these principles to adult learning, specifically those seeking to acquire new skills related to adapting to changing work environments. Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have triggered a sudden change in the educational scene. Its characteristics of being free, heterogeneous, multi-thematic, and fostering lifelong learning have completely changed the instructional design scene, allowing these innovations and new architectures of teaching and learning to be included ( Valenzuela et al., 2019 ). In this sense, Conget et al. (2021) point out that lifelong learning benefits both from feedback that elicits reflection on learning as well as the promotion of curiosity, motivation, perseverance and regulation of learning. Lifelong learning empowers individuals to have control over their own learning agenda and shape their own lives ( Eynon and Malmberg, 2021 ). As adult learners may differ significantly from younger learners, learning design based on andragogical principles and focused on the pragmatic and context-dependent needs of learners calls for consideration of incorporating frameworks on lifelong learning for learning design. Overall, lifelong learning is essential for personal development, societal progress, and economic prosperity.

Personalized learning

Personalized learning has become a key approach in contemporary education. In a world where universal approaches are no longer appropriate, personalized learning requires education to provide customized solutions to students according to their particular needs. This represents a significant shift from traditional teacher-centered models. However, the reality of education in schools, especially in developing countries, is far from being flexible, personalized, oriented to the development of soft skills, and based on the use of information and communication technologies ( Chiappe et al., 2020 ). The U.S. Office of Educational Technology defined personalized learning as “instruction tailored to the specific learning needs, preferences, and interests of diverse learners” ( Peters and Araya, 2011 ). In a personalized educational environment, learning objectives and content, as well as method and pace, may vary, so personalization encompasses differentiation and individualization. Personalization of learning can be based either on the cognitive characteristics or behavioral traits of learners but also on their learning style, level of knowledge or learning preferences ( Nguyen and Nguyen, 2023 ). Personalization of learning enables the improvement of both academic performance and the enhancement of student’s digital skills ( Yang and Wen, 2023 ). However, it is not without its challenges, mainly in terms of social skills development due to the lack of community learning environments, which can isolate students and prevent them from acquiring the skills needed in a work environment ( Pence, 2020 ). The personalization of learning represents an enormous advantage, not only in terms of improving the student’s academic performance and the development of digital skills, but also in terms of the needs of adult learning in work contexts with a focus on lifelong learning.

Notwithstanding the efforts made for the incorporation of personalization of learning in the educational system, it still presents challenges that need to be faced. It is necessary to expand the existing knowledge on the design of learning itineraries in terms of actors involved, personalization strategies, pattern language, structure and ways to evaluate the results of the implementation ( Buitrago et al., 2021 ). Personalized learning challenges include a lack of unified agreement on the components needed for a dynamic, personalized learning approach, which can provide unique and effective learning experiences. It should consider learner profiles, prior knowledge, adaptive learning paths, and flexible self-paced environments, with learning analytics generating dynamic environments ( Shemshack et al., 2021 ). Personalization is most successful when relevant learner characteristics are measured repeatedly during the learning process and used to adapt instruction in a systematic way ( Tetzlaff et al., 2021 ). A successful personalized learning system balances making the best recommendations based on current knowledge and exploring new learning trajectories that may pay off ( Tang et al., 2019 ). In summary, to delve into the design of learning pathways and overcome the challenges that the implementation of personalized learning represents, it is crucial to foster effective and adaptive educational experiences that cater to the diverse needs and preferences of learners.

In order to establish the basis for the exploration of artificial intelligence-mediated personalization of learning as a response to the growing need to establish a continuum of lifelong learning and professional development, a systematic literature review (SRL) was conducted. The SRL method allows identifying, analyzing and interpreting evidence related to the research objective in an unbiased and repeatable way ( García-Peñalvo, 2017 ) being a process that synthesizes research in a systematic, transparent and reproducible way in order to enrich knowledge and inform policy making and practice ( Tranfield et al., 2003 ). The process consisted of (1) the formulation of research questions, (2) the selection of databases and search terms or keywords for the preliminary mapping of articles published on the topic in question as part of the search process, (3) the selection of quality criteria for the inclusion and exclusion of articles to be reviewed, (4) the selection and extraction of data and, finally, (5) the synthesis of information that would allow answers to the research questions defined ( Kitchenham and Charters, 2007 ; Landa et al., 2011 ). The control of this process was carried out following the guidelines established by the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) statement ( Page et al., 2021 ).

Research questions

The research questions were established in order to analyze published articles on artificial intelligence-mediated solutions for personalization of learning, published in the last five years. These seven research questions were designed to address three topics of interest:

1. Characteristics of the studies analyzed in the field of artificial intelligence and personalized learning.

2. Educational level and environment in which the research is carried out.

3. Solutions and technologies for AI-mediated personalization of learning.

The choice of research questions was based on the following criteria:

1. Relevance: the questions had to be relevant to the research topic, which is artificial intelligence applied to learning personalization.

2. Accuracy: The questions had to be precise and concise, to facilitate their understanding and response.

3. Feasibility: The questions had to be feasible to answer, taking into account the limitations of the research.

The research questions formulated are described in Table 1 .

Table 1 . Topics and research questions.

Search process

The search for articles was performed on February 26, 2024, in the Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) databases. The keywords chosen were: artificial intelligence and personalized learning, the search period: 2019 to 2024 and the document type: article, with the publication languages: English or Spanish, were the delimiters. The search strings are shown in Table 2 .

Table 2 . Search strings.

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

The Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) databases were used to search for articles. The search terms used were: Artificial intelligence, Personal learning, Personal training, and Learning path. For the elaboration of this review, the following categorization of criteria for the inclusion of information was carried out:

1. Thematic: Artificial intelligence and Personalized learning.

2. Spatial: It was decided not to establish a geographical restriction. Worldwide research is included only in English language.

3. Temporal: Papers published during the last five years are included, starting in 2019.

4. Type of document: Research articles.

5. As criteria for exclusion of information, it was established that documents lacking a theoretical or conceptual framework would be eliminated, as well as those that did not meet the previously established inclusion criteria.

Selection process and data extraction

The number of articles found in both databases (Scopus and WoS) was 139. Following quality criteria, four records corresponding to articles withdrawn from the publications were eliminated to proceed to a review of titles and abstracts in order to identify those articles that corresponded to the focus of interest of this publication in terms of type of document and relationship with the topic, leaving a total of 78 articles selected for the SRL, from which the following information was extracted: Title, Author, DOI, Abstract, Name of the publication, Number of citations and Country of the first author. This information was compiled in an Excel file available for consultation. Figure 1 shows the selection process of articles included in the SLR.

Figure 1 . PRISMA diagram.

Data extraction and synthesis

Before writing the narrative synthesis, the 78 selected publications were carefully read and summarized in the context of the research questions. Given the newness of the research in the field there was, to the authors’ knowledge, no definitive classification proposed for the type of artificial intelligence solutions used for learning personalization, so, to answer question RQ7 a classification of our own was created based on the classifications proposed by Hashim et al. (2022) and Bozkurt et al. (2021) which includes the categories: (1) Adaptive learning environments, (2) AI-aided LMS, (3) AI-Enabled Mobile Apps, (4) Content recommendation systems, (5) Generative language model, (6) Holistic integration, (7) Intelligent conversational agents and tutorials, (8) Learning analytics and personalized assessment, (9) Machine learning, (10) Smart classrooms/IoT, and (11) Virtual and augmented reality.

This section presents the results obtained from the meticulous and systematic analysis of the data collected. The articles under analysis are integrated in Supplementary Material , with an identification number, in order to identify them in some of the results.

RQ1. What is the geographical distribution of the authors of the articles analyzed?

In order to identify the regions of the world that are currently leading research on personalization of learning through artificial intelligence-assisted solutions, the geographical dispersion of the first authors of the articles reviewed was analyzed. Figure 2 shows that the highest concentration of authors is located in China outnumbering in a ratio of about 5:1 the next concentration located in the United States, followed by India and Germany. The areas with low scientific production on the subject are in Africa and Latin America.

Figure 2 . Geographical dispersion of authors.

The study of the geographic distribution of authors with interest in the subject allows us to identify the regions of the world where there is an area of opportunity for the development of research, especially if we consider that the personalization of learning requires adapting it to the characteristics of the student, which may be influenced by both culture and place of origin.

RQ2. In which journals have artificial intelligence and personalized learning items been published more, and what are the Q levels of the journals?

To understand which academic journals are leaders in the publication of articles related to artificial intelligence and personalized learning, we analyzed the total number of published articles as well as the year of publication and the quartile of classification of the journal. It was found that 37% of the published articles are grouped in 8 journals at the Q1 and Q2 levels: International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (6), Applied Mathematics and Nonlinear Sciences (5), Sustainability (Switzerland)(4), IEEE Access (4). Education Sciences (4), Frontiers in Psychology (3), Frontiers in Education (3). The analysis by quality levels (Q levels) of the journals indicates that 73% of the articles reviewed were published in journals with Q1 and Q2 level ( Figure 3 ).

Figure 3 . Frequency of publication by Q level.

The identification of publications and their quality level allows authors to identify sources for the dissemination of their research results through clarity on the perceived quality of research on personalization of learning and artificial intelligence as well as informed decision making for the development of strategies to raise the overall standard of research on the topic.

RQ3. What keywords are most commonly used in the analyzed articles?

The identification and analysis of keyword co-occurrence in the 78 articles reviewed made it possible to detect and group the concepts that are related to the key terms of this research: personalized learning and artificial intelligence. Figure 4 allows identifying the relationship between the term “personalized learning” and the four groupings of words, indicated by color, among which can be grouped those referring to learning analytics as a way to evaluate learning effectiveness, deep learning algorithms, the different personalization solutions mediated by artificial intelligence among which “e-learning,” “machine learning” and “learning systems” stand out. It is worth noting the grouping corresponding to generative language models where ChatGPT occupies an important place despite the novelty of its appearance in practice.

Figure 4 . Keyword co-occurrence map.

The keyword co-occurrence analysis allows identifying predominant themes and areas of interest in the academic literature, as well as emerging trends and possible gaps in knowledge. The groupings in terms of artificial intelligence-mediated solutions for learning personalization reflect the main trends in educational practice and confirm the classification proposed for the development of this research.

RQ4. What are the trends in research methods observed in the articles?

The analysis of trends in research methods and design allows inferring the preferred methodological approaches for research on learning personalization and artificial intelligence. The classification of articles was done in terms of quantitative methods (experimental design, quasi-experimental, applied experimental), qualitative methods (case study, conceptual design, exploratory, descriptive, grounded theory, theoretical research) and mixed methods (bibliometric analysis, case study, experimental, and systematic literature review) ( Bauer, 2000 ; Valenzuela and Flores, 2013 ). The review of research methods and designs results in a concentration of more than 50% of the articles reviewed whose research was conducted under a quantitative research method in an experimental research design. It should be noted that among the articles with the highest number of citations are studies conducted under a qualitative approach: A-131 with 64 citations on business models for the application of learning analytics and artificial intelligence for the development of learning solutions ( Renz and Hilbig, 2020 ), A-138 with 47 citations that explores whether artificial intelligence-mediated solutions can be applied in an enterprise learning environment for talent development ( Maity, 2019 ) A-132 with a state-of-the-art review on personalization of learning and exposing gaps in creating and maintaining motivation for learning, a focus on diversity, and eliminating data-and algorithm-induced biases ( Maghsudi et al., 2021 ), and A-056 on the advantages of using ChatGPT in the educational context, with 29 citations each ( Sallam et al., 2023 ). The results of this review are detailed in Figure 5 .

Figure 5 . Research methods and design.

The study of research methods and designs applied to the topics of interest is useful to determine their state of maturity since a tendency towards experimental and exploratory approaches denotes novelty in the topic and the existence of important gaps and areas of opportunity and convergence for future research.

RQ5. At what educational levels is the personalization of learning mediated by artificial intelligence being developed?

RQ6. In what environments is the research and development of initiatives on personalization of learning mediated by artificial intelligence taking place?

RQ7. What kind of solutions or technologies are being prioritized in the development of AI-mediated personalization of learning?

In order to identify the educational contexts and the kind of solutions towards which the research on personalized learning and artificial intelligence is directed, the classification of articles was made under three headings: Educational (encompasses primary education, secondary education and higher education), Industry (refers to the application in the workplace and/or in organizations) and Informal Education (that available outside the scope of formal education), finding that more than 80% of the research is conducted in the educational context with a prevalence of 86% in higher education, while only 11.5% of the articles reviewed have a focus on learning within the work context and 6.5% in the context of informal education. Within this context, the study of artificial intelligence under a holistic approach stands out (44%) and only two of the articles reviewed, whose first authors are located on the Asian continent, focus on a specific solution. In A-050, the authors point out the imperative need to establish large-scale rapid retraining systems for the workforce, anticipating that smart and virtual workplaces will replace traditional offices, and thus an artificial intelligence-based framework for rapid retraining of job skills is presented ( Ashrafi et al., 2023 ). In A-113, the authors propose a Blended Learning model for the assignment of learning paths based on the evaluation of knowledge acquisition with a focus on higher education applied in work contexts for the development of lifelong learning ( Bekmanova et al., 2021 ). The results of this analysis are shown in Figure 6 .

Figure 6 . Trends and context of AI-measured solutions for learning personalization.

In the educational context, the study of solutions focused on Adaptive Learning (11) predominates, followed closely by Generative Language Models (9): A-002, A-005, A-010, A-015, A-023, A-045, A-056, A-057, A-093 and A-040.

The analysis of the educational levels in which the development of solutions for the personalization of learning is studied allows identifying areas of opportunity in the expansion towards contexts where the solutions for the personalization of learning are applicable in the format of continuing education or lifelong learning for the development of work competencies as well as the development of Adaptive Learning solutions taking into account the characteristics of the adult population as well as the use of Generative Language Models for the integration of training programs for adults.

After analyzing 78 articles published in the Scopus and Web of Science databases between 2019 and 2024, the main findings and recommendations for future research are presented.

The study of personalization of learning through mediated solutions is not yet widespread as research is concentrated in a small number of countries. Figure 2 shows the geographical concentration of authors on the topic finding that the largest production comes from China, followed by far by the United States and India. The above coincides with the findings of other research ( Nguyen and Nguyen, 2023 ) and allows highlighting the need not only for further research on the subject but also for its geographical dispersion, since the risks exposed by Bulathwela et al. (2024) and Wang et al. (2023) point out the lack of democratization in the personalization of learning due to the existence of gaps in access, which will disadvantage students in countries lagging behind in the application and implementation of these solutions. The dissemination of the relevance of the topic is important to motivate research throughout the world.

Regarding the relevance of research on the topic, it is clear that top-tier academic publications are aware of the importance of the application of AI in personalizing learning. Figure 3 allows us to observe a significant concentration of publications in Q1 and Q2level publications. The finding coincides with that reported by Del Campo et al. (2023) who report a remarkable increase in the scientific literature on the subject in the last decade, focusing on the use of disruptive technologies in education especially in high impact publications. It is expected that this importance will peer in the educational environment for a greater scientific production on the research topic.

Although the novelty regarding the incorporation of generative language models has put the focus on the advantages of their adaptation for the personalization of learning, their adoption is not the only way to achieve the acquisition of learning and the development of digital skills. Figure 4 , through the correlation of terms around personalized learning allows identifying the importance of the development of these in a learning platform environment. The result is consistent with that pointed out by Hamal et al. (2022) and Valenzuela et al. (2019) . The new technologies, in terms of personalization of learning mediated by AI through solutions such as mobile learning, educational games, collaborative learning in social networks, MOOCs or the application of augmented reality, as well as the evaluation and feedback on them ( Ifelebuegu, 2023 ). The variety of options in terms of learning personalization demands a holistic approach to evaluate the effectiveness of different solutions.

Much of the research around AI and its different applications is still novel. Figure 5 shows a significant concentration of research still in its experimental and theoretical design stage. In their research Chiappe et al. (2020) point out that, although these concepts are not new, personal learning paths, research-based teaching, open, flexible and digitally supported curricula and lifelong learning, awaken a renewed interest by educational researchers and new developments around this area of study. It is inferred that, as this line of research acquires greater maturity, there will be more research on the evaluation of the effectiveness of its applications.

Finally, the existence of a wide window of opportunity for the development of personalized learning applications in informal education environments and work contexts where the need for lifelong learning dynamics is imperative is highlighted. Figure 6 shows the development trends and context in which AI-mediated solutions for the personalization of learning are developed where an incipient development is observed in informal education and work contexts. The design of these solutions must obey a correct pedagogical design ( Pence, 2020 ) and be oriented to the needs of users at different educational levels as a means of preparation for accessing job opportunities ( Sanabria-Z et al., 2023 ). In a world of constant change and evolution, individuals require learning solutions tailored to their interests, goals and preferences that allow them to remain relevant in the workplace.

Research on personalization of learning and the use of AI in lifelong learning emerges as a vital field in the current era of constant change in response to the need to adapt by developing the practice of continuous and adaptive lifelong learning. In this sense, the integration of AI solutions in education offers transformative potential to create personalized and effective learning experiences that adapt to individual and contextual needs. From the application of AI chatbots to generative language models, AI offers a range of innovative tools that revolutionize the concept of personalized learning.

However, it is crucial to address the challenges and risks associated with the use of AI in education. The concentration of research development in a few countries can contribute to algorithmic bias and the digital divide, highlighting the need for a careful and ethical approach to the implementation of these technologies. Furthermore, it is critical to recognize that IA is not a one-size-fits-all solution to all educational challenges but must be complemented by sound pedagogical design and attention to the specific needs of learners in different educational contexts and levels.

This study highlights the importance of continuing to research and develop IL solutions for the personalization of learning, especially in areas such as informal education and the workplace. The identification of trends, areas of opportunity and ethical challenges provides a solid foundation for future research and educational practices. Ultimately, the goal is to promote equitable and democratized access to personalized learning opportunities, thus driving innovation and progress in education towards lifelong learning.

This study is not exhaustive as it only analyzed publications found in two databases, which have the widest coverage but are not the only ones where relevant research on the topic can be found. The research method used (SLR) and its findings provide a comprehensive overview of the existing literature and highlight key areas in the use of IL to enhance personalized learning in the context of lifelong learning. The results of this research contribute to the advancement of the use of IA to enhance personalization of learning as one of the pillars of lifelong learning for innovation in education. Future lines of research are proposed among which are the determination of the factors that influence the effectiveness of personalization of learning as well as the ethical implications of this development to ensure equity and non-discrimination in access to these solutions in order to promote the democratization of learning.

Author contributions

KB-C: Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. M-SR-M: Conceptualization, Data curation, Funding acquisition, Investigation, Methodology, Resources, Supervision, Validation, Visualization, Writing – review & editing. AM-A: Supervision, Writing – review & editing.

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. The authors would like to thank the financial support from Tecnologico de Monterrey through the “Challenge-Based Research Funding Program 2022.” Project ID # I003 – IFE001 – C2-T3 – T. Also, academic support from Writing Lab, Institute for the Future of Education, Tecnologico de Monterrey, México.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision.

Publisher’s note

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Supplementary material

The Supplementary material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2024.1424386/full#supplementary-material

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Keywords: personalized learning paths, lifelong learning, artificial intelligence, educational innovation, higher education

Citation: Bayly-Castaneda K, Ramirez-Montoya M-S and Morita-Alexander A (2024) Crafting personalized learning paths with AI for lifelong learning: a systematic literature review. Front. Educ . 9:1424386. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2024.1424386

Received: 28 April 2024; Accepted: 30 July 2024; Published: 08 August 2024.

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Copyright © 2024 Bayly-Castaneda, Ramirez-Montoya and Morita-Alexander. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: K. Bayly-Castaneda, [email protected] ; M-S. Ramirez-Montoya, [email protected]

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