Writing a literature review: a practical guide

16/01/2025

A well-structured literature review is the foundation of every scientific paper. Whether it's a bachelor's thesis, a master's thesis or a larger paper, a clear view of the current state of research will help you to place your own research question in a scientific context. In this article, you will learn step by step how to plan and conduct a literature review and how to integrate it into your work.

1. What is a literature review?

A literature review (also called a "research overview") summarizes the current state of research on a specific topic. The aim is to:

  • collect relevant sources (e.g. books, journals, papers)
  • evaluate them critically
  • and present your results systematically

It is important that you not only summarize, but also critically discuss and show gaps in the literature that your work can close.

2. Why is a literature review so important?

  1. In-depth understanding
  2. You get to know your research question better and discover gaps that are relevant to your work.
  3. Clear theoretical foundation
  4. Your work gets a solid scientific basis on which you build hypotheses or theses.
  5. Comprehensible structure
  6. A systematic approach to the literature review shows that you work methodically and do not just randomly select sources.

3. Preparation: topic focus and key terms

Before you start reading, clarify the following points:

  • Topic outline: What exactly are you trying to examine?
  • Keywords: Define relevant search terms, e.g. "non-verbal communication", "body language", "digital marketing", etc.
  • Languages and synonyms: English-language research or synonyms ("employer branding" vs. "employer brand formation") are often indispensable.

It's best to create a "master list" of keywords and synonyms. This will save you time when you later research databases such as Google Scholar, JSTOR or EBSCO.

4. Research and select literature

Once you have defined your search terms, the actual research begins:

  1. Databases & libraries
    • Online catalog of your university: books, theses, journals
    • Subject-specific databases (e.g. ScienceDirect, PubMed, PsycINFO)
    • Google Scholar: scientific articles, conference proceedings, papers
  2. Relevance and quality check
    • Read title and abstract: this is usually enough to get a first impression.
    • Check the introduction and conclusion: this way you can quickly see whether the source is useful for you.
    • Peer review & ranking: Use rankings (e.g. Journal Quality List) to find high-quality studies and articles.
  3. Inclusion and exclusion criteria
    • Time frame (current studies vs. older basic works)
    • Place of publication (renowned journals, scientific publishers)
    • Language (German, English, possibly others)

This will help you to avoid drowning in a mountain of literature and to focus on the really relevant sources.

5. Evaluate the literature you have read

Once you have selected the most important sources, it's time to read them thoroughly and structure them. To help you with this,

  1. Create excerpts. Note down key statements, methods and results. A literature management program (e.g. Zotero, Mendeley or Citavi) makes sorting easier.
  2. Define categories. Ask yourself: Which topics or keywords can you create? This is how you find similarities and differences between sources.
  3. Compare critically
    • Which theories and models are used?
    • Where do the results match, where are there discrepancies?
    • What methodological weaknesses or strengths do studies show?

Your goal is not only to report facts, but also to question them critically and to relate them to each other.

6. structure of your literature review

A literature review can be presented in three main steps:

  1. Introduction
    • Introduce your topic and show why it is relevant.
    • Briefly state your question(s) and objective.
    • Explain how you proceeded with your research (search terms, databases, time periods, etc.).
  2. Main body
    • Funnel principle: Go from the general to the specific.
    • Present important basic theories and definitions at the beginning.
    • Then delve into more specialized studies that directly relate to your research question.
    • Identify similarities, controversies, and research gaps.
  3. Conclusion or synthesis
    • Summarize the key findings and discussions.
    • Identify which research gaps you want to address in the future.
    • Transition to your own research or to your main chapter (for theses).

7. Avoid plagiarism and citation styles

Make sure you use correct citations, e.g. according to APA, Harvard or the guidelines of your university. Also:

  • Direct quotations: Always include the page number.
  • Indirect quotations: These also require a citation.
  • Do not copy and paste passages: Otherwise, there is a risk of plagiarism.

A well-managed bibliography is the centerpiece of a reputable review.

8. Common mistakes in literature reviews

  • Too superficial research: Central sources or current studies are missing.
  • Pure summary: Those who only describe but do not discuss will not convince examiners.
  • Missing red thread: Pay attention to a logical sequence and transitions.
  • Outdated literature: older sources are important as a basis, but current studies are often essential.

9. Conclusion: the secret of a strong literature review

A high-quality literature review is more than a collection of abstracts. By critically examining existing studies, you make scientific progress visible and define the basis for your own work. Therefore, proceed strategically:

  1. Narrow down the topic precisely
  2. Do systematic research
  3. Critically evaluate and compare
  4. Structure logically
  5. Quote correctly

If you follow these steps, you will lay the foundation for a successful term paper, bachelor's or master's thesis – and gain scientific confidence.

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Good luck with your literature review!