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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.

Literature review guide

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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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Finding Examples

It may be useful to look at other reviews to learn how researchers in the field "summarize and synthesize" the literature. Most research article or dissertation in the sciences will include a section which reviews the literature. Though the section may not be labeled as such, you will quickly recognize it by the number of citations and the discussion of the literature. Another option is to look for Review Articles, which are literature reviews as a stand alone article. Here are some resources where you can find Research Articles, Review Articles and Dissertations:

  • Articles+ - Due to the interdisciplinary nature of gender & sexuality studies Articles+ can be a great place to start your research. Please make use of the filters on the left-hand side of the screen to help refine your searches. 
  • Gender Studies Database  & LGBT Thought and Culture - Gender Studies Database & LGBT Though and Culture have a large corpus of reviews and research articles. As with Articles+ make sure to take advantage of the filters (type of publication, publication date) to help refine your searches. 
  • Google Scholar   - Using the Cited By feature, hyperlinked below the search results, you can trace the scholarly conversation moving forward. 
  • Dissertations @ Princeton - Provides access to many Princeton dissertations, full text is available for most published after 1996.
  • Purdue OWL - The Purdue OWL site provides tips and examples of literature reviews and is a great source for reviewing citation styles 

*** Note about using Review Articles in your research - while they are useful in helping you to locate articles on your topic, remember that you must go to and use the original source if you intend to include a study mentioned in the review. The only time you would cite a review article is if they have made an original insight in their work that you talk about in your paper. Going to the original research paper allows you to verify the information about that study and determine whether the points made in the review are valid and accurate.

What is a literature review?

A literature review surveys scholarly articles, books and other sources relevant to a particular issue, area of research, or theory. The purpose is to offer an overview of significant literature published on a topic.

A literature review may constitute an essential chapter of a thesis or dissertation, or may be a self-contained review of writings on a subject. In either case, its purpose is to:

  • Place each work in the context of its contribution to the understanding of the subject under review
  • Describe the relationship of each work to the others under consideration
  • Identify new ways to interpret, and shed light on any gaps in, previous research
  • Resolve conflicts amongst seemingly contradictory previous studies
  • Identify areas of prior scholarship to prevent duplication of effort
  • Point the way forward for further research
  • Place one's original work (in the case of theses or dissertations) in the context of existing literature

A literature review can be just a simple summary of the sources, but it usually has an organizational pattern and combines both summary and synthesis. A summary is a recap of the important information of the source, but a synthesis is a re-organization, or a reshuffling, of that information. It might give a new interpretation of old material or combine new with old interpretations. Or it might trace the intellectual progression of the field, including major debates. And depending on the situation, the literature review may evaluate the sources and advise the reader on the most pertinent or relevant.

Similar to primary research, development of the literature review requires four stages:

  • Problem formulation—which topic or field is being examined and what are its component issues?
  • Literature search—finding materials relevant to the subject being explored
  • Data evaluation—determining which literature makes a significant contribution to the understanding of the topic
  • Analysis and interpretation—discussing the findings and conclusions of pertinent literature

Remember, this is a process and not necessarily a linear one. As you search and evaluate the literature, you may refine your topic or head in a different direction which will take you back to the search stage. In fact, it is useful to evaluate as you go along so you don't spend hours researching one aspect of your topic only to find yourself more interested in another.

The main focus of an academic research paper is to develop a new argument, and a research paper will contain a literature review as one of its parts. In a research paper, you use the literature as a foundation and as support for a new insight that you contribute. The focus of a literature review, however, is to summarize and synthesize the arguments and ideas of others without adding new contributions.

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RS5500: Seminar in Research Methods

  • Literature Review Tips
  • Search Strategies
  • Citing Images

More Resources & Tutorials

  • Getting Started Source: VCU
  • Literature Reviews: An Overview for Graduate Students. Source: NCSU Libraries
  • Literature Review Matrix Source: VCU
  • Purdue Owl Lit Review tips for Graduate Writing Workshops
  • The process handout Source: Nita Bryant, Virginia Commonwealth University

Lit Review 101

literature review in seminar report

How well you answer this question depends upon:

  • the effectiveness of your search for information
  • the quality & reliability of the sources you choose
  • your ability to synthesize the sources you select

The Process

The “literature” represents an on-going scholarly conversation. A literature review “re-views” – looks again – at what others have said, done, found in a particular area.

The “literature” you choose will inform and underpin everything you write, so plan searches carefully.

   Search

literature review in seminar report

An effective literature search:

  • reduces time spent looking for information
  • maximizes quality and appropriateness of results
  • helps clarify the scope of your research topic
  • helps define and “refine” the research question(s)
  • helps find data and research methods
  • helps locate a ‘niche’ in the literature
  • helps identify experts/ important works in the field

   Assess

literature review in seminar report

Topic relevance: Is the literature on the same topic as you proposed to study?

Individual and site relevance: Does the literature examine the same individuals and sites you want to study?

literature review in seminar report

  • Re-search if necessary - revise strategies, select new keywords, change databases, ect.
  • Re-fine the research question(s)
  • Re-assess the relevance of the literature
  • Repeat process if necessary

   Summarize

literature review in seminar report

Summarize each source to: 

  • Recap the important and most relevant information found in each source 
  • Identify variables 
  • Identify context/ setting 
  • Identify theories 
  • Identify findings

   Synthesize

Integrate the literature – enter into the on-going scholarly conversation with your own narrative about how these perspectives, findings, conclusions, fit together with one another – and – with your research questions 

  • Identify similarities and differences 
  • Trace the intellectual progression of the field, including major debates 
  • Reflect upon the importance of the body of literature for your research 
  • Evaluate the sources and advise the reader on the most pertinent or relevant.

Source:  Nita Bryant, Virginia Commonwealth University, November 18, 2013. 

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How To Write An A-Grade Literature Review

3 straightforward steps (with examples) + free template.

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Expert Reviewed By: Dr. Eunice Rautenbach | October 2019

Quality research is about building onto the existing work of others , “standing on the shoulders of giants”, as Newton put it. The literature review chapter of your dissertation, thesis or research project is where you synthesise this prior work and lay the theoretical foundation for your own research.

Long story short, this chapter is a pretty big deal, which is why you want to make sure you get it right . In this post, I’ll show you exactly how to write a literature review in three straightforward steps, so you can conquer this vital chapter (the smart way).

Overview: The Literature Review Process

  • Understanding the “ why “
  • Finding the relevant literature
  • Cataloguing and synthesising the information
  • Outlining & writing up your literature review
  • Example of a literature review

But first, the “why”…

Before we unpack how to write the literature review chapter, we’ve got to look at the why . To put it bluntly, if you don’t understand the function and purpose of the literature review process, there’s no way you can pull it off well. So, what exactly is the purpose of the literature review?

Well, there are (at least) four core functions:

  • For you to gain an understanding (and demonstrate this understanding) of where the research is at currently, what the key arguments and disagreements are.
  • For you to identify the gap(s) in the literature and then use this as justification for your own research topic.
  • To help you build a conceptual framework for empirical testing (if applicable to your research topic).
  • To inform your methodological choices and help you source tried and tested questionnaires (for interviews ) and measurement instruments (for surveys ).

Most students understand the first point but don’t give any thought to the rest. To get the most from the literature review process, you must keep all four points front of mind as you review the literature (more on this shortly), or you’ll land up with a wonky foundation.

Okay – with the why out the way, let’s move on to the how . As mentioned above, writing your literature review is a process, which I’ll break down into three steps:

  • Finding the most suitable literature
  • Understanding , distilling and organising the literature
  • Planning and writing up your literature review chapter

Importantly, you must complete steps one and two before you start writing up your chapter. I know it’s very tempting, but don’t try to kill two birds with one stone and write as you read. You’ll invariably end up wasting huge amounts of time re-writing and re-shaping, or you’ll just land up with a disjointed, hard-to-digest mess . Instead, you need to read first and distil the information, then plan and execute the writing.

Free Webinar: Literature Review 101

Step 1: Find the relevant literature

Naturally, the first step in the literature review journey is to hunt down the existing research that’s relevant to your topic. While you probably already have a decent base of this from your research proposal , you need to expand on this substantially in the dissertation or thesis itself.

Essentially, you need to be looking for any existing literature that potentially helps you answer your research question (or develop it, if that’s not yet pinned down). There are numerous ways to find relevant literature, but I’ll cover my top four tactics here. I’d suggest combining all four methods to ensure that nothing slips past you:

Method 1 – Google Scholar Scrubbing

Google’s academic search engine, Google Scholar , is a great starting point as it provides a good high-level view of the relevant journal articles for whatever keyword you throw at it. Most valuably, it tells you how many times each article has been cited, which gives you an idea of how credible (or at least, popular) it is. Some articles will be free to access, while others will require an account, which brings us to the next method.

Method 2 – University Database Scrounging

Generally, universities provide students with access to an online library, which provides access to many (but not all) of the major journals.

So, if you find an article using Google Scholar that requires paid access (which is quite likely), search for that article in your university’s database – if it’s listed there, you’ll have access. Note that, generally, the search engine capabilities of these databases are poor, so make sure you search for the exact article name, or you might not find it.

Method 3 – Journal Article Snowballing

At the end of every academic journal article, you’ll find a list of references. As with any academic writing, these references are the building blocks of the article, so if the article is relevant to your topic, there’s a good chance a portion of the referenced works will be too. Do a quick scan of the titles and see what seems relevant, then search for the relevant ones in your university’s database.

Method 4 – Dissertation Scavenging

Similar to Method 3 above, you can leverage other students’ dissertations. All you have to do is skim through literature review chapters of existing dissertations related to your topic and you’ll find a gold mine of potential literature. Usually, your university will provide you with access to previous students’ dissertations, but you can also find a much larger selection in the following databases:

  • Open Access Theses & Dissertations
  • Stanford SearchWorks

Keep in mind that dissertations and theses are not as academically sound as published, peer-reviewed journal articles (because they’re written by students, not professionals), so be sure to check the credibility of any sources you find using this method. You can do this by assessing the citation count of any given article in Google Scholar. If you need help with assessing the credibility of any article, or with finding relevant research in general, you can chat with one of our Research Specialists .

Alright – with a good base of literature firmly under your belt, it’s time to move onto the next step.

Need a helping hand?

literature review in seminar report

Step 2: Log, catalogue and synthesise

Once you’ve built a little treasure trove of articles, it’s time to get reading and start digesting the information – what does it all mean?

While I present steps one and two (hunting and digesting) as sequential, in reality, it’s more of a back-and-forth tango – you’ll read a little , then have an idea, spot a new citation, or a new potential variable, and then go back to searching for articles. This is perfectly natural – through the reading process, your thoughts will develop , new avenues might crop up, and directional adjustments might arise. This is, after all, one of the main purposes of the literature review process (i.e. to familiarise yourself with the current state of research in your field).

As you’re working through your treasure chest, it’s essential that you simultaneously start organising the information. There are three aspects to this:

  • Logging reference information
  • Building an organised catalogue
  • Distilling and synthesising the information

I’ll discuss each of these below:

2.1 – Log the reference information

As you read each article, you should add it to your reference management software. I usually recommend Mendeley for this purpose (see the Mendeley 101 video below), but you can use whichever software you’re comfortable with. Most importantly, make sure you load EVERY article you read into your reference manager, even if it doesn’t seem very relevant at the time.

2.2 – Build an organised catalogue

In the beginning, you might feel confident that you can remember who said what, where, and what their main arguments were. Trust me, you won’t. If you do a thorough review of the relevant literature (as you must!), you’re going to read many, many articles, and it’s simply impossible to remember who said what, when, and in what context . Also, without the bird’s eye view that a catalogue provides, you’ll miss connections between various articles, and have no view of how the research developed over time. Simply put, it’s essential to build your own catalogue of the literature.

I would suggest using Excel to build your catalogue, as it allows you to run filters, colour code and sort – all very useful when your list grows large (which it will). How you lay your spreadsheet out is up to you, but I’d suggest you have the following columns (at minimum):

  • Author, date, title – Start with three columns containing this core information. This will make it easy for you to search for titles with certain words, order research by date, or group by author.
  • Categories or keywords – You can either create multiple columns, one for each category/theme and then tick the relevant categories, or you can have one column with keywords.
  • Key arguments/points – Use this column to succinctly convey the essence of the article, the key arguments and implications thereof for your research.
  • Context – Note the socioeconomic context in which the research was undertaken. For example, US-based, respondents aged 25-35, lower- income, etc. This will be useful for making an argument about gaps in the research.
  • Methodology – Note which methodology was used and why. Also, note any issues you feel arise due to the methodology. Again, you can use this to make an argument about gaps in the research.
  • Quotations – Note down any quoteworthy lines you feel might be useful later.
  • Notes – Make notes about anything not already covered. For example, linkages to or disagreements with other theories, questions raised but unanswered, shortcomings or limitations, and so forth.

If you’d like, you can try out our free catalog template here (see screenshot below).

Excel literature review template

2.3 – Digest and synthesise

Most importantly, as you work through the literature and build your catalogue, you need to synthesise all the information in your own mind – how does it all fit together? Look for links between the various articles and try to develop a bigger picture view of the state of the research. Some important questions to ask yourself are:

  • What answers does the existing research provide to my own research questions ?
  • Which points do the researchers agree (and disagree) on?
  • How has the research developed over time?
  • Where do the gaps in the current research lie?

To help you develop a big-picture view and synthesise all the information, you might find mind mapping software such as Freemind useful. Alternatively, if you’re a fan of physical note-taking, investing in a large whiteboard might work for you.

Mind mapping is a useful way to plan your literature review.

Step 3: Outline and write it up!

Once you’re satisfied that you have digested and distilled all the relevant literature in your mind, it’s time to put pen to paper (or rather, fingers to keyboard). There are two steps here – outlining and writing:

3.1 – Draw up your outline

Having spent so much time reading, it might be tempting to just start writing up without a clear structure in mind. However, it’s critically important to decide on your structure and develop a detailed outline before you write anything. Your literature review chapter needs to present a clear, logical and an easy to follow narrative – and that requires some planning. Don’t try to wing it!

Naturally, you won’t always follow the plan to the letter, but without a detailed outline, you’re more than likely going to end up with a disjointed pile of waffle , and then you’re going to spend a far greater amount of time re-writing, hacking and patching. The adage, “measure twice, cut once” is very suitable here.

In terms of structure, the first decision you’ll have to make is whether you’ll lay out your review thematically (into themes) or chronologically (by date/period). The right choice depends on your topic, research objectives and research questions, which we discuss in this article .

Once that’s decided, you need to draw up an outline of your entire chapter in bullet point format. Try to get as detailed as possible, so that you know exactly what you’ll cover where, how each section will connect to the next, and how your entire argument will develop throughout the chapter. Also, at this stage, it’s a good idea to allocate rough word count limits for each section, so that you can identify word count problems before you’ve spent weeks or months writing!

PS – check out our free literature review chapter template…

3.2 – Get writing

With a detailed outline at your side, it’s time to start writing up (finally!). At this stage, it’s common to feel a bit of writer’s block and find yourself procrastinating under the pressure of finally having to put something on paper. To help with this, remember that the objective of the first draft is not perfection – it’s simply to get your thoughts out of your head and onto paper, after which you can refine them. The structure might change a little, the word count allocations might shift and shuffle, and you might add or remove a section – that’s all okay. Don’t worry about all this on your first draft – just get your thoughts down on paper.

start writing

Once you’ve got a full first draft (however rough it may be), step away from it for a day or two (longer if you can) and then come back at it with fresh eyes. Pay particular attention to the flow and narrative – does it fall fit together and flow from one section to another smoothly? Now’s the time to try to improve the linkage from each section to the next, tighten up the writing to be more concise, trim down word count and sand it down into a more digestible read.

Once you’ve done that, give your writing to a friend or colleague who is not a subject matter expert and ask them if they understand the overall discussion. The best way to assess this is to ask them to explain the chapter back to you. This technique will give you a strong indication of which points were clearly communicated and which weren’t. If you’re working with Grad Coach, this is a good time to have your Research Specialist review your chapter.

Finally, tighten it up and send it off to your supervisor for comment. Some might argue that you should be sending your work to your supervisor sooner than this (indeed your university might formally require this), but in my experience, supervisors are extremely short on time (and often patience), so, the more refined your chapter is, the less time they’ll waste on addressing basic issues (which you know about already) and the more time they’ll spend on valuable feedback that will increase your mark-earning potential.

Literature Review Example

In the video below, we unpack an actual literature review so that you can see how all the core components come together in reality.

Let’s Recap

In this post, we’ve covered how to research and write up a high-quality literature review chapter. Let’s do a quick recap of the key takeaways:

  • It is essential to understand the WHY of the literature review before you read or write anything. Make sure you understand the 4 core functions of the process.
  • The first step is to hunt down the relevant literature . You can do this using Google Scholar, your university database, the snowballing technique and by reviewing other dissertations and theses.
  • Next, you need to log all the articles in your reference manager , build your own catalogue of literature and synthesise all the research.
  • Following that, you need to develop a detailed outline of your entire chapter – the more detail the better. Don’t start writing without a clear outline (on paper, not in your head!)
  • Write up your first draft in rough form – don’t aim for perfection. Remember, done beats perfect.
  • Refine your second draft and get a layman’s perspective on it . Then tighten it up and submit it to your supervisor.

Literature Review Course

Psst… there’s more!

This post is an extract from our bestselling Udemy Course, Literature Review Bootcamp . If you want to work smart, you don't want to miss this .

You Might Also Like:

How To Find a Research Gap (Fast)

37 Comments

Phindile Mpetshwa

Thank you very much. This page is an eye opener and easy to comprehend.

Yinka

This is awesome!

I wish I come across GradCoach earlier enough.

But all the same I’ll make use of this opportunity to the fullest.

Thank you for this good job.

Keep it up!

Derek Jansen

You’re welcome, Yinka. Thank you for the kind words. All the best writing your literature review.

Renee Buerger

Thank you for a very useful literature review session. Although I am doing most of the steps…it being my first masters an Mphil is a self study and one not sure you are on the right track. I have an amazing supervisor but one also knows they are super busy. So not wanting to bother on the minutae. Thank you.

You’re most welcome, Renee. Good luck with your literature review 🙂

Sheemal Prasad

This has been really helpful. Will make full use of it. 🙂

Thank you Gradcoach.

Tahir

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Faturoti Toyin

thank you for this beautiful well explained recap.

Tara

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Lorraine Hall

Thank you the video was great – from someone that knows nothing thankyou

araz agha

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Suilabayuh Ngah

It is timely

It is very good video of guidance for writing a research proposal and a dissertation. Since I have been watching and reading instructions, I have started my research proposal to write. I appreciate to Mr Jansen hugely.

Nancy Geregl

I learn a lot from your videos. Very comprehensive and detailed.

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Uzma

I was really stuck in reading and gathering information but after watching these things are cleared thanks, it is so helpful.

Xaysukith thorxaitou

Really helpful, Thank you for the effort in showing such information

Sheila Jerome

This is super helpful thank you very much.

Mary

Thank you for this whole literature writing review.You have simplified the process.

Maithe

I’m so glad I found GradCoach. Excellent information, Clear explanation, and Easy to follow, Many thanks Derek!

You’re welcome, Maithe. Good luck writing your literature review 🙂

Anthony

Thank you Coach, you have greatly enriched and improved my knowledge

Eunice

Great piece, so enriching and it is going to help me a great lot in my project and thesis, thanks so much

Stephanie Louw

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Thanks, Stephanie 🙂

oghenekaro Silas

This is mind blowing, the detailed explanation and simplicity is perfect.

I am doing two papers on my final year thesis, and I must stay I feel very confident to face both headlong after reading this article.

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if anyone is to get a paper done on time and in the best way possible, GRADCOACH is certainly the go to area!

tarandeep singh

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uku igeny

Thank you excellent piece of work and great mentoring

Abdul Ahmad Zazay

Thanks, it was useful

Maserialong Dlamini

Thank you very much. the video and the information were very helpful.

Suleiman Abubakar

Good morning scholar. I’m delighted coming to know you even before the commencement of my dissertation which hopefully is expected in not more than six months from now. I would love to engage my study under your guidance from the beginning to the end. I love to know how to do good job

Mthuthuzeli Vongo

Thank you so much Derek for such useful information on writing up a good literature review. I am at a stage where I need to start writing my one. My proposal was accepted late last year but I honestly did not know where to start

SEID YIMAM MOHAMMED (Technic)

Like the name of your YouTube implies you are GRAD (great,resource person, about dissertation). In short you are smart enough in coaching research work.

Richie Buffalo

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Norasyidah Mohd Yusoff

Very comprehensive and eye opener for me as beginner in postgraduate study. Well explained and easy to understand. Appreciate and good reference in guiding me in my research journey. Thank you

Maryellen Elizabeth Hart

Thank you. I requested to download the free literature review template, however, your website wouldn’t allow me to complete the request or complete a download. May I request that you email me the free template? Thank you.

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HIST 500 - Senior Seminar: Literature Review

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Literature Review Learning to write a structured review of literature

What is a Literature Review?

A Literature Review is a systematic and comprehensive analysis of books, scholarly articles, and other sources relevant to a specific topic providing a base of knowledge on a topic. Literature reviews are designed to identify and critique the existing literature on a topic to justify your research by exposing gaps in current research.  This investigation should provide a description, summary, and critical evaluation of works related to the research problem and should also add to the overall knowledge of the topic as well as demonstrating how your research will fit within a larger field of study.  A literature review should offer a  critical analysis of the current research on a topic and that analysis should direct your research objective. This should not be confused with a book review or an annotated bibliography both research tools but very different in purpose and scope.  A Literature Review can be a stand-alone element or part of a larger end product, know your assignment.  The key to a good Literature Review is to document your process .

Basics of a Literature Review

17 - what is a literature review from Joshua Vossler on Vimeo .

This guide is a curated collection of materials from around the internet used with permission: including videos,  infographics, text blocks, and other materials when citing the entire guide use: 

Karas, Laura B. “Literature Review.” LibGuides , University of South Carolina Upstate, https://uscupstate.libguides.com/Literature_Review.

When citing an element such as an individual video, or infographic use the original source, that is linked back such as:

Vossler, Joshua, director. What Is a Literature Review . Vimeo , University of West Florida, 2014, https://vimeo.com/90324266. Accessed 29 June 2022.

There are many different ways to organize your references in a literature review, but most reviews contain certain basic elements.

  • The objective of the literature review - Clearly describe the purpose of the paper and state your objectives in completing the literature review.
  • Overview of the subject, issue, or theory under consideration – Give an overview of your research topic and what prompted it.
  • Categorization of sources – Grouping your research either historic, chronologically, or thematically
  • Organization of Subtopics – Subtopics should be grouped and presented in a logical order starting with the most prominent or significant and moving to the least significant
  • Discussion – Provide analysis of both the uniqueness of each source and its similarities with other sources
  • Conclusion  - Summary of your analysis and evaluation of the reviewed works and how it is related to its parent discipline, scientific endeavor, or profession

Literature Reviews: Common Errors Made When Conducting a Literature Review

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IME 777 - Graduate Research Seminar

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Literature reviews

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1. Introduction

Not to be confused with a book review, a  literature review  surveys scholarly articles, books and other sources (e.g. dissertations, conference proceedings, reports) relevant to a particular issue, area of research, or theory.  Literature reviews provide a description, summary, and critical evaluation of each work. The purpose is to offer an overview of and background on significant literature published on a topic, as well as your own critical thinking on how these works comprise this background, and what questions remain unaddressed by the existing literature.

2. Definition and Use/Purpose

A literature review may constitute an essential chapter of a thesis or dissertation, or may be a self-contained review of writings on a subject. In either case, its purpose is to:

  • Place each work in the context of its contribution to the understanding of the subject under review
  • Describe the relationship of each work to the others under consideration
  • Identify new ways to interpret, and shed light on any gaps in, previous research
  • Resolve conflicts amongst seemingly contradictory previous studies
  • Identify areas of prior scholarship to prevent duplication of effort (or retest previous effort to confirm of dispute it)
  • Point the way forward for further research
  • Place one's original work in the context of existing literature

The literature review itself, however, does not present new  primary  scholarship. 

3. Components

Literature reviews should comprise the following elements:

  • An overview of the subject, issue or theory under consideration, along with the objectives of the literature review
  • Division of works under review into categories (e.g. those in support of a particular position, those against, and those offering alternative theses entirely)
  • Explanation of how each work is similar to and how it varies from the others
  • Conclusions as to which pieces are best considered in their argument, and make the greatest contribution to the understanding and development of their area of research

Information adapted from the   UC Santa Cruz University Library

Literature Review Examples

  • A PA Style Sample Literature Review Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)
  • Sample APA Paper (lit. review begins page 3) Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)
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Making Literature Reviews Work: A Multidisciplinary Guide to Systematic Approaches pp 441–463 Cite as

Reporting Standards for Literature Reviews

  • Rob Dekkers 4 ,
  • Lindsey Carey 5 &
  • Peter Langhorne 6  
  • First Online: 11 August 2022

1430 Accesses

Previous chapters have already referred to reporting of literature reviews. Cases in point are Section  3.5 about evidencing engagement with consulted studies, the assessment of the quality of evidence in Sections  6.4 and 6.5 , and combining quantitative and qualitative syntheses in Section  12.4 . Considering how to report results, conjectures, findings, conclusions and recommendations is an important aspect of conducting a literature review; this applies to literature reviews for empirical studies as well as stand-alone literature reviews. Depending on the purpose of the literature review, the audience may consist of scholars, researchers, practitioners, policymakers and citizens, or even examiners, for example in the case of doctoral theses. Such broad variety of readers also requires paying attention to reporting, presenting of the literature review and making it accessible to intended readers, which includes writing (for the latter, see Sections  15.6 and 15.7 ).

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Systematic Process for Investigating and Describing Evidence-based Research.

For a further elaboration of these and related arguments, see Section 17.2 .

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Vandenbroucke JP, von Elm E, Altman DG, Gøtzsche PC, Mulrow CD, Pocock SJ, Poole C, Schlesselman JJ, Egger M, STROBE Initiative (2007) Strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology (STROBE): explanation and elaboration. PLoS Med 4(10):e297. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.0040297

Webster J, Watson RT (2002) Analyzing the past to prepare for the future: writing a literature review. MIS Quart 26(2):xiii–xxiii

Welch V, Petticrew M, Tugwell P, Moher D, O’Neill J, Waters E, White H (2012) PRISMA-equity 2012 extension: reporting guidelines for systematic reviews with a focus on health equity. PLoS Med 9(10):e1001333. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001333

Wong G, Greenhalgh T, Westhorp G, Buckingham J, Pawson R (2013a) RAMESES publication standards: meta-narrative reviews. BMC Med 11(1):20. https://doi.org/10.1186/1741-7015-11-20

Wong G, Greenhalgh T, Westhorp G, Buckingham J, Pawson R (2013b) RAMESES publication standards: realist syntheses. BMC Med 11(1):21(21–14). https://doi.org/10.1186/1741-7015-11-21

Yoshii A, Plaut DA, McGraw KA, Anderson MJ, Wellik KE (2009) Analysis of the reporting of search strategies in cochrane systematic reviews. J Med Libr Assoc: JMLA 97(1):21–29. https://doi.org/10.3163/1536-5050.97.1.004

Zhang J, Han L, Shields L, Tian J, Wang J (2019) A PRISMA assessment of the reporting quality of systematic reviews of nursing published in the Cochrane library and paper-based journals. Medicine 98(49):e18099. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000018099

Zumsteg JM, Cooper JS, Noon MS (2012) Systematic review checklist. J Ind Ecol 16(s1):S12–S21. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1530-9290.2012.00476.x

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Dekkers, R., Carey, L., Langhorne, P. (2022). Reporting Standards for Literature Reviews. In: Making Literature Reviews Work: A Multidisciplinary Guide to Systematic Approaches. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-90025-0_13

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ARCH 433/533 Contemporary Issues Seminar: What is a Literature Review?

  • Beginning Your Research
  • Reference Works
  • What is a Literature Review?
  • Cite Sources

What's a Literature Review?

A Literature Review...

  • Provides comprehensive discussion of the scholarly research that has already been done on a topic.
  • Includes some summary of important articles on a topic.
  • Includes comparison: between how different authors discuss the same topic and how the topic has been handled over time.
  • Synthesizes previous ideas on a topic, but also looks for gaps in the literature: what needs to be investigated further?

What Should a Literature Review Do?

A Literature Review should...

  • Relate directly and clearly to your thesis or research question.
  • Synthesize and contextualize results, not just report them.
  • Identify areas of controversy in the literature.
  • Formulate questions that need further research.

Adapted from “The Literature Review: A Few Tips on Conducting It”, by Dena Taylor and Margaret Procter, University of Toronto: www.writing.utoronto.ca (file linked below)

  • The Literature Review: A Few Tips on Conducting It This two-page PDF handout created by Dena Taylor and Margaret Procter at the University of Toronto has excellent guidance on conducting a literature review.

Literature Reviews: An Overview for Graduate Students

This excellent overview of the literature review explains what a literature review and outlines processes and best practices for doing one. It includes input from an NCSU professor on what a literature review is and what it should do. (Shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US license, attributed to North Carolina State University Libraries ).

Literature Review Guides

  • Literature Reviews for Public Affairs and Policy by Catherine Davenport Last Updated Nov 13, 2023 67 views this year
  • Research for Thesis & Dissertation Literature Reviews by Kimberly Pendell Last Updated Feb 8, 2024 414 views this year
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Literature Review

  • Empirical Research
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A literature review is an account of what has been published on a topic by accredited scholars and researchers.

A good literature review is not simply a list describing or summarizing several articles. a good literature review shows signs of synthesis and understanding of the topic. it surveys, summarizes, and links together research (a.k.a., literature) in a given field., a good literature review:, 1. is organized around and related directly to the thesis or research question, 2. synthesizes results into a summary of what is and is not known, 3. identifies areas of controversy in the literature, 4. formulates questions that need further research.

  • Literature Reviews This handout will explain what literature reviews are and offer insights into the form and construction of literature reviews in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. - From Writing Center at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Writing the Literature Review: Step-by-Step Tutorial (parts 1, 2, & 3) This three-part video on the Literature Review by David White of the University of Maryland, gives short simple instructions on the conduct and writing of a Literature Review
  • SAGE Research Methods This link opens in a new window *Find reference materials on conducting research. *Find information on how to design and conduct a research project. *Learn how to conduct a literature review. *Read case studies from researchers. *Find e-books in qualitative methods. *Find downloadable datasets to practice quantitative statistical and analytical methods. *View streaming video collection dedicated to methods. Tools include a project planner, methods map, which stats test to help determine which statistical method to apply, 2,000+ qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods case studies, 500+ datasets-indexed by method and data type, streaming video collections, and more. more... less... Includes diversified types of research materials such as reference works, journal articles, datasets, e-books, and videos by leading academics. It has the largest e-book collection in qualitative methods. The resources cover every aspect of research skills training to help researchers at all levels through the steps of the research process, from developing a research question, doing a literature review, planning a project, collecting and analyzing data, and writing up a report, dissertation or thesis.

literature review in seminar report

How to find Empirical Studies:

1. read the descriptions of the databases to decide which one to use., 2. click on the database link., 3. do an advanced search., 4. type in your keywords., use and between disparate terms and or between similar terms., for example:, line 1: "food desert", line 2: miami or "south florida" or overtown or ... *, notice i put the phrases in "quotes". this tells the database to look for the words side by side., use * for stems of words.  for example, grocer* will find grocery, groceries, grocer, etc., 5. click the box in the database for peer-reviewed. this will provide results that are reviewed by other scholars and evaluated whether the research is sound, reliable, and valid., 6. when you get your results, read through the abstract to look for hints of an empirical study., hints include:, a. specific research question, b. primary data, c. ability to replicate, d. conclusions, 7. if there isn't a link to the full-text, click find it @fiu to search for the full-text..

What is an Empirical Study?

It is report of research based on actual observation or experiment., is there a specific research question, does the article include primary data, can the study be replicated, how are conclusions formed.

  • Types of Data Quantitative, Qualitative, Mixed Methods
  • Types of Research Definitions of 5 common types of research.
  • Types of Studies Definitions of different types of studies.

literature review in seminar report

  • Literature Review from USC LIbraries Detailed page on different kinds of literature reviews and what should/should not be included.

Some questions to think about as you develop your literature review:

  • Who are the significant research personalities in this area?
  • Is there consensus about the topic?
  • What aspects have generated significant debate on the topic?
  • What methods or problems were identified by others studying in the field and how might they impact your research?
  • What is the most productive methodology for your research based on the literature you have reviewed?
  • What is the current status of research in this area?
  • What sources of information or data were identified that might be useful to you?

When deciding what publications to include in a literature review, ask the following questions.

  • Credibility -- What are the author's credentials? Are the author's arguments supported by evidence [e.g. case studies, empirical evidence, statistics, recent scientific findings]?
  • Methodology  -- Were the techniques used to identify, gather, and analyze the data appropriate for the research problem? Was the sample size appropriate? Were the results effectively interpreted and reported?
  • Objectivity  -- Is the author's perspective even-handed or biased? Is contrary data considered or is certain pertinent information ignored to prove the author's point?
  • Persuasiveness  -- Which of the publications have most convincing or least convincing thesis?
  • Value  -- Does the work contribute to an understanding of the subject?
  • Need more help?

The links below include literature reviews.  

  • Accounting and the 'Insoluble' Problem of Health-Care Costs
  • Understanding the Concept of Wellness for the Future of the Tourism Industry: A Literature Review.
  • Promoting Malaysia Medical Tourism Through MyCREST Oriented Retrofitted Hospitals
  • Do the uninsured demand less care? Evidence from Maryland's hospitals
  • Income vs price subsidy: policy options to help the urban poor facing food price surge

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How to Write a Seminar Paper

Last Updated: October 17, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Christopher Taylor, PhD . Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. There are 16 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 615,579 times.

A seminar paper is a work of original research that presents a specific thesis and is presented to a group of interested peers, usually in an academic setting. For example, it might serve as your cumulative assignment in a university course. Although seminar papers have specific purposes and guidelines in some places, such as law school, the general process and format is the same. The steps below will guide you through the research and writing process of how to write a seminar paper and provide tips for developing a well-received paper.

Getting Started

Step 1 Learn the basic features of a seminar paper.

  • an argument that makes an original contribution to the existing scholarship on your subject
  • extensive research that supports your argument
  • extensive footnotes or endnotes (depending on the documentation style you are using)

Step 2 Ask for clarification if needed.

  • Make sure that you understand how to cite your sources for the paper and how to use the documentation style your professor prefers, such as APA , MLA , or Chicago Style .
  • Don’t feel bad if you have questions. It is better to ask and make sure that you understand than to do the assignment wrong and get a bad grade.

Step 3 Plan ahead.

  • Since it's best to break down a seminar paper into individual steps, creating a schedule is a good idea. You can adjust your schedule as needed.
  • Do not attempt to research and write a seminar in just a few days. This type of paper requires extensive research, so you will need to plan ahead. Get started as early as possible. [3] X Research source

Step 4 Generate ideas for your seminar paper.

  • Listing List all of the ideas that you have for your essay (good or bad) and then look over the list you have made and group similar ideas together. Expand those lists by adding more ideas or by using another prewriting activity. [5] X Research source
  • Freewriting Write nonstop for about 10 minutes. Write whatever comes to mind and don’t edit yourself. When you are done, review what you have written and highlight or underline the most useful information. Repeat the freewriting exercise using the passages you underlined as a starting point. You can repeat this exercise multiple times to continue to refine and develop your ideas. [6] X Research source
  • Clustering Write a brief explanation (phrase or short sentence) of the subject of your seminar paper on the center of a piece of paper and circle it. Then draw three or more lines extending from the circle. Write a corresponding idea at the end of each of these lines. Continue developing your cluster until you have explored as many connections as you can. [7] X Research source
  • Questioning On a piece of paper, write out “Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?” Space the questions about two or three lines apart on the paper so that you can write your answers on these lines. Respond to each question in as much detail as you can. [8] X Research source

Step 5 Create a research question to help guide your research.

  • For example, if you wanted to know more about the uses of religious relics in medieval England, you might start with something like “How were relics used in medieval England?” The information that you gather on this subject might lead you to develop a thesis about the role or importance of relics in medieval England.
  • Keep your research question simple and focused. Use your research question to narrow your research. Once you start to gather information, it's okay to revise or tweak your research question to match the information you find. Similarly, you can always narrow your question a bit if you are turning up too much information.

Conducting Research

Step 1 Collect research for your paper.

  • Use your library’s databases, such as EBSCO or JSTOR, rather than a general internet search. University libraries subscribe to many databases. These databases provide you with free access to articles and other resources that you cannot usually gain access to by using a search engine. If you don't have access to these databases, you can try Google Scholar.

Step 2 Evaluate your sources to determine their credibility.

  • Publication's credentials Consider the type of source, such as a peer-reviewed journal or book. Look for sources that are academically based and accepted by the research community. Additionally, your sources should be unbiased.
  • Author's credentials Choose sources that include an author’s name and that provide credentials for that author. The credentials should indicate something about why this person is qualified to speak as an authority on the subject. For example, an article about a medical condition will be more trustworthy if the author is a medical doctor. If you find a source where no author is listed or the author does not have any credentials, then this source may not be trustworthy. [12] X Research source
  • Citations Think about whether or not this author has adequately researched the topic. Check the author’s bibliography or works cited page. If the author has provided few or no sources, then this source may not be trustworthy. [13] X Research source
  • Bias Think about whether or not this author has presented an objective, well-reasoned account of the topic. How often does the tone indicate a strong preference for one side of the argument? How often does the argument dismiss or disregard the opposition’s concerns or valid arguments? If these are regular occurrences in the source, then it may not be a good choice. [14] X Research source
  • Publication date Think about whether or not this source presents the most up to date information on the subject. Noting the publication date is especially important for scientific subjects, since new technologies and techniques have made some earlier findings irrelevant. [15] X Research source
  • Information provided in the source If you are still questioning the trustworthiness of this source, cross check some of the information provided against a trustworthy source. If the information that this author presents contradicts one of your trustworthy sources, then it might not be a good source to use in your paper.

Step 3 Read your research.

  • Give yourself plenty of time to read your sources and work to understand what they are saying. Ask your professor for clarification if something is unclear to you.
  • Consider if it's easier for you to read and annotate your sources digitally or if you'd prefer to print them out and annotate by hand.

Step 4 Take notes while you read your sources.

  • Be careful to properly cite your sources when taking notes. Even accidental plagiarism may result in a failing grade on a paper.

Drafting Your Paper

Step 1 Write a thesis.

  • Make sure that your thesis presents an original point of view. Since seminar papers are advanced writing projects, be certain that your thesis presents a perspective that is advanced and original. [18] X Research source
  • For example, if you conducted your research on the uses of relics in medieval England, your thesis might be, “Medieval English religious relics were often used in ways that are more pagan than Christian.”

Step 2 Develop a rough...

  • Organize your outline by essay part and then break those parts into subsections. For example, part 1 might be your introduction, which could then be broken into three sub-parts: a)opening sentence, b)context/background information c)thesis statement.

Step 3 Hook your readers from the beginning.

  • For example, in a paper about medieval relics, you might open with a surprising example of how relics were used or a vivid description of an unusual relic.
  • Keep in mind that your introduction should identify the main idea of your seminar paper and act as a preview to the rest of your paper.

Step 4 Provide relevant background information to guide your readers.

  • For example, in a paper about relics in medieval England, you might want to offer your readers examples of the types of relics and how they were used. What purpose did they serve? Where were they kept? Who was allowed to have relics? Why did people value relics?
  • Keep in mind that your background information should be used to help your readers understand your point of view.

Step 5 Present your claims and research in an organized fashion.

  • Remember to use topic sentences to structure your paragraphs. Provide a claim at the beginning of each paragraph. Then, support your claim with at least one example from one of your sources. Remember to discuss each piece of evidence in detail so that your readers will understand the point that you are trying to make.

Step 6 Consider using headings and/or subheadings to organize your paper.

  • For example, in a paper on medieval relics, you might include a heading titled “Uses of Relics” and subheadings titled “Religious Uses”, “Domestic Uses”, “Medical Uses”, etc.

Step 7 Conclude your paper.

  • Synthesize what you have discussed . Put everything together for your readers and explain what other lessons might be gained from your argument. How might this discussion change the way others view your subject?
  • Explain why your topic matters . Help your readers to see why this topic deserve their attention. How does this topic affect your readers? What are the broader implications of this topic? Why does your topic matter?
  • Return to your opening discussion. If you offered an anecdote or a quote early in your paper, it might be helpful to revisit that opening discussion and explore how the information you have gathered implicates that discussion.

Step 8 Create your bibliography.

  • Ask your professor what documentation style he or she prefers that you use if you are not sure.
  • Visit your school’s writing center for additional help with your works cited page and in-text citations.

Revising Your Paper

Step 1 Give yourself adequate time to revise.

  • What is your main point? How might you clarify your main point?
  • Who is your audience? Have you considered their needs and expectations?
  • What is your purpose? Have you accomplished your purpose with this paper?
  • How effective is your evidence? How might your strengthen your evidence?
  • Does every part of your paper relate back to your thesis? How might you improve these connections?
  • Is anything confusing about your language or organization? How might your clarify your language or organization?
  • Have you made any errors with grammar, punctuation, or spelling? How can you correct these errors?
  • What might someone who disagrees with you say about your paper? How can you address these opposing arguments in your paper? [26] X Research source

Step 4 Proofread a printed version of your paper.

Features of Seminar Papers and Sample Thesis Statements

literature review in seminar report

Community Q&A

Community Answer

  • Keep in mind that seminar papers differ by discipline. Although most seminar papers share certain features, your discipline may have some requirements or features that are unique. For example, a seminar paper written for a Chemistry course may require you to include original data from your experiments, whereas a seminar paper for an English course may require you to include a literature review. Check with your student handbook or check with your advisor to find out about special features for seminar papers in your program. Make sure that you ask your professor about his/her expectations before you get started as well. [27] X Research source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
  • When coming up with a specific thesis, begin by arguing something broad and then gradually grow more specific in the points you want to argue. Thanks Helpful 23 Not Helpful 11
  • Choose a topic that interests you, rather than something that seems like it will interest others. It is much easier and more enjoyable to write about something you care about. Thanks Helpful 6 Not Helpful 1

literature review in seminar report

  • Do not be afraid to admit any shortcomings or difficulties with your argument. Your thesis will be made stronger if you openly identify unresolved or problematic areas rather than glossing over them. Thanks Helpful 13 Not Helpful 6
  • Plagiarism is a serious offense in the academic world. If you plagiarize your paper you may fail the assignment and even the course altogether. Make sure that you fully understand what is and is not considered plagiarism before you write your paper. Ask your teacher if you have any concerns or questions about your school’s plagiarism policy. Thanks Helpful 7 Not Helpful 2

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  • ↑ https://umweltoekonomie.uni-hohenheim.de/fileadmin/einrichtungen/umweltoekonomie/1-Studium_Lehre/Materialien_und_Informationen/Guidelines_Seminar_Paper_NEW_14.10.15.pdf
  • ↑ https://www.bestcolleges.com/blog/how-to-ask-professor-feedback/
  • ↑ http://www.law.georgetown.edu/library/research/guides/seminar_papers.cfm
  • ↑ https://www.stcloudstate.edu/writeplace/_files/documents/writing%20process/choosing-and-narrowing-an-essay-topic.pdf
  • ↑ http://writing.ku.edu/prewriting-strategies
  • ↑ http://www.kuwi.europa-uni.de/en/lehrstuhl/vs/politik3/Hinweise_Seminararbeiten/haenglish.html
  • ↑ https://guides.lib.uw.edu/research/faq/reliable
  • ↑ https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/673/1/
  • ↑ http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/thesis-statements/
  • ↑ https://www.irsc.edu/students/academicsupportcenter/researchpaper/researchpaper.aspx?id=4294967433
  • ↑ https://owl.english.purdue.edu/engagement/2/2/58/
  • ↑ http://writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu/pages/beginning-academic-essay
  • ↑ https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/02/
  • ↑ https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/561/05/
  • ↑ https://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/ReverseOutlines.html

About This Article

Christopher Taylor, PhD

To write a seminar paper, start by writing a clear and specific thesis that expresses your original point of view. Then, work on your introduction, which should give your readers relevant context about your topic and present your argument in a logical way. As you write, break up the body of your paper with headings and sub-headings that categorize each section of your paper. This will help readers follow your argument. Conclude your paper by synthesizing your argument and explaining why this topic matters. Be sure to cite all the sources you used in a bibliography. For advice on getting started on your seminar paper, keep reading. Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Literature Review

Pre-Thinking:

Start with a question. What do you want to learn about your project? Start with a broad question first and the more involved you become in your project, the more specific this question may become. Write this question down on page 63 of the handbook.

Directions for Writing Literature Reviews

Start researching scholarly sources to learn how your question is explored. Your research should consist of print sources (books, journals, magazines, databases) and reliable websites (.gov/.edu).

Find at least 20 pages (30 pages for Honors) with reliable information to read in detail. All 20 pages can come from the same source or a combination of a few sources; the key is that you are dissecting at least 20 pages total.

You MUST get your literature approved by your primary advisor prior to writing your review!

Actively read the 20+ (30+ Honors) pages:

You will need to write on the pages, so if it is a library book, photocopy it.

These annotated notes will be turned-in with the Literature Review.

Suggestions for annotations : look up words you do not know, write comments/reflections in the margins, and write questions that come up in the margins

Write a Literature Review about your findings.

Minimum 2-3 typed pages, divided into 4 sections (MLA format)

Each section should begin with a section heading in bold font, left justified (see below) and be followed by a well- developed, detailed paragraph.

Section One: Introduction

Written in 1st person and should explain:

Your research question – first sentence of the introduction

Why you chose your research question

The basic information about your source(s): title, author, author’s credentials and reliability

Section Two: Summary

Written in 3rd person

Use direct, embedded quotations with citations.

Be sure to discuss any major trends or findings in your research.

If your research material consists of multiple sources, discuss each source separately, then compare and contrast them where it makes sense.

If more than once source is being used, at least one citation must come from each source.

Remember, in-text citations are cited at the end of the sentence, by the author’s last name and page number, with the period on the outside of the closing parenthesis - e.g. (Smith 5).

Note: There is not a comma between the author’s last name and the page number.

Section Three: Analysis

How your research answers your research question

How your research broadens your understanding of your project

Your opinion of what you learned through your research

Section Four: Projection

Written in 1st person and should include:

Future research inspired by current research

Any questions your research raises for you and explain their relevance to your project

How your research so far informs the future direction of your research, product, timeline, etc.

What else you want to learn about your project and why

What research question will you address in your next paper? Why?

Works Cited Page

It should be the last page of the Literature Review

The title (Works Cited) should be centered, not bolded or underlined

Includes ONLY sources cited within the Literature Review

Note: All annotated notes should be turned in with the Literature Review. Please attach your 20+ pages (30+ Honors) of literature, including annotations after the Works Cited page.

Sample Literature Review Outline

literature review in seminar report

Guided Literature Review Worksheet

Lit Review - Child Poverty

Lit Review - Syrian Civil War

Literature Review – Checklist/Rubric

The Literature Review must contain the following:

Criteria (30 - Honors/50 – Senior Seminar):

Introduction (5 - Honors/10 – Senior Seminar)

Includes the essential question

Explains why you chose your research

Includes basic information about the source(s): (title, author, author’s credentials, reliability of source)

Summary (15 - Honors/20 – Senior Seminar)

Includes direct, embedded quotations

*If multiple sources are used, there is at least one citation per source.

Discuss major trends or findings in your research

*If multiple sources are used, each source is discussed separately and compared and contrasted where appropriate

Analysis (5 - Honors/10 – Senior Seminar)

Explains how your research answers your research question

Explains how your research broadens your understanding of your project

Explains your opinion of what you learned through research

Includes Annotated Notes attached after the Works Cited

Literature was pre-approved by primary advisor

Projection (5 - Honors/10 – Senior Seminar)

Explains any questions your research raises for you and their relevance to your project

Explains how your research so far informs the future direction of your research, product, timeline, etc.

Explains what else you want to learn about your project and why

The Literature Review must also meet the following Writing Standards:

Conventions (5 points)

MLA format (e.g. MLA heading, double-spaced, 12 point font, Times New Roman, etc.)

Grammar and usage are correct

Punctuation and spelling are correct

Little or no editing is required

Correct in-text citations

Section Headings are in bold font

Works Cited Page (5 points)

MLA format: double-spaced

Alphabetized

1st line left justified / 2nd line indented

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10 Best Literature Review Templates for Scholars and Researchers [Free PDF Attached]

literature review in seminar report

Imagine being in a new country and taking a road trip without GPS. You would be so lost. Right? Similarly, think about delving into a topic without having a clue or proper understanding of the reason behind studying it. 

That’s when a well-written literature review comes to the rescue. It provides a proper direction to the topic being studied. 

The literature review furnishes a descriptive overview of the existing knowledge relevant to the research statement. It is a crucial step in the research process as it enables you to establish the theoretical roots of your field of interest, elucidate your ideas, and develop a suitable methodology. A literature review can include information from various sources, such as journals, books, documents, and other academic materials. This promotes in-depth understanding and analytical thinking, thereby helping in critical evaluation.

Regardless of the type of literature review — evaluative, exploratory, instrumental, systematic, and meta-analysis, a well-written article consists of three basic elements: introduction, body, and conclusion. Also its essence blooms in creating new knowledge through the process of review, critique, and synthesis.

But writing a literature review can be difficult. Right?

Relax, our collection of professionally designed templates will leave no room for mistakes or anxious feelings as they will help you present background information concisely. 

10 Designs to Rethink Your Literature Reviews

These designs are fully customizable to help you establish links between your proposition and already existing literature. Our PowerPoint infographics are of the highest quality and contain relevant content. Whether you want to write a short summary or review consisting of several pages, these exclusive layouts will serve the purpose. 

Let’s get started.

Template 1: Literature Review PPT Template

This literature review design is a perfect tool for any student looking to present a summary and critique of knowledge on their research statement. Using this layout, you can discuss theoretical and methodological contributions in the related field. You can also talk about past works, books, study materials, etc. The given PPT design is concise, easy to use, and will help develop a strong framework for problem-solving. Download it today.

Literature Review PowerPoint Presentation

Download this template

Template 2: Literature Review PowerPoint Slide

Looking to synthesize your latest findings and present them in a persuasive manner? Our literature review theme will help you narrow relevant information and design a framework for rational investigation. The given PPT design will enable you to present your ideas concisely. From summary details to strengths and shortcomings, this template covers it all. Grab it now.

Literature Review Slide

Template 3: Literature Review Template

Craft a literature review that is both informative and persuasive with this amazing PPT slide. This predesigned layout will help you in presenting the summary of information in an engaging manner. Our themes are specifically designed to aid you in demonstrating your critical thinking and objective evaluation. So don't wait any longer – download our literature review template today.

Literature Review

Template 4: Comprehensive Literature Review PPT Slide

Download this tried-and-true literature review template to present a descriptive summary of your research topic statement. The given PPT layout is replete with relevant content to help you strike a balance between supporting and opposing aspects of an argument. This predesigned slide covers components such as strengths, defects, and methodology. It will assist you in cutting the clutter and focus on what's important. Grab it today.

Literature Review Template

Template 5: Literature Review for Research Project Proposal PPT

Writing a literature review can be overwhelming and time-consuming, but our project proposal PPT slides make the process much easier. This exclusive graphic will help you gather all the information you need by depicting strengths and weaknesses. It will also assist you in identifying and analyzing the most important aspects of your knowledge sources. With our helpful design, writing a literature review is easy and done. Download it now.

Literature Review for Research Project Proposal PPT

Template 6: Literature Review for Research Project Proposal Template

Present a comprehensive and cohesive overview of the information related to your topic with this stunning PPT slide. The given layout will enable you to put forward the facts and logic to develop a new hypothesis for testing. With this high-quality design, you can enumerate different books and study materials taken into consideration. You can also analyze and emphasize the technique opted for inquiry. Get this literature review PowerPoint presentation template now.

Literature Review for Research Project Proposal

Template 7: Literature Review for Research Paper Proposal PowerPoint Slide

Lay a strong foundation for your research topic with this impressive PowerPoint presentation layout. It is easy to use and fully customizable. This design will help you describe the previous research done. Moreover, you can enlist the strengths and weaknesses of the study clearly. Therefore, grab it now.

Literature Review for Research Paper Proposal Template

Template 8: Literature Review for Research Paper Proposal PPT

Download this high-quality PPT template and write a well-formatted literature review. The given layout is professionally designed and easy to follow. It will enable you to emphasize various elements, such as materials referred to, past work, the list of books, approach for analysis, and more. So why wait? Download this PowerPoint design immediately.

Literature Review for Research Paper Proposal

Template 9: Literature Review for Academic Student Research Proposal PPT

With this exclusive graphic, you'll have everything you need to create a well-structured and convincing literature review. The given design is well-suited for students and researchers who wish to mention reliable information sources, such as books and journals, and draw inferences from them. You can even focus on the strong points of your study, thereby making an impactful research statement. Therefore, grab this PPT slide today.

Literature Review for Academic Student Research Proposal Template

Template 10: Literature Review Overview for Research Process PPT

Demonstrate your analytical skills and understanding of the topic with this predesigned PowerPoint graphic. The given research overview PPT theme is perfect for explaining what has been done in the area of your topic of interest. Using this impressive design, you can provide an accurate comparison showcasing the connections between the different works being reviewed. Get it right away.  

Literature Review Design Template

Creating an effective literature review requires discipline, study, and patience. Our collection of templates will assist you in presenting an extensive and cohesive summary of the relevant works. These PPT layouts are professionally designed, fully editable, and visually appealing. You can modify them and create perfect presentations according to your needs. So download them now!

P.S. Are you looking for a way to communicate your individual story? Save your time with these predesigned book report templates featured in this guide . 

Download the free Literature Review Template PDF .

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  1. 50 Smart Literature Review Templates (APA) ᐅ TemplateLab

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  2. FREE 5+ Sample Literature Review Templates in PDF

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  3. Example Of Literature Review For Project Report

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  4. Seminar Paper Outline

    literature review in seminar report

  5. (PDF) SEMINAR REPORT THE 1ST POSTGRADUATE STUDENT SEMINAR ON CURRENT

    literature review in seminar report

  6. 50 Smart Literature Review Templates (APA) ᐅ TemplateLab

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VIDEO

  1. What is Literature Review?

  2. Midyear Performance Review and Evaluation II RPMS-PPST

  3. Write Your Literature Review FAST

  4. Writing a Literature Review

  5. Chapter 5 Review of Literature PART 02

  6. Part 03: Literature Review (Research Methods and Methodology) By Dr. Walter

COMMENTS

  1. How to Write a Literature Review

    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 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5

  2. What is a Literature Review?

    A literature review surveys scholarly articles, books and other sources relevant to a particular issue, area of research, or theory. The purpose is to offer an overview of significant literature published on a topic. A literature review may constitute an essential chapter of a thesis or dissertation, or may be a self-contained review of writings on a subject.

  3. Literature Review Tips

    A literature review asks: What do we know - or not know - about this particular issue/ topic/ subject? How well you answer this question depends upon: the effectiveness of your search for information the quality & reliability of the sources you choose your ability to synthesize the sources you select The Process

  4. How To Write A Literature Review (+ Free Template)

    Step 1: Find the relevant literature Naturally, the first step in the literature review journey is to hunt down the existing research that's relevant to your topic. While you probably already have a decent base of this from your research proposal, you need to expand on this substantially in the dissertation or thesis itself.

  5. Writing a Literature Review Research Paper: A step-by-step approach

    Analysing literature gives an overview of the "WHs": WHat has been reported in a particular feld or topic, WHo the key writers are, WHat are the prevailing theories and hypotheses, WHat questions ...

  6. PDF Academic writing : guidelines for preparing a seminar paper with examples

    Academic writing under the assignments, including writing a seminar paper, means that students focus on specific topics, review literature under this topic, analyze the existed literature, use economic methods, show their analytical thinking.

  7. LibGuides: HIST 500

    A Literature Review is a systematic and comprehensive analysis of books, scholarly articles, and other sources relevant to a specific topic providing a base of knowledge on a topic. Literature reviews are designed to identify and critique the existing literature on a topic to justify your research by exposing gaps in current research.

  8. Recommendations on how to write a seminar paper

    The literature review is usually the starting point of scientific work and it should be carried out thoroughly. A scientific seminar paper should be based on academic literature, building mainly on academic journals and books and - if relevant - so-called grey literature (e.g., reports, working or discussion papers).

  9. Literature reviews

    1. Introduction. Not to be confused with a book review, a literature review surveys scholarly articles, books and other sources (e.g. dissertations, conference proceedings, reports) relevant to a particular issue, area of research, or theory.Literature reviews provide a description, summary, and critical evaluation of each work.

  10. Q: What is a seminar review process and how is it formulated?

    Until then, we have provided a couple of links, one on conferences or seminars and the other on review papers, in case that's what you referred to. What are the best procedure and format for writing a seminar paper? Secondary research - the basics of narrative reviews, systematic reviews, and meta-analysis. Hope that helps.

  11. Reporting Standards for Literature Reviews

    1 Relevance of Adequate Reporting Adequate reporting of literature reviews is important because it allows readers and scholars to trace the evidence for conjectures, findings and conclusions, and appraise these in the context of suitability for other purposes.

  12. What is a Literature Review?

    Synthesize and contextualize results, not just report them. Identify areas of controversy in the literature. Formulate questions that need further research. Adapted from "The Literature Review: A Few Tips on Conducting It", by Dena Taylor and Margaret Procter, University of Toronto: www.writing.utoronto.ca (file linked below)

  13. Research Guides: Honors Writing Seminar: Literature Review

    HONRH 2023 About the Literature Review "Literature review" is a fancy term for what's, practically speaking, the kind of paper you're already most accustomed to: the kind where you pick a topic, research some sources to develop a position, and then weave them all together into a cohesive essay.

  14. Learn about Lit. Reviews

    Share Watch on Literature Reviews This handout will explain what literature reviews are and offer insights into the form and construction of literature reviews in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. - From Writing Center at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing the Literature Review: Step-by-Step Tutorial (parts 1, 2, & 3)

  15. How to Write a Seminar Paper (with Pictures)

    1 Learn the basic features of a seminar paper. A seminar paper is an advanced piece of research writing, but it shares many of the same features as a regular research paper. Before you begin writing your seminar paper, it is important to make sure that you understand how a seminar paper differs from a research paper.

  16. PDF Senior Seminar Manual

    Overview of Senior Seminar Activities In addition to a number of smaller assignments along the way, the primary products of senior seminar are: The senior thesis paper, a 20- to 25-page paper citing at least 10 Primary Peer-Reviewed scientific papers (PPR's) and at least one review article. Some sections of the paper are due in

  17. Learning from Literature Reviews

    Abstract. This seminar presentation detailed two purposive literature reviews conducted for Nottinghamshire County Council as part of a Knowledge Transfer Partnership project with Nottingham Trent ...

  18. Senior Seminar

    The Literature Review must contain the following: Criteria (30 - Honors/50 - Senior Seminar): Introduction (5 - Honors/10 - Senior Seminar) Includes the essential question. Explains why you chose your research. Includes basic information about the source(s): (title, author, author's credentials, reliability of source)

  19. ChatGPT and Academic Research: A Review and Recommendations Based on

    The chatbot generated a literatur e review consisting of the literature findings fr om five articles. ChatGPT provided standard in-text citations and r eferences in AP A style. Moreover, for cr oss-

  20. (PDF) Literature Review

    Construction of a Literature Review Support System Using Latent Dirichlet Allocation. July 2016. Yusuke Kometani. Keizo Nagaoka. The role of universities in imparting knowledge to students is ...

  21. 10 Best Literature Review Templates for Scholars and ...

    Template 4: Comprehensive Literature Review PPT Slide. Download this tried-and-true literature review template to present a descriptive summary of your research topic statement. The given PPT layout is replete with relevant content to help you strike a balance between supporting and opposing aspects of an argument.

  22. 43922 PDFs

    Philipp Stieger Explore the latest full-text research PDFs, articles, conference papers, preprints and more on SEMINARS. Find methods information, sources, references or conduct a literature...

  23. Literature Review Seminar Report

    Literature Review Seminar Report - 4.7/5. 954 . Customer Reviews. Nursing Business and Economics Management Psychology +94. Level: College, High School, University, Master's, Undergraduate, PHD. REVIEWS HIRE. Total price: Short Answer Questions on Healthcare. Literature Review Seminar Report ...