Grad Coach

Literature Review Example/Sample

Detailed Walkthrough + Free Literature Review Template

If you’re working on a dissertation or thesis and are looking for an example of a strong literature review chapter , you’ve come to the right place.

In this video, we walk you through an A-grade literature review from a dissertation that earned full distinction . We start off by discussing the five core sections of a literature review chapter by unpacking our free literature review template . This includes:

  • The literature review opening/ introduction section
  • The theoretical framework (or foundation of theory)
  • The empirical research
  • The research gap
  • The closing section

We then progress to the sample literature review (from an A-grade Master’s-level dissertation) to show how these concepts are applied in the literature review chapter. You can access the free resources mentioned in this video below.

PS – If you’re working on a dissertation, be sure to also check out our collection of dissertation and thesis examples here .

FAQ: Literature Review Example

Literature review example: frequently asked questions, is the sample literature review real.

Yes. The literature review example is an extract from a Master’s-level dissertation for an MBA program. It has not been edited in any way.

Can I replicate this literature review for my dissertation?

As we discuss in the video, every literature review will be slightly different, depending on the university’s unique requirements, as well as the nature of the research itself. Therefore, you’ll need to tailor your literature review to suit your specific context.

You can learn more about the basics of writing a literature review here .

Where can I find more examples of literature reviews?

The best place to find more examples of literature review chapters would be within dissertation/thesis databases. These databases include dissertations, theses and research projects that have successfully passed the assessment criteria for the respective university, meaning that you have at least some sort of quality assurance. 

The Open Access Thesis Database (OATD) is a good starting point. 

How do I get the literature review template?

You can access our free literature review chapter template here .

Is the template really free?

Yes. There is no cost for the template and you are free to use it as you wish. 

Literature Review Course

Psst… there’s more!

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

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  • CAREER FEATURE
  • 04 December 2020
  • Correction 09 December 2020

How to write a superb literature review

Andy Tay is a freelance writer based in Singapore.

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Literature reviews are important resources for scientists. They provide historical context for a field while offering opinions on its future trajectory. Creating them can provide inspiration for one’s own research, as well as some practice in writing. But few scientists are trained in how to write a review — or in what constitutes an excellent one. Even picking the appropriate software to use can be an involved decision (see ‘Tools and techniques’). So Nature asked editors and working scientists with well-cited reviews for their tips.

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-020-03422-x

Interviews have been edited for length and clarity.

Updates & Corrections

Correction 09 December 2020 : An earlier version of the tables in this article included some incorrect details about the programs Zotero, Endnote and Manubot. These have now been corrected.

Hsing, I.-M., Xu, Y. & Zhao, W. Electroanalysis 19 , 755–768 (2007).

Article   Google Scholar  

Ledesma, H. A. et al. Nature Nanotechnol. 14 , 645–657 (2019).

Article   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Brahlek, M., Koirala, N., Bansal, N. & Oh, S. Solid State Commun. 215–216 , 54–62 (2015).

Choi, Y. & Lee, S. Y. Nature Rev. Chem . https://doi.org/10.1038/s41570-020-00221-w (2020).

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Literature Review: Conducting & Writing

  • Sample Literature Reviews
  • Steps for Conducting a Lit Review
  • Finding "The Literature"
  • Organizing/Writing
  • APA Style This link opens in a new window
  • Chicago: Notes Bibliography This link opens in a new window
  • MLA Style This link opens in a new window

Sample Lit Reviews from Communication Arts

Have an exemplary literature review.

  • Literature Review Sample 1
  • Literature Review Sample 2
  • Literature Review Sample 3

Have you written a stellar literature review you care to share for teaching purposes?

Are you an instructor who has received an exemplary literature review and have permission from the student to post?

Please contact Britt McGowan at [email protected] for inclusion in this guide. All disciplines welcome and encouraged.

  • << Previous: MLA Style
  • Next: Get Help! >>
  • Last Updated: Mar 22, 2024 9:37 AM
  • URL: https://libguides.uwf.edu/litreview

IMAGES

  1. 39 Best Literature Review Examples (Guide & Samples)

    example of a good literature review pdf

  2. 50 Smart Literature Review Templates (APA) ᐅ TemplateLab

    example of a good literature review pdf

  3. Sample literature review mla format

    example of a good literature review pdf

  4. What Is Literature Review Pdf

    example of a good literature review pdf

  5. 39 Best Literature Review Examples (Guide & Samples)

    example of a good literature review pdf

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

    example of a good literature review pdf

VIDEO

  1. CONDUCTING SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW

  2. Research Session # 10 : How to Write Literature Review? By Usman Tariq Bhatti

  3. 5 Tips to write a great literature review

  4. How to write Literature Review

  5. 116. Literature Review #literaturesearch in research #Basic Course in Biomedical Research #bcbr

  6. Doing a Literature Review

COMMENTS

  1. PDF LITERATURE REVIEWS

    2. MOTIVATE YOUR RESEARCH in addition to providing useful information about your topic, your literature review must tell a story about how your project relates to existing literature. popular literature review narratives include: ¡ plugging a gap / filling a hole within an incomplete literature ¡ building a bridge between two "siloed" literatures, putting literatures "in conversation"

  2. Literature Review Example (PDF + Template)

    We start off by discussing the five core sections of a literature review chapter by unpacking our free literature review template. This includes: The literature review opening/ introduction section. The theoretical framework (or foundation of theory) The empirical research. The research gap.

  3. PDF Sample Literature Review

    Level allow 1 headings readers introduce to clearly. a new indicate thought, a new idea, section argument, within or the topic. review. Level 1 headings Each are helpful Level 1 Subheading should be because they allow readers flushed left on the page. to and clearly formatted indicate a in new ALL-.

  4. PDF How to Write a Literature Review

    A GOOD LITERATURE REVIEW SHOULD… • Be organized around a thesis statement or research question(s) • Develop your understanding of the literature in a field(s) of study • Synthesize results into a narrative summary of what is known and not known on your topic • Identify areas of controversy • Formulate questions for future research

  5. How to Write a Literature Review

    Examples of literature reviews. Step 1 - Search for relevant literature. Step 2 - Evaluate and select sources. Step 3 - Identify themes, debates, and gaps. Step 4 - Outline your literature review's structure. Step 5 - Write your literature review.

  6. PDF Writing a Literature Review

    Your introduction should give an outline of why you are writing the review, and why the topic is important. ü "the scope of the review — what aspects of the topic will be discussed. ü the criteria used for your literature selection (e.g. type of sources used, date range) ü the organisational pattern of the review" (Citewrite, 2016 ...

  7. PDF Writing a Literature Review

    What is a literature review? A literature review has three key components: 1. A search of the literature available on a given subject area. 2. An evaluation of the literature, including its scope. 3. A well-structured and argued written account of the literature that provides an overview and critique. Types of literature review 1. Coursework A ...

  8. PDF Conducting Your Literature Review

    Conducting Your Literature Review. 3. A. literature reviewis an overview of the available research for a specific scientific topic. Literature reviews summarize existing research to answer a review question, provide the context for new research, or identify important gaps in the existing body of literature. We now have access to lots of ...

  9. PDF Literature Review

    Literature Review The purpose of a literature review is to look at what has been done and use that information to design new research on the 'blank spots or blind spots' - the things that might be missing or the things we don't see. Below is some extracts from an example of a very short literature review for an undergraduate assignment.

  10. PDF A Literature Review

    A literature review is a compilation, classification, and evaluation of what other researchers have written on a particular topic. A literature review normally forms part of a research thesis but it can also stand alone as a self-contained review of writings on a subject. In either case, its purpose is to: Place each work in the context of its ...

  11. PDF Writing a Literature Review

    A literature review may be as short as a single sentence or as long as several pages (in which case it is usually presented in a sec-tion of its own headed "Literature Review" or something similar). In many journal articles, the literature review appears as part of the introduction. literature review should do at least four things, the ...

  12. PDF How to Write a Literature Review

    A literature review is a review or discussion of the current published material available on a particular topic. It attempts to synthesizeand evaluatethe material and information according to the research question(s), thesis, and central theme(s). In other words, instead of supporting an argument, or simply making a list of summarized research ...

  13. How to write a superb literature review

    The best proposals are timely and clearly explain why readers should pay attention to the proposed topic. It is not enough for a review to be a summary of the latest growth in the literature: the ...

  14. PDF Undertaking a literature review: a step'by-step approacii

    literature review process. While reference is made to diflFerent types of literature reviews, the focus is on the traditional or narrative review that is undertaken, usually either as an academic assignment or part of the research process. Key words: Aneilysis and synthesis • Literature review • Literature searching • Writing a review T

  15. (PDF) Writing a Literature Review Research Paper: A step-by-step approach

    A literature review is a surveys scholarly articles, books and other sources relevant to a particular. issue, area of research, or theory, and by so doing, providing a description, summary, and ...

  16. PDF Conducting a Literature Review

    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)

  17. PDF CHAPTER 3 Conducting a Literature Review

    After finishing this chapter, you should be able to: 3.1 Summarize what a literature review is, what it tells the reader, and why it is necessary. 3.2Evaluate the nine basic steps taken to write a well-constructed literature review. 3.3 Conduct an electronic search using terms, phrases, Boolean operators, and filters.

  18. PDF Sample Literature Review of One Paper Literature Review Student's Name

    Sample Literature Review of One Paper Literature Review Student's Name Paper Citation: Johnson, William R. and Jonathan Skinner (1986) "Labor Supply and Martial Separation," The American Economic Review, 76(3) (June): 455-469. [Note the Format of the Citation: Author Names (Year) "Paper Title," Journal Title, Volume(Number) (Month): page numbers.

  19. PDF EXAMPLES OF GOOD LITERATURE REVIEW INTRODUCTIONS

    EXAMPLE 3 Literature relating to BMI and health is available in abundance, providing that the researcher is seeking to prove a link between obesity and ill health. More difficult to find is literature relating low BMI to health i.e. underweight and the health problems that are associated with underweight. This literature review aims to evaluate the

  20. PDF Writing an Effective Literature Review

    a review article in your topic published recently in a good journal. The author of such an article will be a respected figure in your field who is thoroughly knowledgeable about the literature and their review article will highlight what he or she considers to be the most important sources. By looking at their list of references, it will quickly

  21. PDF B.S. Research Paper Example (Literature Review)

    Talwar and Lee (2002) wanted to examine verbal and nonverbal behaviors of lying and. truth-telling children aged three- to seven-years-old. They hypothesized that young children were. more likely to incriminate themselves verbally. Talwar and Lee used a resistant temptation.

  22. PDF Sample Literature Review

    Sample Literature Review. This is a literature review I wrote for Psychology 109 / Research Methods I. It received an A. The assignment was to read a variety of assigned articles related to the topic of food and mood, as well as several articles on the topic that we found on our own. Then, we were to write a literature review in which we ...

  23. Literature Review: Conducting & Writing

    Steps for Conducting a Lit Review; Finding "The Literature" Organizing/Writing; APA Style This link opens in a new window; Chicago: Notes Bibliography This link opens in a new window; MLA Style This link opens in a new window; Sample Literature Reviews. Sample Lit Reviews from Communication Arts; Have an exemplary literature review? Get Help!