You have read 15 or 20 journal articles. You have highlighted important parts, saved papers you want to come back to, and probably have a folder full of PDFs. Then you open your document and wonder, “What am I actually supposed to write?”
It is a common problem for dissertation students.
A literature review is not just about listing the research you have read. You need to explain what the research tells us, where studies have different views, and what is still missing. This also helps you show where your own research fits in.
But how do you actually put all of this into a chapter?
What Should a Dissertation Literature Review Do?
A useful way to think about a literature review is to ask:
What do we already know about this topic, and what is still unclear?
Your review should normally:
- introduce the main ideas, theories and research related to your topic
- compare findings from different studies
- discuss important limitations or disagreements
- identify gaps in the existing research
- explain how these gaps relate to your research question
Take a dissertation about remote working and employee productivity. Listing what Smith (2022), Jones (2023) and Ahmed (2024) found would not be enough.
Instead, look at the studies together. Why did they reach different conclusions? Were the participants different? Did the researchers work in different industries or use different methods?
Questions like these help you move from description towards critical analysis.
How to Find the Right Sources
You do not have to read every paper that appears in your search results. Doing this can quickly become overwhelming, and having a large collection of articles does not necessarily make a literature review stronger.
Start with your research question and identify the main concepts in it. These can then be turned into search terms.
Useful places to look include:
- your university library databases
- Google Scholar
- subject-specific academic databases
- peer-reviewed journals
- government or professional reports, when they are relevant
It is also worth keeping a literature matrix while you work. It does not need to be complicated. For example:
Author | Year | Aim | Method | Main finding | Limitation | Relevance to my research
The University of Sheffield suggests using a literature matrix to keep your sources organised and spot common themes. It also stresses that a good review is not about collecting as many papers as you can.
A matrix becomes really handy once you have been researching for a while. You might remember an interesting finding but forget which paper it came from.
Choose a Literature Review Structure
The best structure depends on your research question and the type of literature you have found. There is no single approach that suits every dissertation.
1. Thematic structure
Here, you group research according to common themes or issues.
For a dissertation on remote working, for example, you might have:
- Benefits of remote working
- Productivity challenges
- Management and employee performance
This allows you to discuss and compare several studies under the same topic.
2. Chronological structure
This approach follows how research or ideas have changed over time.
This is useful when a theory, policy or debate has developed over time. You can then look at the key changes and how they have shaped your argument.
3. Methodological structure
You can also group studies by how the research was done. This could be qualitative, quantitative or mixed-method research.
This works well when the method has an effect on the results. It also gives you a chance to talk about the good and weak points of each approach.
For most dissertations, grouping research by themes is easier. You can bring similar studies together and compare what they found. Sheffield also recommends using themes that relate closely to your research topic.
What Goes Into a Dissertation Literature Review?
Once you have chosen your structure, breaking the chapter into sections can make it easier to write.
Introduction (10%–15%):
Start by explaining what the review covers, its scope and the main themes you will discuss.
Keep this section focused. Background information that is not directly needed for the literature review may be better placed in your main dissertation introduction.
Main body (75%–80%):
This is where most of your discussion will take place.
For each theme, you can introduce the issue, bring together relevant studies, consider the strength of the evidence and discuss any limitations. Then explain how the discussion relates to your research.
Try not to make every paragraph follow exactly the same pattern, though. Your main aim is to show the relationship between the studies.
A reader should come away understanding not only what individual researchers found, but also how those findings fit together.
Research gap (5%):
The research gap is another important part of the review.
A gap does not necessarily mean that no one has researched your topic. It might be that existing research has:
- looked at a different population
- been carried out in another country or context
- relied on a small sample
- produced conflicting results
- left out an important variable
- used an approach that has not answered a particular question
The University of Bath identifies finding a gap or ongoing problem as one of the key purposes of a literature review.
The important thing is to explain why the gap matters and how your research will address it.
Conclusion (5%):
Finish by bringing the main points of the review together.
What does the existing research tell us? Where is there still uncertainty? Most importantly, how does this discussion lead towards your research aim or questions?
How to Make Your Literature Review Critical
“Be more critical” is common dissertation feedback, but it is not always clear what needs to change.
When reading a study, ask yourself:
- What is the researcher arguing?
- How strong is the evidence?
- Does it agree with other research?
- Are there limitations that affect the findings?
- How does it relate to my research?
For example:
Descriptive:
Smith (2023) found that flexible working improved employee productivity.
More critical:
Smith (2023) found that flexible working improved employee productivity. However, the study focused on a small group of technology workers, so the findings may not apply to other sectors. The results also differ from Jones (2024), who found…
The second example does not just tell the reader what Smith found. It considers the limitations and brings another study into the discussion.
This is where synthesis becomes important. Sheffield describes synthesis as bringing different sources together to consider similarities, differences, findings, methods and limitations.
If you are still struggling to make your review critical, literature review help can make the process easier.
How Long Should a Literature Review Be?
There is no fixed word count for a literature review in UK dissertations. For example, the University of Bath suggests around 30% as a guide for its own dissertation structure, but this does not mean every university follows the same rule.
Your course handbook, assessment brief and supervisor’s advice are the best things to check first.
The number of sources can vary too. The University of Kent suggests around 8–10 significant sources for an 8,000-word dissertation and up to 20 for a 12,000–15,000-word dissertation. Your subject and level will also make a difference.
So, don’t add papers just to make your reference list longer. Use sources that actually help you build and support your discussion.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Before submitting the chapter, check for some of the problems that can make a literature review weaker:
- giving each author their own paragraph
- describing studies without comparing them
- ignoring the limitations of your sources
- including research that does not really relate to your question
- mentioning a research gap without explaining it
- losing sight of your own research question
If your supervisor says the chapter is too descriptive, do not assume you need to add more sources. Go back to what you already have and look for opportunities to compare findings, question evidence and discuss limitations.
Dissertation Literature Review Support from Elite Assignments
If you are finding it difficult to organise your sources, develop the literature review or respond to supervisor feedback, Elite Assignments can provide support with dissertation writing, literature reviews, critical analysis, referencing and proofreading.
Support can be tailored to your subject, academic level, dissertation brief and university requirements rather than relying on a generic template.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How many sources should a literature review have?
For an 8,000-word dissertation, 8–10 main sources can be enough. For a 12,000–15,000-word dissertation, you may use around 20 sources. The number will depend on your subject and research.
2. How long should a literature review be in a UK dissertation?
For a Master’s dissertation, 2,000–3,000 words is a common range. Your university may have its own requirements, so check your module guide.
3. What is the difference between a literature review and a critical literature review?
A literature review looks at previous research. A critical literature review also compares the research and points out where the studies have limitations or disagree.
4. How do I identify a research gap in a literature review?
Look at what has already been researched. Then ask yourself what is still missing. It might be a group, location, issue or question that previous studies have not looked at properly.