What is a literature review?
Thematic, not chronological
Group sources by argument or method, not by publication date. Each paragraph should make a claim about the field and use several studies as evidence.
Standard structure
Introduction and scope, search strategy, thematic body sections, critique of methods, identified gap, and a synthesis paragraph that leads into your research question.
Common failure
The 'author-by-author' review — one paragraph per study — reads as an annotated bibliography and loses marks in almost every rubric.
Related questions
How many sources does a literature review need?
Roughly one source per 150–200 words: about 15–20 for an undergraduate review, 50–80 for a master's dissertation.
How recent should sources be?
Aim for 70% within the last five years, with seminal older works included where they define the field.