Literature Review Checklist and Template

Use this page as a working document while planning and drafting your literature review. It is designed to be filled in, copied, and adapted to your own topic.

Part 1. Scope Snapshot

Fill this in before you start drafting full paragraphs.

• Working title:
• Assignment type:
• Research question:
• Main topic:
• Time period covered:
• Population, case, or context:
• Types of sources included:
• What is outside the review:

Quick check:

• Is the scope narrow enough for the assignment length?
• Is the question specific enough to guide source selection?
• Do you know what should be excluded?

Part 2. Choose the Review Method

Use the question type, not just the topic word, to make the decision.

Quick Selector

• Use a narrative review if your goal is to synthesize literature in order to support an essay, thesis chapter, proposal, or research paper.
• Use a systematic review if your question focuses on evidence, effectiveness, or causal claims and the assignment requires transparent search and screening procedures.
• Use a scoping review if the field is broad, scattered, emerging, or interdisciplinary and you need mapping more than deep evaluation.
• Use a theoretical review if your main task is to compare concepts, frameworks, or schools of thought.
• Use a methodological review if the field shows conflicting findings and those differences may come from research design, data, or measurement.

Fill-In Template

• My question mainly asks:
• The assignment requires:
• The field is:
• Therefore, I will use a:
• Reason in one sentence:

Sentence frame:

• "This literature review uses a ___ approach because the question focuses on ___, and the assignment requires ___ rather than ___."

Part 3. Choose the Primary and Secondary Logic

This step decides how the body of the review will be organized.

Primary Logic

Choose the factor that should shape the main sections of the review.

• thematic
• chronological
• methodological
• theoretical
• population/context-based

Secondary Logic

Choose the factor that helps you compare studies inside each main section.

• thematic
• chronological
• methodological
• theoretical
• population/context-based

Fill-In Template

• Primary logic:
• Why this is the best main structure:
• Secondary logic:
• Why this is the best comparison structure:

Sentence frame:

• "The review is organized primarily by ___ because the main task is to explain ___. Within each section, studies are compared by ___ in order to show ___."

Part 4. Literature Matrix Template

Do not rely on memory. Build a matrix while reading.

Source	Research question	Theory or concept	Method	Context or sample	Main finding	Limitation	Possible theme
Author, year
Author, year
Author, year
Author, year

Part 5. Theme Builder

A topic is not yet a theme. A useful theme is a pattern, mechanism, debate, or recurring issue in the literature.

Step 1. List repeated patterns

• What ideas, mechanisms, or issues appear across several sources?
• Which findings converge?
• Which findings diverge?
• What seems to explain the divergence: theory, method, context, sample, or time?

Step 2. Turn labels into theme statements

Weak labels:

• feedback
• motivation
• inequality
• method

Stronger theme statements:

• Feedback quality matters more consistently than feedback frequency.
• Student motivation is shaped by feedback design and self-regulation demands.
• Access to technology creates uneven outcomes across student groups.
• Differences in findings may reflect differences in research design rather than the absence of a real effect.

Theme Worksheet

Copy this block once for each major theme.

Theme title:

Theme claim:

Studies grouped here:

What these studies agree on:

What these studies disagree on:

Most likely reason for the disagreement:

Why this theme matters for my research question:

How this theme leads to the next section or to the gap:

Part 6. Review Structure Template

Use this structure for a standard literature review chapter or section.

1. Field overview and scope
2. Theme 1
3. Theme 2
4. Theme 3 or major debate
5. Gap, limitation, or unresolved issue
6. Transition to your own study or argument

Section Planning Template

Section 1: Field overview and scope
- Define the topic
- Narrow the focus
- Explain the organizing logic

Section 2: Theme 1
- Main claim
- Key supporting studies
- Internal comparison

Section 3: Theme 2
- Main claim
- Key supporting studies
- Internal comparison

Section 4: Theme 3 or debate
- Main claim
- Main disagreement
- Explanation of disagreement

Section 5: Gap or limitation
- What is missing, weak, inconsistent, or under-studied
- Why that matters

Section 6: Transition to my study
- What my paper examines
- How it responds to the gap

Part 7. Paragraph Templates

A. LR Introduction Template

Research on [topic] has expanded in recent years, especially in relation to [specific issue]. Existing studies can be grouped into [number] broad strands: [A], [B], and [C]. While this literature has clarified [main contribution of the field], findings remain mixed regarding [main tension or unresolved issue]. This review examines these strands in order to show where the literature converges, where it diverges, and why the present study focuses on [your topic/question].

B. Theme Paragraph Template

A first major strand of the literature focuses on [theme]. Several studies suggest that [shared finding]. However, other researchers argue that [contrasting finding or qualification]. This divergence may reflect differences in [method/theory/context/sample/time period]. Taken together, the literature suggests that [your synthesis]. This points to the importance of [implication], which leads to the next issue: [transition].

C. Gap Paragraph Template

Although existing studies have made clear progress in explaining [topic], the literature remains limited in several respects. Most research focuses on [over-studied context/method/population], while less attention has been paid to [under-studied area]. In addition, findings remain inconsistent regarding [specific issue]. These limitations matter because [why the gap matters]. To address this gap, the present study focuses on [your contribution].

Part 8. Self-Check Checklist

Use this before submission.

• Have I defined the scope clearly?
• Have I chosen a review method that fits the question and assignment?
• Is my review organized by a clear primary logic?
• Do I use a secondary logic to compare studies inside sections?
• Have I grouped studies rather than listed them one by one?
• Have I shown both agreement and disagreement?
• Have I explained why findings differ?
• Are my themes analytical rather than just topical?
• Does each section help answer the research question?
• Is the gap specific, credible, and important?
• Does the review lead clearly into my own study or argument?

Part 9. Warning Signs

If several of these are true, the review is probably still too descriptive.

• Most paragraphs begin with an author name.
• I summarize each source separately.
• My headings are only broad topic words, not analytical themes.
• I mention a gap but cannot explain why it matters.
• I report disagreement but do not explain where it comes from.
• I cannot say why my review is organized this way.

Part 10. One-Page LR Planning Sheet

If you want a compact version, fill in this block first.

Working title:

Research question:

Review method:

Primary logic:

Secondary logic:

Theme 1:
- main claim:
- key sources:

Theme 2:
- main claim:
- key sources:

Theme 3:
- main claim:
- key sources:

Main gap:

My study or argument:

Final Reminder

A strong literature review does not just show that you have read the sources. It shows that you can organize the field, explain its patterns, identify its tensions, and position your own work within it.