How to Write a Compelling Literature Review for College

When you get a task to write a literature review, you are required to express your thoughts and perspectives on any written material through accurate research, summary, and analysis. This paper is often assigned to see students` capability to understand what they read, understand the topic, and the ability to think critically.

The literature review is as important as other academic papers. Sometimes students find it difficult to craft a worthy paper due to the lack of understanding or experience. Here are the basic steps to write a good literature review.

1. The first step is to decide which topic you will examine, alongside with the issues around it. Be specific. A narrow topic will only help you to get a good survey of the material due to the less number of sources needed. You can visit libraries or use online databases to find relevant literature.
2. The next step is to work with the materials you have chosen. You need to skim through it. However, remember that you are not examining it in-depth at this stage. Your task is just to review the information and define whether it has some importance to the understanding of your topic. It is a good idea to take some notes concerning the literature that has significance. Discard all the material that is no longer needed due to your conception.
3. The third step is to make in-depth research of the literature you are going to use in your review. You need to define whether the material is up-to-date, relevant, objective, and proven. Focus on the topic and make some notes. It will help you develop your own perspective later on.
4. When you are done with these steps, you have to think of your literature review structure. Create an outline and chart the way your information will be organized. It will help you to make all things clear and you will not forget to include some important aspects to your review. You need to create a strong thesis statement of your review and start writing a paper.
5. The structure of a literature review is the following: an introduction, the main body, and a conclusion. Do not forget that you also need to make the references lists using either the MLA or APA format. If you are uncertain which type is needed, do not hesitate to ask your professor. The reference list plays an important role if we are speaking about academics.
6. The final step of your writing process is to edit your literature review. It is good to read the completed paper out loud as see whether it sounds good. Check it for grammar and spelling mistakes. Make sure you have reached to goals of the task.

Make Your Literature Review Better

• Always use evidence to support your point of view
• Be selective while choosing the material and its main points
• Do not use too many quotes from the written material
• Remember that two aims of a literature review are to summarize and synthesize
• Be unique and show your originality
• Use caution when paraphrasing

If you want to produce a literature review of good quality, be ready to spend some time researching, analyzing, and writing. Hopefully, these tips will facilitate the process and you will manage to achieve the desired score!