Literature Review Basics: Organizing

If you have questions about how to write your literature review, you have some options:

1. Talk to your advisor. He/she might have ideas on how to present your topic.
2. Visit The Athenaeum.
3. Search Dissertations & Theses Global for theses similar to your topic.

While different disciplines handle literature reviews differently, like other types of academic papers, literature reviews must contain at least three basic elements: an introduction or background information section; the body of the review containing the discussion of sources; and, finally, a conclusion and/or recommendations section to end the paper.

Introduction: Gives a quick idea of the topic of the literature review, such as the central theme or organizational pattern.

Body: Contains your discussion of sources and is organized either chronologically, thematically, or methodologically (see below for more information on each).

Conclusions/Recommendations: Discuss what you have drawn from reviewing the literature so far. Where might the discussion proceed?

There are a number of ways to organize your research and many different rubrics to help you do it.  Below is one example. This rubric can be created in Word, Excel, or similar programs. Create as many columns for talking points as you need. (Note: all of your articles might not have the same number of talking points; one might have six and another ten.)

Using a rubric can be helpful to see where your articles overlap and where there might be gaps in the available research. In the example below, if you had four articles and the one thing they had in common was Talking Point 3 (the need for diversity training for first responders), that might be an area on which you decide to focus. Perhaps your contribution to the field would be developing diversity training program for first responders.

Citation (with peer review & ranking)	Summary	Talking Point 1	Talking Point 2	Talking Point 3
Jones, R. T., Immel, C. S., Moore, R. M., & Hadder, J. M. (2008) Hurricane Katrina: Experiences of psychologists and implications for future disaster response. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 39(1), 100-106 Status: Peer-reviewed	Studies challenges faced by mental health workers during relief efforts; makes recommendations …	Methodology (met with various agencies; primary interviews with storm victim of all ages) …	Recommends screening, assessment & intervention strategies for children & adolescents …	Diversity training for responders

You need to choose an organizing style that works best for YOU. Some people are more visual than others. Some are more compulsive about writing down every detail than others. No one knows what works for you better than you do.