Understand the topic. Develop your own ideas. Demonstrate knowledge.
What is a literature review?
A literature review is a comprehensive survey of scholarly sources on a specific topic, presented in a way that highlights relationships and themes across those sources. In practical terms, it collects key sources on a topic and discusses them in conversation with each other, a process also known as synthesis. Rather than just listing summaries of articles or books, a literature review weaves those sources into an integrated narrative about what is known and not known in the field. It’s often described as “placing your work in the context of the existing scholarship”, or as entering a scholarly conversation. By reviewing the literature, you show how your research connects to, builds on, or challenges what others have done.
Literature reviews serve several important purposes in graduate research. They provide historical context and background for your research questions, and even offer perspectives on the field’s future trajectory. A good lit review demonstrates that you understand the current state of knowledge, helping to establish your credibility as a researcher in your discipline. It identifies gaps or unanswered questions in the literature, thereby justifying your own research by showing the need for it. In short, the literature review is the foundation upon which you’ll build your thesis or dissertation, it’s hard to advance knowledge without first knowing what’s already been done.
Tip: Each academic discipline has its own conventions for literature reviews. For example, a literature review in urban planning may look different from one in architecture or historic preservation. Always consider your field’s norms, consult examples of literature reviews in your discipline (e.g. journal articles or past theses in your field) and talk to your advisor or subject librarian for field-specific guidance. What counts as a strong lit review can vary: design disciplines might emphasize historical context and theory, whereas planning might stress recent empirical studies. The core principles of synthesis and critical analysis, however, apply across all disciplines.
Breaking Down the Literature Review
Steps in Writing a Literature Review:
Define Your Research Topic
Clarify the research question or topic that will guide your review. Be specific about what you will cover to ensure your review is focused. For example, instead of reviewing all studies on “urban parks,” narrow your scope to “the social and health impacts of urban parks on low-income communities.”
Search for Sources
Use UMD Libraries’ resources to gather scholarly articles, books, and reports. Recommended databases for architecture and planning topics include Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals, Art & Architecture Source, and Scopus. Ensure you use appropriate keywords and search strategies to find relevant and high-quality sources.
Evaluate Sources
Not all sources are equally valuable. Use the CRAAP Test to assess each source’s credibility:
Currency: How recent is the information?
Relevance: Does it directly address your research question?
Authority: Is the author an expert in the field?
Accuracy: Is the information supported by evidence?
Purpose: Does the source have an objective, or is there bias?
Organize Your Sources
Once you’ve collected your sources, organize them in a way that makes it easy to synthesize the information. You might group your sources by theme, methodology, or chronology. This will help you build a clear structure for your literature review. For example, if you are reviewing research on urban green spaces, you might organize by the benefits (social, health, environmental) each study addresses.
Synthesize and Write
The most important step is synthesizing the information. This means not just summarizing the findings of each study but weaving them together into a narrative that shows how they relate to each other. Use your organizational strategy to group studies and draw connections. Write your review by introducing each group of sources, comparing their findings, and showing how they contribute to the overall understanding of the topic. Remember to always paraphrase and synthesize; avoid simply listing studies without connecting them.
Organizational Strategies:
Chronological: Organize your review by the timeline of research on the topic. This works well when you want to show how the understanding of the topic has evolved over time. For example, you might start by discussing early studies on urban parks in the 1980s and move on to more recent research on their impact on community health. This structure is useful when trends and developments are central to your research.
Thematic: Organize your review by common themes or topics that emerge from the literature. This is often the most effective strategy because it allows you to discuss studies that address similar issues or ideas in one section. For instance, if your research is about sustainable building materials, you might have sections on environmental impact, cost-effectiveness, and performance.
Methodological: Group studies by their research approach. For example, you might separate qualitative studies (e.g., case studies, interviews) from quantitative studies (e.g., surveys, statistical analyses). This can help you discuss how different methods contribute to the field’s understanding of a topic and may reveal gaps in research methods.
Theoretical: Organize your review around theoretical perspectives. If different schools of thought or frameworks are being used to study your topic, you could structure your review by these theoretical lenses. For example, a literature review on urban development might discuss studies from sustainability, economic growth, and social justice perspectives.
Geographical or Case-based: If the literature is focused on specific regions or case studies, you might group your sources accordingly. For example, you might organize by studies on urban parks in the U.S., Europe, and Asia, or you might compare studies on parks in New York City versus Los Angeles.
Complete Guide:
For a detailed, step-by-step guide to writing your literature review, please download the FULL GUIDE HERE.
Thinking about a Literature Review:
For additional guidance, check out these excellent external resources:
Purdue OWL – Provides a great overview of writing a literature review and structuring it effectively.
NC State’s Literature Reviews: An Overview for Graduate Students (video) – A short video tutorial explaining the key concepts and steps in writing a literature review.
