Define Your Research Question/Topic

Before starting your literature review, clearly define the research question or topic you're focusing on. This will help you identify relevant literature.

• What is of interest? Think long term interest…
• What do you want to do, look at, learn or understand?
• Are you aware or could there be gaps in the current literature?
• Write down everything you know or what you think you know, preferably one word list

Search for Relevant Literature

Identify sources that are most relevant to your topic. Use academic databases like ABI/Inform, EconLit, Science Direct – Business databases guide. You can also search for books, theses, conference papers, and credible websites.

• Use keywords from the list created above
• Think of variations or synonyms of your key terms
• Most databases will provide subjects for articles – this can be a rabbit hole, make sure you save as you go
• Some databases you can highlight a word in an article and search that
• Check the References 
• DO NOT get married to a word or phrase
• Do not make up word, pharses ie 3rd party post-purchase marketing services ie customer satisfaction surveys

Evaluate and Select Sources

Not all sources are equally valuable. Evaluate each source for relevance, quality, and credibility.

• Relevance: Does the source directly address your research question?
• Quality: Is the research well-conducted and well-written? Is it from a peer-reviewed journal?
• Credibility: Who is the author? Are they an expert in the field?
• AI – make source the source is real, credible. AI is a tool in your research process

Read and Take Notes

Once you’ve found relevant literature, read through it thoroughly. Take notes on key themes, findings, methodologies, and theories.

• Save as you go – email, download, export….
• Identify key arguments, methodologies, and conclusions.
• Group similar studies together.
• Look for gaps in the literature or areas where research is inconsistent.

Organize Your Literature

Organize your findings into clear categories or themes. These can be based on chronology, methodology, key issues, or theoretical approaches.

• Thematic: Group studies by common themes or ideas.
• Methodological: Group by research methods (e.g., qualitative vs. quantitative).
• Chronological: Group studies in the order they were published to show development over time.

Analyze and Synthesize

Analyze the literature to identify patterns, connections, and contradictions. Synthesize the information by comparing and contrasting different studies, and discuss how they relate to each other.

• What are the major debates in the literature?
• Where do different studies agree or disagree?
• What are the gaps in the current research?

Write Your Review

Start writing your literature review by following a clear structure:

• Introduction: Introduce your research question, objectives, and the significance of the review.
• Body: Present your findings. Organize them thematically, methodologically, or chronologically. Highlight key studies, debates, and gaps.
• Conclusion: Summarize the key points, highlight gaps or future research directions, and discuss how the literature informs your own research.

Cite Your Sources – ALL OF YOUR SOURCES

• Always provide proper citations for all the sources you reference. Use a consistent citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.)
• Many databases provide citing – double check for mistakes
• Purdue Owl