A literature review is not a list of what you've read. It's an argument about the state of a field, what's known, what's contested, what's missing, and how your research will contribute to it.
Structure thematically, not chronologically
Weak literature reviews summarise study after study in date order. Strong reviews organise the literature around themes, debates and gaps, and locate your research within them.
Synthesise, don't just summarise
Each paragraph should bring multiple sources into conversation, identify points of agreement and disagreement, and draw conclusions about what the field collectively knows.
Identify the gap
Your literature review must end by clearly articulating what is missing from the existing literature, and how your dissertation will address that gap. This is the bridge to your research question.
Search systematically
Use multiple databases (Google Scholar, JSTOR, Scopus, Web of Science). Document your search terms and inclusion criteria, many UK dissertations now require a PRISMA-style search documentation even for non-systematic reviews.
