Writing a Literature Review Step by Step

Step 1: Define your search terms and databases (Google Scholar, JSTOR, PubMed). Step 2: Screen titles and abstracts for relevance. Step 3: Read full papers and take notes using a table. Step 4: Identify themes — don't summarise paper by paper. Step 5: Critically evaluate each study (methodology, sample size, limitations). Step 6: Synthesise — what does the body of evidence say overall? Step 7: Identify the research gap your study fills.