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A literature review template organised by questions, not authors

A structure that turns a reading list into an account of what the field knows, disputes, and still cannot answer.

What this template is for

Thesis literature reviews, research reports, policy evidence reviews, academic essays, and any section that must compare several sources rather than list them.

Before you use the literature review template

Define the review question and the boundaries that keep it answerable.
Record how material was found and selected without implying coverage you did not perform.
Create provisional themes from relationships between sources, not from author names.

The structure, part by part

1. Scope and review question

State the precise question, the boundaries of the review, the kinds of evidence included, and any important exclusions. Define terms that sources use differently before those differences become apparent contradictions.

2. How the material was selected

Explain where you looked, the period covered, and how sources qualified. This can be a short transparent paragraph for an essay or a formal method for a systematic review; do not imply exhaustive coverage if the process was selective.

3. Theme or claim one

Open with the pattern several sources collectively show. Compare their evidence, settings, and methods inside the section rather than giving each source a paragraph of its own.

4. Theme or claim two

Move to the next dimension of the question and make its relationship to the first explicit. Name sources that extend, qualify, or contradict the pattern and explain why those differences matter.

5. Disagreement and limits

Separate genuine theoretical disagreement from differences caused by population, definition, method, or period. Evaluate evidence symmetrically and identify claims the available material cannot support.

6. Gap and implication

Name the unanswered question precisely, not merely that ‘more research is needed’. End by explaining what the synthesis changes for your own research question, argument, method, or practical recommendation.

The template itself

Copy this skeleton into a new document and replace each line. In Strut you can start a document from it directly - Pick Literature review in the template selector when you create one.

Literature review template

## Scope and review question
Review question and scope: [question, period, field, and exclusions].

## How the material was selected
Selection approach: [where you looked, what qualified, and important limits].

## Theme or claim one
Theme one: [shared claim], supported or qualified by [sources and methods].

## Theme or claim two
Theme two: [related or competing pattern] and its relationship to theme one.

## Disagreement and limits
Disagreement and limits: [what differs, why it may differ, and what cannot be concluded].

## Gap and implication
Gap and implication: [precise unknown] matters because [effect on this project].

Worked example: synthesise sources instead of listing them

Too broad

Author A found one result. Author B found another result.

More useful

The studies point in different directions, but they define participation differently; the apparent disagreement narrows when the measures are compared.

How to adapt this literature review template

Use case	What to change
Thesis chapter	Expand search method, theory, and the implication for your own design.
Policy review	Organise by decision question and distinguish strength of evidence from practical urgency.
Essay section	Use only the themes needed to establish the argument and state that the review is selective.

Check the draft before you move on

Sections compare sources around a question or theme.
Evidence is weighted by relevance and method rather than treated as equal.
The gap is specific enough to change a research question, design, or recommendation.

Where this structure goes wrong

Organising one paragraph per author, which reports the reading sequence and leaves comparison to the reader.
Calling the review comprehensive without documenting a search and selection process capable of supporting that claim.
Treating every source as equal regardless of method, sample, independence, relevance, or date.
Ending with a generic research gap rather than showing what remains unknown and why it matters to the present work.

Questions about this template

How is this different from an annotated bibliography?

An annotated bibliography describes sources one at a time. A literature review organises the relationship between sources around themes, methods, disagreements, and the question being answered.

How many themes should a review contain?

As few as the question needs. Three substantial themes with real comparison are usually more useful than eight headings that each contain one source summary.

Should the strongest study come first?

Lead with the pattern the reader needs, then weight evidence inside it. Strength affects how much a source can support, not necessarily the order in which its author is introduced.

Can I use this for a thesis chapter?

Yes. Expand the selection method, theoretical framing, and implication for your research design to match your discipline's expectations.

Guides that go deeper

Synthesize sources instead of listing summaries - Move from source summaries to a thematic synthesis by comparing claims, methods, patterns, disagreements, and gaps in one practical matrix.
Literature notes that become usable writing - A note format that keeps exact evidence separate from your interpretation and points every book, paper, or report toward a live writing question.
Citation management for writers, done early - Capture sources as you read, record the fields that matter, keep quotations exact, and verify every borrowed claim in one pass before you publish.