Literature Review
Prepared by University of Waterloo

Structure of a Literature Review

The components of a literature review will vary depending on your institution and your instructor’s preferences, as well as the style of literature review you are writing. Be sure to refer to your assignment instructions to find out what will be required.

Most literature reviews- regardless of whether they are stand-alone literature review or embedded literature reviews, will include the following major sections and components:

1. Cover page includes basic student and class information
2. Introduction demonstrates the importance of a topic and outlines the direction of the review, including the thesis, research question, scope, and purpose
3. Body synthesizes and analyzes sources in a clear, logical manner
4. Conclusion addresses the gaps in knowledge, indicates what your analysis tells you about the thesis or research question, and provides directions for future research
5. References list all the sources you cited in your paper, but students using the Chicago Manual of Style will also need to include the works they consulted even if they did not cite them

Section B: Planning and Researching

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Section B: Planning and Researching

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