The literature review

It is an art to select and cover the literature in a way that addresses the various requirements for breadth, depth, brevity, relevance and understanding. Consider the checklist below before writing your literature review and return to it as you write. Check off  each item when you are satisfied that you have addressed it as well as you can.

Breadth and depth
■	I incorporate reference to a broad range of
relevant sources within my review.
■	I include reference to specialist sources or articles that are relevant to my project.
■	These sources all appear in my bibliography
and/or list of references.
■	I make brief, ‘passing references’ to many
sources relevant in some way to my research.
Understanding and judgement
■	My literature review demonstrates that I understand my field (see pages 112–3).
■	The items that I refer to in the literature review demonstrate that I recognise which sources are most significant for my topic.
■	I have given due recognition to seminal pieces of
work in this field.
■	The way I make use of the literature indicates that I understand what I have read.
■	I have allocated the most space (or words) to those sources that are most relevant to my own project.
■	It is clear that my reading is up to date and
covers the most recent publications.
Organisation, relevance, coherence
■	All the literature to which I have referred is
relevant in some way to my research.
■	There is a logical order to the way that I
introduce sources.
■	The way I present my sources ‘tells the story’ of the development of research relevant to my own project.
■	I have made it clear how each item contributed,

in some way, to developments in the debates, research or theory relevant to my own research.
■	I have made clear the connections
between different items included in my
literature review.
■	I have made clear how previous research leads up to the point where my own research will begin.
Style, brevity and criticality
■	I refer to sources in a critically evaluative way, focusing on their specific contribution and/or limitations.
■	I make every word count – wordy
sentences are rewritten more concisely so that I can make reference to more pieces of relevant research.
■	I avoid describing sources at length.
■	I avoid long quotations (of more than a few words).
■	I have stayed close to my planned word
limit for this section.
■	I have edited out irrelevant matter such
as interesting tangents and anecdotes.
Academic integrity
If I made any use of AI tools: I have
■	specified exactly which tools I used, when,
and for which purpose in all cases
■	verified that any sources I drew upon were not written by AI
■	checked and read the original sources for
myself
■	not used in my review any content or
phrasing given by the AI tools.

© Stella Cottrell (2026) Dissertations and Project Reports, 2nd Edition, London: Bloomsbury. Available from: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/dissertations-and-project-reports-9781350580541/.