How to Write a Literature Review (Without Listing Sources)
4 min read · For Canadian students
A thematic literature review structure that reads like an argument.
Weak literature reviews list sources. Strong literature reviews argue. The structural difference is whether your paragraphs are organised by theme or by author.
Use a synthesis matrix: columns for themes, rows for sources. Your paragraphs write themselves.
Always end with the gap. The literature review exists to justify your research question.
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