How can I make sure I don’t get lost amidst the vast mountains of online sources and literature?

Step 1: First think about what you want to write about

When starting your literature research, you need to read numerous articles. This process takes a considerable amount of time and can sometimes be challenging due to the varying attractiveness of writing styles. Especially with scientific articles, multiple readings are required to truly grasp the essence.

If you begin by going through 20 sources without having chosen a topic beforehand, it will consume a significant amount of time. Moreover, the lack of focus becomes apparent - where do you want to go?

That’s why it’s crucial to think ahead about your research objectives, determine relevant keywords, and conduct an initial search based on them.

Instead of reading all articles initially, it’s advisable to scan the texts to identify potential gaps. This approach helps you stay focused and makes the process of writing your literature review much easier.

Step 2: Make a selection of articles by scanning the summary and the conclusions

Once you have selected the articles, you will then choose the sources to be used for your literature search. It is not feasible to read all the articles, so begin by reading the title and the summary to determine if the article is of interest. If it is, proceed to read the subheadings and the conclusion. Does what they discovered relate to your literature search and support the identified gap? If it does, you can include these articles as potential additions to your literature search.

Step 3: Choose 5 to 8 items as a basis

You can continue reading, but that often doesn’t make any sense at all. Start with the focus: what do you find interesting and what are the relevant keywords. Then select a few articles based on that. Read them thoroughly and identify any gaps in your understanding. Next, check if you have enough articles to support your findings.

Typically, 5 to 8 articles are enough. Why? These articles often include numerous references, which you can also look up and read if they seem relevant. You usually end up with at least 20 sources, and that’s okay. You can include any sources you use, even if you haven’t read the entire article.

Step 4: Create a diagram with an overview of sources and the scope of the article

Once you have selected and scanned the articles, you can determine the most significant findings in the diagram. What does the author state? Do other authors concur with this view? And what is your opinion? By including the source reference immediately, you will save a considerable amount of future work. In a literature review, the necessity to paraphrase arises. Paraphrasing involves expressing in your own words what someone else has stated or written. Sources are used for this purpose.

An example of paraphrasing is:

Super-diversity means that the ethno-cultural diversity of our society is changing (Vertovec, 2007, Crul 2013).

In this example, Vertovec and Crul both indicate that the cultural diversity of our society is undergoing change. However, in the literature, it is also mentioned that Vertovec specifically focuses on ethnic cultural differences, while Crul includes additional dimensions. This process is referred to as paraphrasing.

Step 6: Start writing

The final step is to establish a writing schedule. This is where you identify the underlying theme of your article or literature review. Each article consists of a title, an abstract where you state the objective and the gap, keywords for easy searchability, an introduction that explains the rationale, direction, and structure of the article.

Every article or literature study also includes a conclusion. What do your findings imply for further research? Where is the gap in the literature? Writing also involves starting, deleting, and refining.

Ultimately, writing a literature review or article requires considerable effort. Therefore, our suggestion is to select a topic that you find intriguing.

List sources according to APA?

Read the article: How do you make references in your research proposal and thesis according to APA?

Check your source references

You can also choose to have one of our thesis coaches check your source references. In addition to APA, we have experience with other reference styles, including the Guidelines for Legal Authors. Visit our thesis checking page for more information or schedule a free consultation appointment.