In this guide · 9 sections
Summary in plain words
- Define the question and its limits before you search.
- Log every search: database, terms, date and number of results.
- Screen in two passes and take notes only on what stays.
- Organize the text by theme, not by author, and cite from your notes.
What a literature review is (and is not)
A literature review shows what is already known about your topic: where studies agree, where they disagree and which gap your work helps to fill. It supports your research question and justifies your method.
It is not a string of summaries, one per author. “Smith (2019) argues this. Jones (2021) argues that.” is the most common mistake. A good review compares, groups and concludes.
1. Define the question and its limits
Before opening any database, write down in one sentence what you want to know. Then set the limits: time period (for example, the last ten years), languages, study types and the context or population.
Your keywords come from those limits. List synonyms and related terms, including the spelling variants your field uses.
2. Search with a method and log every search
Combine keywords with operators: AND to narrow, OR for synonyms and quotation marks for exact phrases. For example: ("remote learning" OR "online learning") AND "primary school".
Start with Google Scholar and your library's catalog and, if your institution has access, Scopus and Web of Science. Subject databases such as PubMed, ERIC or IEEE Xplore are usually more precise.
| Database | Terms | Date | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| ERIC | "remote learning" AND "primary school" | 2026-10-02 | 64 |
| Scopus | "remote learning" AND "primary school" | 2026-10-02 | 131 |
| Google Scholar | "remote learning" "primary school" review | 2026-10-02 | First 100 screened |
3. Screen in two passes
In the first pass, read only the title and abstract and decide: in, out or maybe. In the second, read the full text of what stayed. Note why each study was excluded; that becomes part of your method section.
- FoundSearch results, not read yet.
- ScreeningTitle and abstract read.
- ReadingFull text in progress.
- NotedNotes done and reference saved.
These four columns work well on a Kanban board: each paper is a card, and you can see at a glance how many are left to read.
4. Take notes on every study that stays
Reading notes are what separate a calm review from a pile of highlighted PDFs. Always use the same short template:
- Full reference, with the DOI when there is one.
- The study's question or aim.
- Method and sample.
- Main findings.
- Limitations the authors acknowledge.
- How the study relates to your work.
The last line matters most. Your review text grows out of it.
5. Organize by theme, not by author
Once your notes are done, group the studies by theme, method or finding. A simple matrix helps: studies in rows, themes in columns. The themes that keep coming back become the sections of your review.
Write each section by comparing: what the studies have in common, where they differ and why. Close with the gap that justifies your research.
6. Write and cite from your notes
Since each note already has the full reference, citing becomes a lookup, not a hunt. Follow the style your work requires, often APA, and check every reference before you submit.
In Kanban Pesquisa, you enter the DOI and Crossref fills in the reference; the citation comes out in APA, Chicago, AMA, Vancouver or ABNT, linked to the project's tasks. Before submitting, check:
- Every in-text citation has an entry in the reference list.
- Every entry in the reference list is cited in the text.
- The DOIs and links open.
Common mistakes
- Searching without a clear question and piling up hundreds of PDFs.
- Reading everything cover to cover before deciding what stays.
- Summarizing author by author instead of comparing studies.
- Leaving references for the end and hunting again for papers you already read.
Create a project with this guide's columns and invite your supervisor.
Create free account