Free Literature Review Checklist

1. Preparation

• Define the topic: Ensure that the literature review is focused on a clear, specific research question or topic.

• Search strategy: Have you defined a strategy for selecting sources (e.g., keywords, databases, journals)?

• Inclusion and exclusion criteria: Are the criteria for selecting studies clear (e.g., date range, relevance, quality of studies)?

2. Source Identification

• Comprehensive search: Have you searched a variety of sources (e.g., peer-reviewed journals, books, conference proceedings, dissertations)?

• Key databases: Have you used relevant academic databases (e.g., PubMed, Google Scholar, JSTOR, Scopus)?

• Document sources: Have you kept a record of all sources used (e.g., citations, abstracts)?

3. Source Evaluation

• Quality and reliability: Are the sources from credible, peer-reviewed publications?

• Relevance to topic: Are the sources directly related to your research question or topic?

• Recent studies: Have you included recent studies and avoided outdated or irrelevant papers?

• Theoretical or methodological quality: Have you evaluated the quality of studies in terms of their methodology and theoretical framework?

4. Organization and Structure

• Introduction: Have you introduced the research question, the importance of the topic, and the purpose of the review?

• Themes and categories: Is the literature grouped into relevant themes or categories?

• Chronological or thematic structure: Have you organized the review in a logical structure, either chronologically or thematically?

• Synthesis: Have you synthesized findings from various studies rather than just summarizing them?

• Gap identification: Have you identified gaps or limitations in the current literature?

5. Critical Analysis

• Comparisons: Have you compared and contrasted different authors' viewpoints and findings?

• Strengths and weaknesses: Have you evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of different studies?

• Bias and limitations: Have you addressed any potential biases or limitations in the studies reviewed?

• Contradictions: Have you discussed any contradictory findings or debates in the literature?

6. Conclusion

• Summary of findings: Have you summarized the key findings of the literature review?

• Research gaps: Have you identified areas where further research is needed?

• Contribution to the field: Have you discussed how the review contributes to the current understanding of the topic?

7. References and Citations

• Correct citation style: Are all references cited correctly according to the required citation style (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago)?

• Complete reference list: Have you included all sources cited in the text in the reference list?

• Consistency: Are the citations and references consistent and formatted correctly throughout?

8. Writing Quality

• Clarity and coherence: Is the writing clear, logical, and easy to follow?

• Conciseness: Have you avoided unnecessary repetition or excessive detail?

• Grammar and style: Is the writing grammatically correct and consistent with academic writing standards?

9. Final Review

• Check for gaps: Have you reviewed the literature to ensure you haven’t missed any important studies?

• Review of relevance: Are all the included studies still relevant and up-to-date?

• Peer review: Have you considered having a peer or supervisor review your literature review for feedback?

Literature Review Templates @ Template.net