Literature review: how to write it for your thesis
A method to write the literature review of a thesis or dissertation: find sources, read them, organize them by theme and synthesize them.
Data Académique
10/14/20264 min read
The literature review (or state of the art) is often the longest part of a thesis to write. Many students turn it into a series of article summaries, which juries regularly criticize. Here is a 6-step method to make it a real synthesis that is useful for your research.
In short: a literature review presents in an organized way what existing studies say about your topic, compares their results and shows what is still missing. To write it: define the topic with keywords, search reliable databases (Google Scholar, Cairn, ScienceDirect…), read while taking structured notes, group studies by theme, write by theme (not by author), then conclude on the gap your research will fill.
What is a literature review for?
Showing that you know the work on your topic.
Defining key concepts and choosing reference definitions.
Justifying your research problem by showing what has not yet been studied.
Building your research model and hypotheses.
Finding validated measurement scales for your questionnaire.
Step 1: define your keywords
Start from your research question and list the main concepts with their synonyms in French and English. Example for a topic on Instagram and purchase intention: "social media advertising", "publicité sur les réseaux sociaux", "purchase intention", "intention d'achat", "advertising credibility". Reading in English multiplies the number of available sources.
Step 2: search reliable sources
Google Scholar: the easiest starting point. Use quotation marks for exact phrases and the "Cited by" feature to find more recent studies.
French-language databases: Cairn, Érudit, Persée, HAL, theses.fr for French theses.
International databases: ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, Wiley, JSTOR, PubMed for health (access often depends on your institution).
Official reports: national and international institutions, for context data.
Avoid blogs, forums and unpublished theses as main sources. Favor articles published in peer-reviewed journals and reference books.
Step 3: read efficiently
No need to read everything in full. First read the abstract, introduction and conclusion to decide whether the article is useful. For the articles you keep, note in a table:
the full reference (in APA format, see our APA 7 guide);
the objective of the study;
the population, country and method;
the main results;
the limitations and your comments.
A tool like Zotero lets you save references and generate the reference list automatically.
Step 4: organize by theme
This is the key step. Group studies by recurring themes: definitions of the concept, factors that influence it, its effects, the contexts studied, the methods used. Each theme becomes a section of your literature review. Also note where authors agree and disagree.
Step 5: write a synthesis, not a catalog
The difference between a poor and a good literature review fits in one example:
Catalog (to avoid): "Dupont (2019) studied… Then Benali (2021) showed… Then Smith (2022) found…"
Synthesis (to aim for): "Several studies show that the perceived credibility of advertising strengthens purchase intention (Dupont, 2019; Smith, 2022). This result is not confirmed among the youngest consumers, however (Benali, 2021), which suggests an age effect."
In each paragraph: one idea, several sources that support or nuance it, and your critical comment.
Step 6: conclude on the gap and the model
End with an assessment: what is known, what remains unclear and how your research contributes. If your study is explanatory, present your research model (a diagram linking the variables) and your hypotheses, each supported by the literature. This conclusion links to your research problem and your questionnaire.
Example of a synthesis table
Before writing, summarise each source in a table. It shows agreements, disagreements and gaps at a glance. Fictitious example on job satisfaction:
| Author (year) | Aim | Method | Key finding | Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Author A (2021) | Link between recognition and satisfaction | Questionnaire, 300 employees | Positive, significant effect | Single sector |
| Author B (2022) | Role of remote work | Interviews, 20 managers | Effect varies by role | Small sample |
| Author C (2023) | Satisfaction and intention to leave | PLS-SEM, 250 respondents | Satisfaction reduces intention to leave | Self-reported data |
Then group the sources by theme and write one paragraph per theme. Example synthesis sentence: “While several studies confirm the effect of recognition on satisfaction (Author A, 2021; Author C, 2023), the role of remote work is still debated (Author B, 2022), which justifies our research question.”
How many references and how many pages?
There is no official number, but common ranges are: 20 to 40 references for a bachelor's thesis, 40 to 80 for a master's, many more for a PhD. The literature review often represents 20 to 30% of the thesis. Quality and recency of sources matter more than quantity: include work from the last five to ten years, in addition to the founding authors.
Mistakes to avoid
Stringing article summaries together without comparing them.
Citing sources you have not read (the jury may ask questions).
Copying sentences without quotation marks: it is plagiarism, even with the reference.
Forgetting recent studies or those about your context (Morocco, Africa, the Arab world).
Discussing topics unrelated to the research question.
For a nursing thesis, adapt this method with our ISPITS nursing thesis structure.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use English sources in a thesis written in French?
Yes, and it is even recommended. Cite them by rephrasing in French; for an exact quotation, you can give the original and a translation.
Are the literature review and the theoretical framework the same thing?
They overlap. The literature review presents all the studies; the theoretical framework keeps the concepts and theory your research relies on. In many theses both form a single chapter.
Can I use AI for the literature review?
AI tools can help find leads or rephrase, but they sometimes invent references. Check every source in a reliable database, never cite an article you have not read, and respect your institution's rules.
How do I cite a source quoted in another one?
Cite the original source whenever possible. Otherwise, use a secondary citation ("as cited in") following APA style: see APA 7 citation guide.
Going further
The literature review is one step of the final-year dissertation. If you need help structuring your theoretical framework, building your research model or proofreading your chapters, discover our thesis and dissertation support.
