Literature Review

A literature review analyzes and synthesizes existing research relevant to your topic. It identifies gaps your study will address.

Many U.S. dissertations include 80–200 scholarly sources, depending on field. Quality and relevance matter more than quantity.

A research gap is an unanswered question or underexplored issue in existing literature that your dissertation seeks to address.

A literature review is usually organized thematically, chronologically, or methodologically — not as a simple summary of articles.

Synthesis means combining findings from multiple studies to show patterns, contradictions, or trends rather than summarizing one study at a time.

A theoretical framework is the theory or model that underpins your research and guides interpretation of findings.

A conceptual framework visually or logically explains the key variables and relationships in your study.

Peer-reviewed sources are academic articles evaluated by experts before publication to ensure quality and credibility.

Citation style refers to formatting rules such as APA, MLA, or Chicago. Most U.S. dissertations use APA format.

Plagiarism is presenting someone else's ideas or words without proper citation. Universities use plagiarism detection tools to check submissions.