Move beyond a chronological summary — learn the thematic synthesis approach that examiners and reviewers love.
A literature review is not a list of summaries. It is an argument — a synthesis that positions your contribution within the conversation of your field.
Start by mapping the terrain. Use citation databases (Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar) to identify the seminal works and the most recent five years of activity.
Cluster the literature thematically, not chronologically. Group studies by methodology, by theoretical lens, or by the sub-question they address.
For each cluster, write a synthesis paragraph: what is agreed, what is disputed, what is missing. The 'what is missing' is your gap — the seed of your contribution.
Finally, write the bridge. The closing of your literature review must explicitly state how your work addresses the gap. This single paragraph often determines whether reviewers feel your study is necessary.