Research

Literature Review Template

Structured template for conducting systematic literature reviews — search strategy, source evaluation, synthesis, and gap analysis.

Search Strategy

Define research question and scope of the reviewIdentify key databases and repositories to searchDevelop search terms, Boolean operators, and filtersSet inclusion and exclusion criteria for sourcesDocument the search date and number of results per database

Source Screening

Screen titles and abstracts against inclusion criteriaRemove duplicate sources across databasesConduct full-text review of remaining candidatesApply quality assessment criteria to each sourceCreate a final list of included sources with justifications

Data Extraction

Extract key findings, methodology, and sample size from each sourceNote theoretical frameworks and conceptual models usedRecord limitations acknowledged by each studyIdentify conflicting findings between sourcesTag sources by theme, methodology, and publication year

Synthesis & Analysis

Group sources by theme or research sub-questionIdentify consensus findings across multiple studiesAnalyze methodological strengths and weaknesses in the literatureHighlight contradictions and possible explanations

Gap Identification

Document topics with insufficient research coverageIdentify methodological gaps (sample size, geography, timeframe)Propose future research directions based on gapsSummarize overall findings and their implications

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