How to Undertake a Structured Literature Review: A Step-by-Step Guide

Whether you're writing a thesis, academic paper, or research proposal, a structured literature review is a cornerstone of strong scholarship. It helps you understand what’s already known, identify gaps, refine your research question, and demonstrate credibility.

But with so many sources and so much information, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. A structured literature review brings clarity, transparency, and replicability to the process—making your review more rigorous and manageable.

In this guide, we break down exactly how to conduct a structured literature review, step by step.

What Is a Structured Literature Review?

A structured literature review is a systematic approach to identifying, selecting, evaluating, and synthesizing relevant academic work. It differs from a narrative review in that it:

• Follows a clear and replicable method
• Uses inclusion/exclusion criteria
• Aims to reduce bias
• Often includes a flow diagram or summary table

It’s particularly useful for theses, dissertations, and high-quality academic publications.

Step-by-Step: How to Undertake a Structured Literature Review

Step 1: Define Your Research Question

A clear research question guides your review and helps you filter relevant literature.

Use frameworks like:

• PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) — for health and social sciences
• SPIDER (Sample, Phenomenon, Design, Evaluation, Research type) — for qualitative research
• SMART or FINER — for general academic rigor

Example:

"How do remote work arrangements impact employee productivity in the technology sector?"

Step 2: Develop Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria

Establish what kinds of studies will be included or excluded, based on factors like:

CriteriaExamplesLanguageEnglish onlyPublication date2015–2024RegionOECD countriesStudy typePeer-reviewed articles, empirical studies onlyPopulationKnowledge workers in tech industry

This ensures consistency and transparency.

Step 3: Choose and Document Your Databases

Use multiple scholarly databases for comprehensive coverage:

• Scopus
• Web of Science
• PubMed (health/medicine)
• PsycINFO (psychology)
• ERIC (education)
• Google Scholar (broad but less curated)
• OpenAlex includes 250 million pieces of academic literature

Keep a record of:

• Databases searched
• Date of search
• Keywords and filters used

TIP: Use the extensive fact sheet in write studio to record metadata about each record

Step 4: Construct Your Search String

Combine keywords and Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) to refine your search.

Example search string:

(“remote work” OR “telecommuting” OR “work from home”) AND (“productivity” OR “performance”) AND (“technology sector” OR “IT industry”)

Use quotation marks for exact phrases and parentheses to group terms.

Step 5: Conduct the Search and Screen the Results

Stage 1: Title and abstract screening

• Remove duplicates
• Screen for relevance
• Use a spreadsheet or software (e.g., Excel, Covidence)

Stage 2: Full-text screening

• Apply your inclusion/exclusion criteria more rigorously
• Record reasons for exclusion

Tip: Use the PRISMA flow diagram to track your screening process.

Step 6: Extract and Organize the Data

For each included study, extract key information such as:

AuthorYearTitleMethodSampleKey FindingsRelevanceSmith2021Remote Work and ProductivitySurvey320 tech workersProductivity rose 15%Directly relevant

Use tools like:

• Excel or Google Sheets
• Write studio, Zotero, EndNote, or Mendeley for citations
• NVivo or ATLAS.ti for qualitative data

Step 7: Synthesize the Literature

Don’t just list studies—identify patterns, contradictions, gaps, and trends.

Types of synthesis:

• Thematic synthesis (qualitative)
• Narrative synthesis (summary + interpretation)
• Meta-analysis (quantitative aggregation of results)

Organize your synthesis by:

• Themes or variables
• Chronological development
• Methodological approaches

Example themes: productivity measurement, team communication, work-life balance, employee engagement

Step 8: Critically Appraise the Studies

Evaluate the quality and credibility of each source.

Ask:

• Is the methodology sound?
• Are findings generalizable?
• Any evidence of bias?
• Is the sample size adequate?

Use appraisal tools like:

• CASP (Critical Appraisal Skills Programme)
• Joanna Briggs Institute Checklists
• AMSTAR (for systematic reviews)

Step 9: Write the Review

Your literature review should be structured and critical—not just descriptive.

Typical structure:

1. Introduction
   • Scope, purpose, and structure of the review
2. Methods
   • Search strategy, databases, criteria, number of studies
3. Findings/Synthesis
   • Themes, comparisons, trends, gaps
4. Critical evaluation
   • Quality of evidence, limitations
5. Conclusion
   • Summary of insights, implications, research gaps

Step 10: Reference and Document Transparently

Use consistent citation styles (APA, Harvard, Chicago, etc.), approved by your institution and include:

• Full reference list
• PRISMA diagram (if systematic)
• Appendices (for full search strategies or data extraction tables)

In Summary

A structured literature review helps you build a strong foundation for your research. It’s a systematic, transparent, and critical process that reveals what’s known—and what still needs to be explored.

By following these steps, you not only improve the quality of your review, but you also make your work more credible, replicable, and valuable to your academic or professional field.

Remember: clarity, consistency, and critical thinking are your best tools.

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