Paper details

Title page
Table of Contents
Introduction (500 words)
Approach and Methods (750 words)
Findings (1000 words)
Evaluation and Reflection (750 words)
Bibliography
Appendices

Structure of the Review

Introduction

Describe the purpose of the review, i.e. the subject you are investigating and why?
Describe the structure or outline of your review, i.e. the order of main topics covered.
Explain the criteria you have used to analyse and compare the literature.
If you have decided to exclude certain categories of literature explain why, e.g. not anecdotal accounts, not articles in foreign languages or unscientific findings.

Main Section

Discuss the main points that you identified in your review.
Group together authors with similar or related findings/methodologies and compare and contrast with those that differ for each point.
Critically analyse each piece of literature and state how you view its significance.
Show how each point relates to your own research arguments.
Use the first sentence of each paragraph to draw attention to its content. As you proceed, use ‘signposts’ to show the direction you are heading in and then create a logical path through to your conclusion.

Conclusion

Summarise how what you have read has contributed to the topic under review, drawing particular attention to the most significant studies. Make sure that it relates to what you have outlined in your introduction.
Evaluate the current state of development of your topic, pointing out any major gaps or methodological flaws in previous research. It is important to point out any inconsistencies in existing theories and findings.
Point out areas or issues worthy of future study which you might pursue.
Relate the topic of the literature review to the larger academic discipline.

Final Check

Review what you have written, ask yourself the following questions and amend as appropriate:

Have you included sufficient evidence to support your views?
Does the argument flow in a logical manner through the main points?
Do you relate the points mentioned to your own arguments and proposed research?
Is the English and grammar appropriate and correct?

Abstract – Brief summary of the contents of the article
Introduction – An explanation of the purpose of the study; a statement of the research question(s) you intend to address
Literature review – A critical assessment of the work done so far on this topic—to show how the current study relates to what has already been done
Methods – How the study was carried out (e.g. instruments or equipment, procedures, methods to gather and analyze data)
Results – What was found in the course of the study?
Discussion – What do the results mean?
Conclusion – State the conclusions and implications of the results; discuss how it relates to the work reviewed in the literature review; also point to directions for further work in the area