How to Really Write Your Literature Review: A Workshop for You
A Blog for the New Academic Year 2025-2026 It can easily happen when we’re new to this whole business of enquiry. Maybe you’re a PhD candidate or a professional moving from practice into research. You’re committed, passionate about your subject, and excited about making a contribution to knowledge. You’ve got a rock-star question and an outline of your methods. But you've hit a snag. Your literature review. You have a gigantic pile of studies stacked around your desk -- or a file full to bursting on your computer, depending on how you prefer to do these things. You’ve done the recommended reading in the how-to books, sat through the self-study tutorials, and followed the easy-step guides. It’s still not entirely clear from all this what you are expected to do, exactly, but you give it your best shot. "You love your research. You can’t wait to dig in. But you’ve hit a snag. Your literature review." You sink months into a draft -- frustrating, hair-tearing, pen-chewing ...