How to structure a literature review

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Opening paragraph to be written. It should say who this article is for and what they will be able to do after reading it.

What a literature review is for

Explain that it builds an argument rather than summarising everything ever written.

The five-part shape

Set out the structure: scope, themes, debates, gap, and how your work answers it.

Grouping sources by theme

Show how to move from a list of authors to a set of arguments.

Finding the gap

Explain how to identify and state what has not been settled.

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