Literature Review — Academic Writing Template
Download and use a free literature review template for your academic document. Structured, formatted, and ready to use with WritingBuddy.
This template scopes a literature review as a single thesis chapter rather than a standalone document. See our WritingBuddy for Master's students page for coursework-to-thesis workflows, and our literature review writing tips guide for identifying research gaps within your themes. Writing a standalone review instead of a thesis chapter? See our literature review template.
What's included
Everything pre-structured so you can focus on your research, not the formatting.
- Introduction to the review
- Theme-based sections (×3)
- Synthesis table
- Research gaps identification
- Conclusion / Transition to methodology
- Introduction — Scope, objectives, and databases searched
- Theme 1 — First major theme in your field
- Theme 2 — Second major theme
- Theme 3 — Third major theme or methodological debate
- Research Gaps — What remains unaddressed
- Conclusion — Justification for your study
How to use this template
Start writing in minutes — no formatting or setup required.
Add sources
Import DOIs or paste references. AI clusters them by theme automatically.
Write the synthesis
AI generates synthesis paragraphs per theme. Add your critical voice on top.
Insert into thesis
Export as a standalone chapter or as part of your full thesis document.
Why use WritingBuddy with this template?
AI fills the gaps
Stuck on a section? AI generates a first draft so you keep moving forward.
Auto-formatted citations
Add your sources and the reference list builds itself in APA, MLA, Chicago, or any style.
Export-ready in seconds
One click to a Word or PDF with every formatting requirement already applied.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many themes should a literature review chapter have?
Three to five themes is typical for a thesis-length literature review — enough to show breadth without fragmenting your synthesis into too many shallow sections. Group closely related debates together rather than creating a new theme for every source.
How do I transition from my literature review into my methodology chapter?
End the literature review by explicitly stating the gap your study addresses, then open the methodology chapter by explaining how your research design is suited to close that specific gap. Our methodology chapter template picks up from exactly this point.
Where does the literature review chapter go in a thesis?
Almost always Chapter 2, directly after the introduction and before the methodology chapter — this order lets you establish the research gap first, then justify your methodology as the right way to address it. Some disciplines integrate a shorter literature review into the introduction instead; check your department's conventions.
How do I avoid plagiarism when synthesizing sources in a literature review?
Paraphrase in your own words rather than lightly editing the source sentence, cite every claim you didn't originate even when paraphrased, and use quotation marks for any phrase of four or more consecutive words taken directly from a source. See our common academic writing mistakes guide for other citation pitfalls markers flag most.