Literature Review Template — Academic Writing Template
Download and use a free literature review template template for your academic document. Structured, formatted, and ready to use with WritingBuddy.
A thematic literature review groups sources by idea rather than by author, producing genuine synthesis instead of a list of summaries. Our WritingBuddy for literature reviews page covers the source-synthesis tools built for this, and our literature review guide walks through building a theoretical framework around your themes. Writing the review as one chapter within a larger thesis instead? See our literature review chapter template.
What's included
Everything pre-structured so you can focus on your research, not the formatting.
- Introduction — Scope, objectives, search strategy
- Thematic Section 1 — Theme title, synthesis, key sources
- Thematic Section 2 — Theme title, synthesis, key sources
- Thematic Section 3 — Theme title, synthesis, key sources
- Research Gaps — What the literature has not addressed
- Conceptual Framework — (optional) Visual / narrative framework
- Conclusion — Summary, implications for your research
- Reference List
- Introduction — Define scope, review objectives, describe database search
- Theme 1 — [Your theme] synthesis across key sources
- Theme 2 — [Your theme] synthesis across key sources
- Theme 3 — [Your theme] synthesis across key sources
- Research Gaps — Contradictions, silences, and open questions
- Conclusion — How the literature informs your own research
How to use this template
Start writing in minutes — no formatting or setup required.
Import your sources
Add all DOIs or paste your bibliography. AI groups sources into thematic clusters automatically.
Build your themes
Each theme section is AI-drafted from your sources. Edit and add your own analytical voice.
Export
Standalone Word/PDF or embed into your full thesis or dissertation with one click.
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 do I organize a literature review by theme instead of by source?
Read across your sources first to identify 3–5 recurring themes or debates, then write one section per theme that synthesizes what multiple sources say about it, rather than devoting one paragraph to each source. Our literature review guide walks through this process step by step.
Can a literature review be published as a standalone paper?
Yes — many journals publish standalone systematic or narrative literature reviews, particularly in fields with fast-moving research. They typically require a more rigorous, documented search methodology than a thesis chapter literature review.
How long should a standalone literature review be?
A standalone literature review for publication typically runs 4,000–8,000 words depending on the journal and field, while a literature review chapter within a thesis is usually shorter (3,000–6,000 words) since it serves a narrower, more focused purpose.
What's the difference between a systematic and a narrative literature review?
A systematic review follows a documented, replicable search and screening protocol (often with a PRISMA flow diagram) to minimize selection bias, while a narrative review synthesizes literature more flexibly around themes without that formal search methodology. Most thesis literature review chapters are narrative reviews.