Outline for writing your literature review:
1. Introduction – one page
The introduction is used to establish the context of your review to the reader. To establish the context, it is important to do the following in this opening paragraph:
a. Define the topic of your study and provide any background information that helps your reader to understand the topic.
b. Mention why this topic is important.
b. Explain your reason (aim) for reviewing the literature on this topic.
2. Literature review – two to three pages
This section of your paper begins with an explanation of how you have organized your small-scale literature review and describes findings from articles that provide answers to your inquiry question. Before you begin this section, be sure that you have sorted your articles into different themes based on the articles’ findings (sometimes called results). Make sure to describe the studies that you identified and compare, contrast and/or connect the articles you’ve selected. Also, mention and discuss the relevant theories.
3. Summary – one page
In this page, it is important to summarize the main general findings from the articles that you reviewed and to point out the information that you found particularly important. Also, point out major methodological flaws or gaps in research, inconsistencies in theory and findings, and areas or issues pertinent to future study.
4. References
This is the last page of your review. It serves as a listing of all references that you mentioned in your paper. Please use APA style when completing this list.