How to Read a Literature Review Example and Learn From It

TL;DR — A literature review example is a learning tool, not a template to copy. Read it slowly, label its moves, and borrow the structure and phrasing patterns to write your own review in your own words.

A literature review is the part of a research paper where you summarise and connect what other people have already written about your topic. It is not a list of summaries. It shows how the studies relate, where they agree, where they disagree, and where a gap remains for your own work.

When the task feels abstract, a good example helps. But many students copy an example without understanding why it works. This guide shows you how to study one properly, so you learn the skill rather than borrow the surface.

Why an example is useful (and where it stops helping)

A well-chosen example gives you three things at once:

Shape. You see how a real review opens, develops, and closes.
Language. You notice the phrases writers use to link sources, such as “in contrast” or “building on this finding.”
Standards. You see how much depth and citation a finished review actually needs.

The example stops being useful the moment you treat its sentences as yours. Topics differ, sources differ, and your argument is your own. Use the example to understand the moves, then make the same moves with your own material.

Read it three times, each with a different goal

One quick read teaches very little. Read your example three times, slowly, with a separate purpose each pass.

Read for meaning. What is this review actually saying about the topic? What is the gap it points to at the end?
Read for structure. Is it organised by theme, by method, or by time? Mark where each section begins.
Read for language. Underline the linking phrases and the verbs used to report studies (“argues,” “found,” “suggests,” “questions”).

By the third pass you are no longer reading content. You are collecting tools.

A worked example: labelling the moves

Imagine an example review opens with this paragraph:

Early studies treated remote work mainly as a cost-saving measure (Author A). Later work shifted the focus to employee wellbeing, with several authors reporting higher job satisfaction (Author B; Author C). However, these studies rarely separated wellbeing from job type, leaving an unanswered question about which roles benefit most.

Now label what each sentence is doing, not what it says:

Sentence 1 — sets the early position in the field.
Sentence 2 — shows how thinking changed and groups sources that agree.
Sentence 3 — names the gap that justifies new research.

That three-part rhythm — old view, shift, gap — is a pattern you can reuse on any topic. You are not copying the words about remote work. You are copying the logic.

Worth a look next: How to Plan and Write a Dissertation Without Losing Your Way.

Turn the pattern into your own paragraph

Here is a template built from the moves above. Fill it with your sources, then rewrite it in natural sentences so it stops sounding like a form.

[Topic] was first understood as [early view] (Source 1).
More recent work has emphasised [newer view],
with [Source 2] and [Source 3] reporting [shared finding].
Yet these studies have not fully addressed [specific gap],
which this paper examines.

A finished version might read:

Online learning was first valued mainly for its convenience (Source 1). Recent research has focused instead on student engagement, with two studies reporting that interaction matters more than format (Source 2; Source 3). What remains unclear is how engagement changes for older, part-time learners — the focus of this review.

Same skeleton, different topic, fully your own words.

Organise the whole review, not just one paragraph

Once a paragraph works, scale the idea up. Most reviews use one of three organising plans:

Thematic — grouped by ideas or sub-topics. The most common and usually the clearest.
Methodological — grouped by how studies were done (surveys, experiments, interviews).
Chronological — grouped by time, useful when a field changed a lot.

Pick one plan and keep it. A short outline keeps you on track:

1. Introduction — scope and why the topic matters
2. Theme A — what is broadly agreed
3. Theme B — where sources disagree
4. Theme C — what is still missing
5. Summary — the gap your work addresses

Worth a look next: How to Choose a Research Paper Topic You Can Actually Finish.

Notice that the final section points forward to your own study. A literature review is not just a record of the past; it is the reason your research exists.

Common mistakes

Watch for these patterns, in your example and in your own draft:

Summary chains. Paragraph after paragraph of “Author X said… Author Y said…” with no connection between them. Always tell the reader how sources relate.
No gap. If the review never says what is missing, it has no purpose. End with the unanswered question.
Copying the example’s wording. Borrow structure and phrasing patterns, never sentences. Copied text is not your work and adds nothing you understand.
Citation drift. Mixing APA, MLA, and Harvard styles in one paper. Choose the style your course requires and apply it consistently.
Too many sources, too little thought. A short review that connects ten studies beats a long one that merely lists thirty.

Putting it together

Treat a literature review example as a guided tour, not a shortcut. Read it three times, label the moves it makes, and capture the linking phrases. Then build your own review from those patterns using your own sources and your own gap.

The goal is not a paper that resembles the example. The goal is the skill the example was quietly teaching you all along — the ability to read a body of work, see how it fits together, and show the reader exactly where your contribution belongs.

Frequently asked questions

How do I use a literature review example without copying it?

Read it three times with a different purpose each pass: once for meaning and the gap it points to, once for structure (thematic, methodological, or chronological), and once for language, underlining linking phrases and reporting verbs like argues, found, suggests. By the third pass you are collecting tools, not content. Borrow the moves and the phrasing patterns, never the sentences.

What is the difference between a literature review and a summary of sources?

A summary chain reports Author X said this, Author Y said that, with no connection between them. A literature review shows how the studies relate: where they agree, where they disagree, and what gap remains for your own work. A short review that connects ten studies beats a long one that merely lists thirty, and a review that never names the gap has no purpose.

How should I organize a literature review?

Choose one plan and keep it: thematic (grouped by ideas, usually the clearest), methodological (grouped by how studies were done), or chronological (useful when the field changed a lot). A simple outline runs introduction and scope, what is broadly agreed, where sources disagree, what is still missing, then a summary naming the gap your research addresses. The final section should point forward to your own study.