A literature review is not a list of summaries — it is an argument about where the existing research stands, and where the gap is that your work will fill.

Organise by theme, not by author

Grouping sources chronologically or author-by-author is the most common mistake. Organise by theme or debate instead, and bring multiple sources into conversation with each other within each section.

Every section should end with a gap

Close each thematic section by naming what is still unresolved. By the end of the review, those gaps should add up to the exact justification for your research question.