OmniDocHow to apply literature review template: Word and general template
Explain how to apply the literature review template: first determine the school's format requirements, then fill in the sections one by one according to the introduction, theme, deficiencies, and entry points, and finally arrange the title, table of contents, and references in the editor.
Key points of this article
- If there are format requirements from the school or instructor, the school template shall prevail. Only the content will be replaced and the format regulations will not be modified.
- The main body of the review is divided into sections according to research themes. In each section, write a conclusion sentence first, and then list representative studies and their differences.
- The template only provides a skeleton, and the section titles and paragraph content should be written around your own research questions.
- Use title style grading to generate a table of contents, and update the table of contents after modifying chapters to avoid manual typesetting misalignment.
- When reading English documents with the help of machine translation, the key arguments must be returned to the original text for verification.
When writing a literature review, many graduate students open a ready-made template, but do not know what to fill in each section: how long should the background be, whether the literature should be arranged by time or by topic, and whether to write insufficient research at the end. Templates can help you build a good skeleton, but if used improperly, the result is often a bunch of neatly formatted paragraphs with empty content.
This article is written for readers who are preparing the review section of a proposal report, course paper, or graduation thesis. After reading, you can decide whether to use the school's Word template or the general structure, know what to write in each part, how long to write it, and arrange the formatting in the editor.
How to set up a literature review template? Should I just use the ready-made format? One sentence conclusion
You can use a template to build a framework, but the title level and subsection content should be written around your own research questions. Do not replace keywords according to the model article.
| your situation | Recommended practices | reason |
|---|---|---|
| The school or tutor has unified format requirements | Based on the school template, only the content will be replaced. | Margins, heading styles, and reference formats are often clearly defined |
| Course papers, format requirements are relaxed | Use a common structure and divide it into 3–4 sections by topic. | Just have a clear structure, don’t stick to a certain template |
| There are many documents and the topics are scattered | First classify according to research questions, and then decide on the structure | After grouping, I know what to write in each section |
| There is only one sample for reference | Borrow chapter order, do not copy sentences | The research context of the model article belongs to others. Directly quoting sentences will easily deviate from your question and run the risk of plagiarism. |
Template structure overview
| part | what to write | Space suggestion |
|---|---|---|
| introduction | Review topic, scope, literature search method | Section 1–2 |
| Concepts and definitions | Definition of Core Terms and Their Controversies | Section 1–2 |
| Research Theme One | The main viewpoints and representative studies of this direction | Sections 3–5 |
| Research Theme Two | Another research thread, and a divergence from Topic One | Sections 3–5 |
| Insufficient research and controversy | Existing research does not answer anything | 2–3 sections |
| The entry point of this study | Your question is how to continue the work of predecessors | Section 1–2 |
| References | Standardized formats according to school requirements | Check by number of entries |
How to write each section
Introduction
The introduction explains the boundaries of reviews: which issues are studied, which databases and keywords are retrieved, and which types of literature are included or excluded. This information lets readers know the scope of the review.
Example: "This review revolves around the [core question] of [research subject], searches the period [start and end years], searches Chinese and English databases using [keyword combinations], excluding literature that has not been peer-reviewed.""
Concepts and Definitions
First, it provides definitions of core terms and explains the differences in understanding among scholars. If your research involves a certain concept, here you need to clearly state which definition to use.
Research Theme (Main Section)
The main content is divided by topic, rather than by publication year. Each section begins with a sentence summarizing the topic, then lists representative studies, and finally points out the differences among them.
Example: "Most studies on [influencing factors] believe in [main conclusions]." However, research by [a certain scholar] found that under [conditions], this relationship does not hold, and the main difference between the two stems from [differences in samples or methods]."
Insufficient Research and Controversies
This section is the core value of the review. List the recurring gaps, contradictions, and unresolved issues from previous topics, avoiding empty statements like "more research is needed in the future."
Entry Point and References
Explain your entry point in one or two paragraphs: which gaps your research targets, what methods you use, and what you expect to supplement. References are uniformly arranged according to the format set by the school. Common issues include mixed Chinese and English entries and inconsistent author names.
Layout in the editor
- Use the style of primary and secondary headings to correspond to the review chapter; do not manually bold the title instead.
- Open the school template and check that the margins, font, and line spacing match the requirements before starting to replace the content.
- Place the literature in the corresponding sections by topic, start each paragraph with a conclusion, and then follow with the literature and analysis.
- When editing in OmniDoc's UniDoc editor (app.unidoc.top), it is compatible with Word format and can be modified online; When more features are needed, you can also use the desktop client (download.omnidoc.top).
- Use the table of contents feature to generate a table of contents. After modifying chapter titles, remember to update the table of contents.
- Before exporting the PDF, check page numbers, chart numbers, and reference formats page by page.
Common Writing Issues
- Summarized by article by article, without summarizing viewpoints.
- Each section begins with "Section Introduction," so readers cannot see the conclusion.
- There are no transitions between topics; reading feels like several separate reading notes.
- Insufficient research is written as "pending further research," without specifying the gap.
- English literature is read by machine translation and directly quotes the translated viewpoints without verifying the original, resulting in misinterpretation.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. Is there a unified format for graduate literature reviews?
Some colleges standardize fonts, title hierarchy, and reference formatting, while others only mention it in the general thesis requirements. Before you start writing, first ask your advisor and college about their requirements, then decide which template to use.
2. How many words should be written for a literature review?
Subject to the requirements of the school or curriculum. If not explicitly specified, estimate according to the structure above: 3–5 paragraphs per topic, plus introductions and insufficient sections, with the overall length depending on the number of references and the scope of the study.
3. How to choose free literature review templates?
You can check several aspects: whether it has a watermark, whether the title and main text styles are preserved, whether direct editing is possible, and whether unpublished paper content will be required. Before downloading, try to test the formatting effect with a small file first.
4. How can you make your summary more organized?
First, the literature is grouped by research question, then a conclusion is written for each group, and finally the conclusion connects the sections. This way, even with a large amount of literature, readers can still see the context clearly.
📝 Summary
The literature review template is a tool for building the framework; what truly determines quality is your induction and judgment of the literature. First, select a template according to the school's requirements, then fill it out by sectioning the topic into sections and starting with the conclusion. Finally, use title styles and table of contents to organize the layout. This will make the structure of the review much clearer.
