Literature Reviews

There’s a pressure to 'cover it all' which leads to:

• Endless searching and reading - and not knowing when to stop and start writing
• Difficulty deciding what’s actually relevant
• Getting lost in unrelated side topics, or going down rabbit holes

Tip: Use your research question and synthesis matrix to stay focused. You’re not aiming for everything, just the most relevant and useful sources.

A common trap is writing “Author A said this... Author B said that...” without connecting or analysing the sources.

Tip: Look for themes, patterns, tensions, and gaps. Try grouping sources that agree, contrast, or offer different perspectives.

Without planning, lit reviews can end up feeling like a random collection of ideas with no flow or logic.

Tip: Organise your review (not just source-by-source) and use headings to guide the reader. A simple outline can save hours of rewriting later.

Students often ask:

• “Am I allowed to have an opinion?”
• “How can I be critical of well-known scholars or artists?”

Tip: A lit review isn’t just about showing what others have said — it’s about how you understand and evaluate it. You’re part of the conversation too.

In arts-based research, students can struggle to connect theory to their own practice:

• “How do I link academic sources to my creative work?”
• “What if I’m using non-traditional sources — like artist interviews or exhibition catalogues?”

Tip: Creative work is valid research. Draw clear lines between the literature and your practice — how do ideas in the literature inform, reflect, or contrast with what you're doing?

It’s easy to lose track of where you found what — especially when juggling lots of articles and books.

Tip: Keep a well-organised reference list and have a system for taking notes - make notes as you read, not after, and make a note of page numbers for anything interesting you want to cite.

Tools like Zotero, MyBib, or a simple synthesis matrix can save hours later.