Literature review: map the conversation you're joining

A literature review is not a list of what you've read. It's an argument for why your particular thesis is needed.

Group by theme, not by source

Weak reviews go source by source: 'Hansen found X. Berg found Y.' Strong reviews go theme by theme, placing several sources in the same paragraph where they agree, disagree or complement one another. The reader should see the field as a conversation — who says what, and where there is dispute.

Find the gap

The goal is to reveal a gap: a question the field hasn't answered, a context no one has examined (for example, Norway), or a contradiction no one has resolved. That gap is the justification for your thesis. Without it the work is a repetition; with it, it's a contribution.

Use Oria to search across Norwegian university libraries, and keep references tidy from day one with a tool like Zotero — it saves you from chaos at the finish line.

Be critical, not just descriptive

Don't take everything you cite at face value. Weigh method, sample and context: a large study from another country doesn't necessarily say anything about Norwegian conditions. Weighing sources against each other is the whole point — it's where you show scholarly maturity.

Common pitfalls

• Summarising source by source instead of theme by theme.
• Gathering many sources without pointing to a gap.
• Citing uncritically, without weighing method and context.

Ready to move on when…

• The review is organised by theme.
• You can name the gap your work fills.
• References are tidy and in the correct style.