{"id":57171,"date":"2025-12-17T16:03:34","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T10:03:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/?p=57171"},"modified":"2026-05-11T13:57:40","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T13:57:40","slug":"the-complexity-of-structuring-the-literature-review-for-thesis-writing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/articles\/the-complexity-of-structuring-the-literature-review-for-thesis-writing\/","title":{"rendered":"The Complexity of Structuring the Literature Review for Thesis Writing"},"content":{"rendered":"

A well-executed literature review<\/a> can determine whether a thesis is persuasive, publishable, and defensible. Recent guidance emphasizes that review types and reporting standards have evolved. Systematic reporting standards were updated in PRISMA 2020 and researchers must make deliberate choices about how much breadth<\/em> (coverage across a field) and depth<\/em> (close, critical analysis of selected studies) to include. These choices influence the review\u2019s function, the thesis\u2019 framing, and examiners\u2019 expectations. This article defines the depth\u2013breadth trade-off, explains when to prioritize each approach, and provides practical steps and a concise checklist to structure a thesis literature review<\/a> that serves both rigor and relevance.<\/p>\n

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