How Long Should A Literature Review Be For A Research Paper?
The length of a literature review varies depending on its purpose and audience. In a thesis or dissertation, the review is usually a full chapter ( at least 20 pages), but for an assignment it may only be a few pages. There are several ways to organize and structure a literature review.
How long is the average literature review of a research paper?
Structuring the literature review – In a PhD thesis, the literature review typically comprises one chapter (perhaps 8-10,000 words), for a Masters dissertation it may be around 2-3,000 words, and for an undergraduate dissertation it may be no more than 2,000 words.
- In each case the word count can vary depending on a range of factors and it is always best, if in doubt, to ask your supervisor.
- The overall structure of the section or chapter should be like any other: it should have a beginning, middle and end.
- You will need to guide the reader through the literature review, outlining the strategy you have adopted for selecting the books or articles, presenting the topic theme for the review, then using most of the word limit to analyse the chosen books or articles thoroughly before pulling everything together briefly in the conclusion.
The overall structure of the section or chapter should be like any other: it should have a beginning, middle and end. You will need to guide the reader through the literature review, outlining the strategy you have adopted for selecting the books or articles, presenting the topic theme for the review, then using most of the word limit to analyse the chosen books or articles thoroughly before pulling everything together briefly in the conclusion.
- Some people prefer a less linear approach.
- Instead of simply working through a list of 8-20 items on your book review list, you might want to try a thematic approach, grouping key ideas, facts, concepts or approaches together and then bouncing the ideas off each other.
- This is a slightly more creative (and interesting) way of producing the review, but a little more risky as it is harder to establish coherence and logical sequencing.
Whichever approach you adopt, make sure everything flows smoothly – that one idea or book leads neatly to the next. Take your reader effortlessly through a sequence of thought that is clear, accurate, precise and interesting.
How long should literature reviews be?
In the absence of specific instructions about the length of a literature review, a general rule of thumb is that it should be proportionate to the length of your entire paper. If your paper is 15 pages long 2-3 pages might suffice for the literature review.
How long should a literature review be in a 10 000 word dissertation?
But first.Let Us Tell You How a Dissertation is divided! – To answer your question ‘how long should a literature review be in a 10,000 word dissertation’, the answer is 3,000 words. If you are wondering as to how we came to this figure, it is easy to understand that a literature review covers 30% of the total word count in a dissertation.
| Chapter | Word Count (%) |
|---|---|
| Introduction | 10% |
| Literature Review | 30% |
| Methodology | 15% |
| Conclusion | 10% |
The findings/analysis can be separated into Findings/Results and Analysis/Discussions/ While doing this, you can consider 5% for the Findings/Results section while the Analysis/Discussions section makes up for the 30% of the word count. Note : Please remember that this is a general and tentative breakdown and can vary from institute to institute.
Can you write a 3000 word essay in 24 hours?
So you’ve left your 3,000 word essay until the last minute? Not ideal, but don’t stress. You can make it happen by following our steps. 
Credit: Prostock-studio, mialapi, Olga_Shestakova – Shutterstock We know. You had every intention of getting your essay done before the deadline, but sometimes life gets in the way. Writing 3,000 words can take anywhere between six and 24 hours depending on the topic.
- But, with our tips, you can easily get the essay done within a day.
- Get your head down and you could meet the deadline, and even produce an essay you’re proud of.
- Best of all, you can adapt our tips for a 2,000 word essay, a 4,000 word essay, or whatever length – all in a day! Take a deep breath.
- Remain calm.
Here’s how to write an essay fast. There are many reasons students find themselves in this pressurised situation (some more innocent than others). We’re not here to judge, just help you make the best of a tricky situation.
How fast can you write 10,000 word dissertation?
Writing Time by Word Counts
| Word Count | Slow (5 wpm) | Fast (60 wpm) |
|---|---|---|
| 4,000 words | 800 minutes | 66.7 minutes |
| 5,000 words | 1,000 minutes | 83.3 minutes |
| 7,500 words | 1,500 minutes | 125.0 minutes |
| 10,000 words | 33.3 hours | 166.7 minutes |
How many pages is an 80000 word dissertation?
Music – The thesis is not to exceed 80,000 words for the PhD degree and 60,000 words for the MLitt degree, both excluding notes, appendices, and bibliographies, musical transcriptions and examples, unless a candidate make a special case for greater length to the satisfaction of the Degree Committee.
How fast can I write a literature review?
Set a Schedule – Writing is a creative process, but that doesn’t mean you should only work when inspiration strikes, says Kjell Rudestam, PhD, associate dean at Fielding Graduate University and author of “Surviving Your Dissertation: A Comprehensive Guide to Content and Process, 3rd edition” (2007).
Instead, set aside time to work on your literature review. How much time? That depends on the requirements of your department and how quickly you work. “Some prefer a very broad and comprehensive review, whereas others prefer a review that is more publication-ready,” Rudestam says. The average review may take six months to write and require multiple revisions.
“If you don’t schedule some time for the dissertation,” he says, “it will slip into the background.”
Can I write a review paper in one day?
Is it possible to write a research paper in one day? – While it’s not ideal, a research paper can be done in a day. Spend a few hours brainstorming, researching, and creating a brief outline. After preparing everything, find a distraction-free environment and start writing. Remember to write quickly so you can finish the paper by the end of the day.
Is it possible to finish a research paper in 2 days?
How to Write a Paper in Two Days: A Timeline Last week, Yuem wrote about —a project with distant deadlines. As an underclassman, I usually face shorter-term deadlines for class essays and problem sets, and these require a similar, but condensed approach. This post has real-life inspiration. Next Thursday, I have a paper due for my philosophy class on Nietzsche. Weekdays are busy with problem sets and assignments. I do not expect myself to start consolidating material for the paper till this weekend, which leaves me plenty of time to plan an effective essay.
- Here’s the schedule I successfully used last time, when I was looking at parts of Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra and the Gay Science.
- Granted, the whole process I’m proposing is longer than just two days, but I promise if you use the pre-writing steps I suggest, you’ll be able to do the actual writing in a much shorter period of time! 5 Days before Due Date: Finish the core readings! I spent about half of my weekend finishing the readings for the class that I had not been able to finish in time for lecture.
Surprisingly few people realize how helpful this is. In a paper-based class, certain prompts will lend themselves to specific readings. You can write a decent paper–maybe even get a “good grade”– by reading only what is absolutely necessary for a paper, but it will fall far short of your potential.
You are surrounded by world-class facilities and faculty–don’t waste your time on something sub-par. The best part about writing a paper is finding unexpected connections, after all.4 Days before Due Date: Summarize the readings. After I finished reading and highlighting parts of the books, I sat down with a notebook and wrote down the gist of each section using what I had previously marked in the books.
I used to do this as I read, but found it to take a long time to finish the process. Now, I read in whatever small bursts of time I have, and revisit my books to quickly take notes in one go using what I have highlighted. Now, I had a short summary of the assigned works in front of me as a map of what to reference.3 Days before Due Date: Finalize essay topic and write an outline.
- I narrowed my essay topics down to two, and drafted points I had in mind for each one.
- I did some outside research as well, and chose the topic I felt better prepared with.
- I started to construct an outline by selecting relevant quotes (using my summary of notes) and finally had a blocked version of evidence for different points in the paper.
At this point, I started to work around the pieces of evidence I had written down and formulate logical arguments and transitions.2 Days before Due Date: Talk to my professor, revise outline, and start writing! By this point, I realized what crucial questions I had for my professor.
I ran through some of the main points I was going to make in the paper and discovered that a few of them were faulty. I adapted accordingly and started to write! Writing an eight page paper in two days was surprisingly easy with a well-developed outline. Do yourself a favor and spend the bulk of your time in the “planning” stage of an essay: reading, summarizing, outlining, and discussing ideas with classmates and professors.
The actual writing process will be a matter of a few hours spent at your computer transferring thoughts from outline to paper in a format that flows well. Have a friend or two help you edit your paper, and you will emerge feeling rewarded. — Vidushi Sharma, Humanities Correspondent : How to Write a Paper in Two Days: A Timeline