Research

How to Write a Literature Review (Canadian Graduate Student Guide)

A step-by-step guide to writing a literature review for Canadian Master's and PhD students.

📅 February 22, 2026 ⏱ 4 min read 🏷 Research

Literature reviews intimidate most Canadian graduate students because they're not really "writing" — they're argument construction. Here's a step-by-step approach.

1. Define your research question

2. Build your search strategy

3. Screen and select sources

4. Synthesize, don't summarize

5. Identify the gap your research fills

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How long should a literature review be?

A Master's thesis literature review usually runs 25–40 pages. A PhD literature review can be 60–100 pages depending on the field.

How many sources are needed for a literature review?

Master's: typically 40–80 peer-reviewed sources. PhD: 100–250+ sources, with most published in the last 10 years.

What's the difference between a narrative and systematic literature review?

A narrative review synthesises by theme. A systematic review follows a strict, reproducible search protocol (often PRISMA) and is the standard in health sciences.

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