🎯 The Short Answer: The best way to structure your literature review is typically either thematically, chronologically or methodologically. Choose the structure that best fits your research topic, use a clear note-taking system, and stay flexible as you refine your...
🎯 The Short Answer: To improve flow in your literature review, think of it as telling a story. Plan your structure before you write, move from broad to specific, and use clear linking sentences to connect paragraphs. Most importantly, always organise your content in a...
🎯 The Short Answer: In your literature review synthesis, use clear compare and contrast language to connect studies, show agreements and disagreements, and explain why those differences exist. The goal is not to summarise each study, but to weave them together into a...
🎯 The Short Answer: Literature snowballing is a good way to find relevant academic sources by starting with a few strong papers and using their reference lists discover more papers. You “snowball” backward and forward through the literature until you’ve identified the...
🎯 The Short Answer: To craft your literature search strategy, start by choosing the right databases and defining clear, relevant keywords before you begin searching. Then use tools like Boolean operators to refine and control your results. A little upfront planning...
🎯 The Short Answer: No, you don’t need to read every word of every paper for your literature review. Instead, read strategically based on your goal, starting with the abstract and then focusing on the sections that matter most for your current stage. If you’re working...
How To Choose A Dissertation Tutor The Five Key Criteria You Need To ConsiderBy: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Expert Reviewer: Dr. Eunice Rautenbach | October 2024 Choosing the right dissertation tutor can be the difference between constantly feeling overwhelmed by your...
🎙️PODCAST: Ace The Literature Review4 Time-Saving Tips To Fast-Track Your Literature ReviewBy: Derek Jansen (MBA) and Ethar Al-Saraf (PhD) | Updated March 2025riting a literature review can be a daunting task for many students, but fear not! In...
What Is A Research Question?Everything you need to know to write a high-quality research questionBy: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Reviewed By: Dr. Eunice Rautenbach | Updated August 2025TL;DR - Research Question 101 A research question is the clear, focused query that guides...
Practical Examples: Research Questions 25+ Practical Examples & Ideas To Help You Get Started 🧑🏻🏫By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Expert Reviewer: Dr. Eunice Rautenbach | Updated March 2025well-crafted research question (or set of questions) sets the...
5 Signs You Need A Dissertation HelperHere's how you know it's really time get some support.By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Expert Reviewer: Dr. Eunice Rautenbach | October 2023Writing a dissertation is no small task. It’s a demanding project that requires you to juggle...
How To "Synthesise" The LiteratureLiterature Synthesis Explained Simply - With ExamplesBy: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Expert Reviewer: Eunice Rautenbach (DTech) | August 2023ne of the most common mistakes that students make when writing a literature...
3 Key Literature Review IngredientsA Plain-Language Explainer - With Practical ExamplesBy: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Reviewer: Eunice Rautenbach (DTech) | July 2023riting a comprehensive but concise literature review is no simple task. There's a lot of...
Literature Review Example/SampleA Detailed Walkthrough + Free Literature Review TemplateBy: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Expert Reviewer: Dr. Eunice Rautenbach | October 2024 f you're working on a dissertation or thesis and are looking for an example of a...
How To Find A Research Gap, QuicklyA step-by-step guide for new researchersBy: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Reviewer: Eunice Rautenbach (DTech) | April 2023f you’ve got a dissertation, thesis or research project coming up, one of the first (and most...
The Research Problem & StatementWhat They Are & How To Write Them - With Examples 🎓By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Expert Reviewed By: Eunice Rautenbach (DTech) | Updated August 2025TL;DR - Research Problem 101 A research problem defines the core issue your study will...
Theoretical vs Conceptual FrameworkWhat They Are & How They’re Different - Explained Simply ✨By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Reviewed By: Eunice Rautenbach (DTech) | March 2023TL;DR - Theoretical and conceptual frameworks Theoretical and conceptual frameworks are often...
The Research Gap (Literature Gap)How To Find The Elusive Research Gap - With Practical Examples 📋By: Ethar Al-Saraf (PhD) | Expert Reviewer: Dr. Eunice Rautenbach (DTech) | Updated August 2025TL;DR - What is a research gap? A research gap is a clear, unanswered...
Research Aims, Objectives & QuestionsThe "Golden Thread" Explained Simply - With ExamplesBy: David Phair (PhD) and Alexandra Shaeffer (PhD) | June 2022he research aims, objectives and research questions (collectively called the “golden thread”) are...
Writing An A-Grade Literature ReviewFive Time-Saving Tips You Need To KnowBy: David Phair (PhD) and Amy Murdock (PhD) | May 2022ne of the fundamental chapters of any dissertation or thesis is the literature review. However, students often struggle...
How To Find Literature - Fast 📚 Sourcing, Evaluating and Organising High-Quality Academic LiteratureBy: David Phair (PhD) and Peter Quella (PhD) | January 2022s we’ve discussed previously on our blog and YouTube channel, the first step of the...
Write Your Literature Review - RightSeven Deadly Literature Review Mistakes You Need To Avoid ☠️By: David Phair (PhD) | Reviewed By: Dr Eunice Rautenbach | June 2021rafting a high-quality literature review is critical to earning marks and...
Structuring Your Literature ReviewOur Top 3 Tried & Trusted Structures + FREE TemplateBy: Amy Rommelspacher (PhD) | Reviewer: Dr Eunice Rautenbach | November 2020 (Updated May 2023)riting the literature review chapter can seem pretty daunting...
What (Exactly) Is A Literature Review?A Plain-Language Explainer + Free TemplateBy: Derek Jansen (MBA) & Kerryn Warren (PhD) | June 2020 (Updated May 2023)f you’re faced with writing a dissertation or thesis, chances are you’ve encountered the...
How To Write A Dissertation Or ThesisA Plain-Language Explainer With Examples + Free Template 📝By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Expert Reviewer: Dr. Eunice Rautenbach (DTech) | Update March 2025riting a dissertation or thesis is not a simple task. It takes...
How To Read Journal Articles - FasterFast-Track Your Literature Review By Focusing On Three SectionsBy: Derek Jansen (MBA) | May 2020f you’ve just started your literature review process, you’re probably sitting on a pile of scientific journal...
How To Write A Literature ReviewA Plain-Language Explainer With Examples + Free Template 📝By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Expert Reviewer: Dr. Eunice Rautenbach (DTech) | Updated March 2025uality research is about building onto the existing work of...
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Critical Writing In AcademiaDescriptive vs Analytical vs Critical Writing - Explained Simply 📑By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Expert Reviewer: Dr. Eunice Rautenbach (DTech) | Updated August 2025TL;DR - Descriptive vs Critical Writing One of the challenges in academic writing...