Literature Review Mistakes Every Scholar Must Avoid – A Practical Guide for Research Success

The review of the literature is one of the first steps in the research process and helps to determine size, importance, and potential scope of your project. That’s where academics show what they know already, show what has been studied in the field and claim why their study itself is worth doing. And yet, for some reason, this chapter of your dissertation is one of the most misunderstood and poorly executed.

Whether you are a MA student working on your first dissertation, an MBA writing a thesis, or even a PhD candidate publishing your research — the following post can help you avoid literature review risk factors, and improve academic quality.

This blog shines a light on the most common literature review pitfalls scholars encounter, why they happen and how to avoid them ethically—and how Anushram helps scholars write strong, academically sound literature reviews.

Why the Literature Review Matters

It’s not just a summary of what others before you have done — it is your intellectual bridge that connects what is now known with the questions your research will answer. It should:

·      Clarify the research background

·      Highlight gaps and inconsistencies

·      Rationale for your study

·      Demonstrate critical thinking

·      Build conceptual and theoretical groundwork

Poor literature review results in: Substandard work has induced, among others.

·      Poor problem statement

·      Confusing methodology

·      Weak findings and arguments

·      Lower thesis credibility

But a solid literature review enables you to justify your research and make a case for it at supervisory meetings and viva voce.

 Common Literature Review Mistakes Scholars Must Avoid

Here are some of the most common mistakes I see in dissertations and theses — particularly those written by first-time researchers.

 Mistake #1 — Treating the Literature Review as a Summary or Notes

The literature review in short Many academics question what the literature review is?

"Copying 'paste-in-place' select content from 20–50 articles.

This is not that kind of literature review.

A review is the analysis, critique and synthesis — not copy-paste description.

What to do instead:

Combine studies by thematic, conceptual or variable type and report: For example:

·      What previous research found

·      What limitations remain

·      How those downsides of what you do are okay

Mistake #2 — No Research Gap Identification

There is a thesis since something has not been done, discovered or thought in a previous study

However, many literature reviews conclude without a clear statement of a gap.

Fix:

After reviewing studies, explicitly ask:

·      What has NOT been studied?

·      What (population, location and variable) has been missed?

·      What contradiction exists in findings?

That research gap is your study rationale.

 Mistake #3 — Overly Broad or Unfocused Review

Many researchers begin reading willy-nilly, and soon find themselves drowning in a via of irrelevant sources.

Example:

Researching on “Effectiveness of employees in IT companies in Gurgaon”.

…but reviewing:

·      Work-from-home research from schools

·      Motivation theory from 1990

·      Papers on global employee burnout

Fix:

Before starting, define:

·      Scope — What am I reviewing here?

·      Topic → What am I looking for?

·      Time‐frame → (e.g., recent 10 years)

 Mistake #4 — Using Outdated or Unsupported Sources

Reference anything more than 15–20 years old and you start to erode your credibility — even (or especially) in rapidly evolving domains like technology, marketing, A.I. or climate science.

Fix:

Cite the most current, peer-reviewed sources that are available — preferably 2017-2025.

Combine classics with contemporary works.

 Mistake #5 — Poor Citation or Incorrect Referencing Style

Supervisors often reject drafts because:

·      Citations missing

·      Wrong formats

·      References not found in the reference list

·      URL rather than in-text URLs Intead of reference with an academic style. (Louwers 2008).

Fix:

Follow required style consistently:

·      APA, Harvard, IEEE, Vancouver, MLA

Work with:Databases and citation management tools, such as Mendeley, Zotero, Google Scholar and EndNote.

 Mistake #6 — Lack of Critical Thinking or Comparison Between Studies

The literature review should contrast, not simply list.

Weak example:

“Study A said X. Study B said Y.”

Better example:

“If Study A identifies X among young workers, when they look at an older sample in Study B, they’ll find the opposite — which suggests age does have a say over productivity.”

Fix:

Ask evaluation questions:

·      Do these lines of research converge, or do they find nothing in common?

·      What variables change outcomes?

·      What can your research clarify?

Mistake #7 — Writing Before Reading Enough

Some writers start writing after only reading 3–4 papers — and get stuck in the middle of organizing thoughts halfway.

Fix:

Read at least 10–15 similar studies before writing.

Then, arrange notes by themes, variables or chronology.

 Mistake #8 — No Link Between Literature Review and Methodology

If your literature review concludes the conclud- or otherwise tapering off,

·      Variables

·      Hypotheses

·      Methodology

…then it has not done what it is designed to do.

Fix:

Use your review to justify:

·      The reason a certain approach will work

·      Why certain variables are chosen

·      What outcomes you expect

 Signs of a Strong Literature Review

A strong literature review:

Strong Review Qualities

Description

Structured logically

Begins broad → becomes specific → ends in gap

Uses current sources

Recent studies + high-quality journals

Includes critique & comparison

Goes beyond summary

Clearly identifies gap

Shows why your study is needed

Leads into methodology

Sets the foundation for Chapter 3

Recommended Structure for Literature Review (Simple Format)

1️⃣ Introduction to the Topic

2️⃣ Theoretical & Conceptual Background

3️⃣ Themes / Variables / Sections

4️⃣ Critical Comparison Across Studies

5️⃣ Summary of Gap and Rationale

6️⃣ How Your Research Will Address the Gap

How Anushram Helps Scholars Build Strong Literature Reviews

Many academics feel confident about their content — but not sure how to organize it academically.

Anushram also offers moral step-by-step assistance on writing, structuring and defending literature reviews offered to scholars.

Support Includes:

·      Identifying research gap

·      Theme-based literature mapping

·      Guidance on citation tools

·      Structuring chapter flow

·      Academic editing and tone improvement

·      Plagiarism reduction techniques

·      Supervisor feedback-based revisions

100% of the content is still the scholar’s work -- we just help make it organized, academic, and defensible.

Before You Start — Ask Yourself Three Questions

·      Do I even know what the HELL it was that I reviewed?

·      Am I able to articulate WHY it is important that there is this gap in the literature?

·      Will somebody be able to understand what my topic actually means by reading my literature review?

If the answer is NO — stop and get clarity, then start.

The literature review is a chapter many scholars fear — but it doesn’t have to be this way.

The errors described above will be avoided with:

✔ Improve your research clarity

✔ Reduce supervisor corrections

✔ Strengthen your thesis defense

✔ Save time and stress

Remember —

“A thesis fails at the literature review before it even gets to the viva.”

“Read deeply, think critically and write strategically.”

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