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Literature Review Generator

Plan your literature review by theme instead of source by source: get the scope, the main debates, the research gaps and how your study fits, with the kinds of sources to find for each part.

An outline is a plan: you write the essay in your own words. Your text is used only to answer and isn't stored.

Example: 5-paragraph essay outline

  1. I. Introduction: hook, background, thesis statement
  2. II. Body paragraph 1: topic sentence, evidence, explanation
  3. III. Body paragraph 2: topic sentence, evidence, explanation
  4. IV. Body paragraph 3: topic sentence, evidence, explanation (or counter-argument)
  5. V. Conclusion: restate the thesis, sum up, final thought

Enter your topic to get an outline built for your essay, with what each section should do and the evidence to look for.

How to write a literature review

  1. 1Define your scope. Set the question, time period and types of sources your review covers.
  2. 2Search and select sources. Use databases such as Google Scholar and your library; keep the most relevant, credible and recent studies.
  3. 3Group sources by theme. Sort studies into themes, debates or methods rather than summarizing them one by one.
  4. 4Find the gaps. Note what's missing, contested or outdated: that gap is where your research fits.
  5. 5Write and cite. Write each theme as a synthesis comparing sources, and cite them with the citation generator.

Literature review structure

The standard outline format uses Roman numerals for main sections and letters and numbers for the points under them:

I. Main idea
   A. Supporting point
      1. Detail or evidence
         a. Smaller detail
   B. Supporting point
II. Main idea
   A. Supporting point

The usual outline for each type of writing. Copy one, or let the generator fill it in for your topic.

Research proposal

  1. Title and short summary
  2. Background and problem statement
  3. Research questions or aims
  4. Literature review: what's known and the gap
  5. Methodology: design, data, analysis
  6. Timeline
  7. Expected outcomes and significance
  8. Ethics and limitations
  9. References

Research paper

  1. Introduction and research question
  2. Literature review
  3. Methods
  4. Results
  5. Discussion
  6. Conclusion and further research

Literature Review Generator FAQs

Can AI write my literature review?

It shouldn't, and most universities don't allow it. This tool plans the structure and tells you what sources to look for; you read the sources and write the review, which is what your marker assesses.

How is a literature review structured?

An introduction that sets the scope, body sections organized by theme or debate, a section on gaps in the research, and a conclusion that shows how your study fits.

Is the outline generator free?

Yes. You can try it twice a day without an account, and a free account gets 5 a day. Premium gets 100 a day for every StudyCoach tool.

Is using an outline generator cheating?

An outline is a plan, not the essay. It gives you a structure and points to develop; you research and write every sentence yourself. Check your school's rules on AI tools.

More outline help: Research Question Generator · Research Proposal · Essay Outline Generator · Research Paper Outline · Outline Format. Also try the thesis statement generator, the citation generator and the AI Essay Grader. Writing a dissertation? Map it out with the free dissertation timeline maker and track it in the Thesis & Dissertation Tracker.

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