how to write a conclusion for a literature review

The Guide to Literature Reviews

What is a Literature Review?
The Purpose of Literature Reviews
Guidelines for Writing a Literature Review
How to Organize a Literature Review?
Software for Literature Reviews
Using Artificial Intelligence for Literature Reviews
How to Conduct a Literature Review?
Common Mistakes and Pitfalls in a Literature Review
Methods for Literature Reviews
What is a Systematic Literature Review?
What is a Narrative Literature Review?
What is a Descriptive Literature Review?
What is a Scoping Literature Review?
What is a Realist Literature Review?
What is a Critical Literature Review?
Meta Analysis vs. Literature Review
What is an Umbrella Literature Review?
Differences Between Annotated Bibliographies and Literature Reviews
Literature Review vs. Theoretical Framework
How to Write a Literature Review?
How to Structure a Literature Review?
How to Make a Cover Page for a Literature Review?
How to Write an Abstract for a Literature Review?
How to Write a Literature Review Introduction?
How to Write the Body of a Literature Review?

How to Write the Conclusion of a Literature Review?

How to write a literature review conclusion, important reminders when writing a conclusion.

How to Make a Literature Review Bibliography?
How to Format a Literature Review?
How Long Should a Literature Review Be?
Examples of Literature Reviews
How to Present a Literature Review?
How to Publish a Literature Review?

Writing an effective conclusion for a literature review is a vital aspect of academic writing. It summarizes the key points and insights gained from analyzing literature review articles. An effective conclusion synthesizes existing knowledge and highlights the critical analysis of key concepts and theories. A good literature review conclusion ties together the findings from the research journey. It identifies gaps in the literature and suggests how further research can address important unanswered questions. This section demonstrates how the reviewed literature contributes to the broader context of the research area. In the social sciences, a strong conclusion emphasizes the importance of the research. It provides new insights and situates the findings within existing theories. This approach shows the relevance of the study and its implications for further research.

An effective conclusion also evaluates the current state of research. It reflects on the source material, offering a summary that connects key terms and ideas. This part of the literature review, found in the literature review section, not only reviews existing studies but also advances academic knowledge by proposing new areas for inquiry and exploration.

For example, in a few sentences, a literature review conclusion might summarize key points, highlight new ideas, and identify gaps in existing research. An introductory paragraph and a strong conclusion provide a comprehensive overview and set the stage for future directions in the field. Writing a good literature review involves crafting a conclusion that encapsulates the critical analysis and key concepts discussed, bringing the review to a thoughtful and informative close.

There are important aspects that conclusions need to have to be useful and close a literature review successfully. Use clear and concise language to convey key messages. Avoid ambiguity and vagueness in your conclusion. Focus on the significance and impact of the research, and highlight the key findings and implications of the literature review. Here are some important steps you can take when writing a literature review conclusion:

Summarize key findings . Briefly summarize the most important findings from your literature review. Highlight the major themes, patterns, and trends that emerged from the literature. This summary should encapsulate the core ideas without introducing new information.

Highlight research gaps . Identifying gaps in the existing literature is a crucial aspect of the conclusion. Point out areas that have not been thoroughly explored and clearly explain why it is important to address these unanswered questions. This helps establish the relevance and necessity of further investigation in your field of study.

Review your research question and objectives . Restate your research question and objectives in a concise and clear way, using different words than in the introduction. Briefly summarize the main themes or categories that you have discussed in the body of your literature review, and how they relate to your research question and objectives.

Discuss the implications. Discuss the broader implications of the findings. Explain how the insights gained from the literature review can impact your specific field or topic. This discussion should connect the reviewed literature to the larger academic or practical context, demonstrating the significance of your work. Synthesize your main findings to identify patterns and gaps. Integrate and compare the results and arguments of the different sources that you have reviewed, and show how they support or contradict each other. Highlight the most important or relevant points that you have made in the body of your literature review, and explain how they inform your research question or meet your objectives.

Reflect on the research process . Reflect on the methodology and approach used in your literature review, especially when you are writing a review as a full research paper. Consider any limitations encountered during the review process and how they might have influenced your findings. This reflection adds a layer of transparency and critical evaluation to your work.

Provide a final thought . End the conclusion with a final thought that encapsulates the overall importance of your literature review. This could be a call to action, a statement on the importance of ongoing research, or a prediction about future developments in your area of study. Focus on the significance and impact of the research. Explain how your literature review contributes to the advancement of knowledge in the field, and how it informs or guides your own research project. Identify any gaps or limitations that still exist in the literature, and propose some possible directions or questions for further investigation.

Quality literature reviews start with ATLAS.ti

From research objective to conclusion, ATLAS.ti is there for you at every step. See how with a free trial.

Use a logical structure to present your findings . Use a logical structure to present your findings , and organize your conclusion in a way that flows smoothly from the introduction and body of your literature review.

Use transitions to connect your ideas and paragraphs . Use transitions to connect your ideas and paragraphs, and make sure your conclusion is well-organized and easy to follow.

Avoid ambiguity and vagueness in your conclusion . Use clear and concise language to convey key messages, and avoid ambiguity and vagueness in your conclusion.

Steer clear of overly broad or general statements . Steer clear of overly broad or general statements, and focus on the specific key findings and implications of your literature review. Avoid introducing new information in your conclusion, and stick to summarizing the main points and findings of your literature review.

Discuss the limitations and gaps in the existing research . Discuss the limitations and gaps in the existing research, and identify areas for future research in your literature review. Explain how your literature review contributes to the advancement of knowledge in the field, and how it informs or guides your own research project.

Identify areas for future research in your literature review . Propose some possible directions or questions for further investigation and discuss the limitations and gaps in the existing research. Explain how your research addresses these gaps and limitations.

Edit and revise your conclusion carefully . Make sure it is well-organized and easy to follow. Ensure consistency with the rest of your research paper, and check for grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors.

Review your conclusion in the context of your entire literature review . Make sure it accurately reflects the content and significance of your research. Ensure your conclusion effectively summarizes your research findings, and provides a clear direction for future research.

The literature review conclusion is important because it synthesizes findings, highlights research gaps, establishes the review's significance, provides a coherent end, reflects on the research process , informs future research, and enhances academic rigor . These functions collectively ensure that the literature review is a valuable and impactful academic contribution. In a literature review conclusion, you should briefly summarize the most important findings from your literature review. Highlight the major themes, patterns, and trends that emerged from the literature. This summary should encapsulate the core ideas without introducing new information. Identifying gaps in the existing literature is a crucial aspect of the conclusion. Point out areas that have not been thoroughly explored and suggest potential directions for future research. This helps establish the relevance and necessity of further investigation in your field of study.

Develop powerful literature reviews with ATLAS.ti

Use our intuitive data analysis platform to make the most of your literature review.

5 Steps to Write Your Literature Review Conclusion

5 Steps to Write Your Literature Review Conclusion (+ a literature review conclusion example)

So you’ve almost finished writing the literature review for your thesis or dissertation.

That’s a lot of work. Pat yourself on the back!

*pauses mid-pat on the back*

…Now you’re staring blankly at the screen wondering exactly how to wrap this thing up.

How do you write a conclusion for a literature review?

I understand your pain because I’ve worked with hundreds of students in your position.

They’ve written a comprehensive literature review with:

An introduction that walks the reader through the purpose and structure of the literature review
Body paragraphs that clearly synthesize and analyze sources while also identifying any gaps in the research

But when it’s time to write the final discussion and conclusion?

That’s where students often churn out a quick summary (“In this literature review, I covered X, Y, and Z”), shut the laptop, and call it a day.

This approach is tempting, but now is not the time to fizzle out.

While you should use the conclusion to briefly summarize your key points from the literature review, that’s only part of it.

The conclusion should also offer a final evaluation of the sources that you found and emphasize how YOUR STUDY (the one you’re centering your thesis or dissertation around) will clearly fill an existing gap.

Here are 5 steps to write an effective literature review conclusion (with a literature review conclusion example):

Remind the Reader of Your Central Research Question(s) or Objectives
Emphasize Main Points
Discuss Gaps
Identify How the Literature Review Will Inform Your Own Research/Study
End with a Mic Drop

Before we get started, snag my free literature review writing checklist !

Comprehensive literature review writing checklist

1. Remind the Reader of Your Central Research Question(s) or Objectives

This section in your conclusion will be brief–potentially only a few sentences–but don’t expect your reader to automatically remember the research question(s) or objectives that you used to frame your review of existing literature on your topic.

They need to be reminded.

I’ve included an example below.

Literature Review Conclusion Example #1: Central Research Question(s)

Maybe for your overall thesis or dissertation, you’re researching the challenges of training nursing students to use telehealth technologies.

The opening to your literature review conclusion might then be:

“The purpose of this literature review was to examine studies published within the last ten years that help to explore my overarching research question: What challenges are associated with training nursing students to integrate telehealth tools within their professional practice? The studies offer valuable insight into the current state of telehealth education within nursing programs; they also highlight important considerations for future pedagogy on telehealth tools in this field.”

The first sentence clearly reminds the reader of the research question that framed the literature review.

The second nudges the reader to remember why this study was important and also offers a roadmap of what the reader can expect to find in the conclusion.

2. Emphasize Main Points

Think of this as your moment to hammer home the following for your reader:

The major themes or trends that emerged during your exploration of sources (and what you think about them)
How these themes or trends relate to your research questions or objectives

Remember: this section should not merely be a detailed summary of what you already covered.

You don’t want your reader tapping their foot and saying, “Okay, sure, yes, you mentioned this already, pal.”

You’re also providing an evaluation of what you uncovered in your sources.

Let’s revisit our nursing literature review example to show you what I mean.

Literature Review Conclusion Example #2: Main Points

“My e xploration of sources revealed two primary challenges in training nursing students to use telehealth tools within their professional practices. First, multiple scholars agreed that there is a notable lack of standardized curriculum and training protocols, which leads to inconsistencies in student preparedness. Second, almost all scholars noted that some student populations face challenges accessing technology, which produces disparities in telehealth education. These themes emphasize the importance of future pedagogy that develops comprehensive guidelines and learning objectives, implements flexible learning modalities, and offers resources to ensure equitable access to telehealth education.”

Now, this example is obviously super abbreviated, but you get the idea.

The author concisely shares the main points covered in the literature review and also begins to establish why these findings matter.

3. Discuss Gaps

I can’t emphasize the importance of this section in your conclusion enough.

Here, you have the opportunity to remind the reader why your research project—the one you’re planning to conduct—is so important.

Think of the sources that you reviewed like individual bricks in a brick wall; you’ve noticed specific gaps in the wall, maybe even some places where the wall isn’t fully finished.

You say, “Hey, look at these crucial bricks that are missing here and here. Without these, the wall isn’t as strong or can never finish being built.”

It’s the same for your literature review conclusion.

You want to pinpoint exactly where further research is needed within your topic and why.

I’ll explain more in a moment.

Time to revisit our example again.

Literature Review Conclusion Example #3: Research Gaps

“While the reviewed sources revealed critical challenges of telehealth pedagogy in nursing, a few methodological gaps were clear. Several studies lacked detailed descriptions of the sampling methods employed, making it difficult to assess the representativeness of the study populations (Burns, 2017; O’Mara and Ivy, 2020; Malek, 2021). In addition, none of the studies used a longitudinal design; this made it challenging to determine the long-term impact of these telehealth education challenges on nursing students’ proficiency and subsequent professional practices.”

The example has further established gaps in the literature that need addressing and why.

This step will be foundational to the rest of your thesis or dissertation—offering the answer to the “so what?” question from other scholars about why your research matters.

4. Identify How the Literature Review Will Inform Your Research

You did it.

In the previous section of your conclusion, you reminded the reader about the gaps in the sources you reviewed.

Your next step: sharing how the literature review informed your research, and how your study will fill the existing gap(s) that you found.

Literature Review Conclusion Example #4: Informed Research

“Based on this methodological gap found within existing studies, my proposed longitudinal study will be designed to track nursing students’ telehealth education experiences over their entire academic program, and into their early professional careers. By following students from their initial exposure to telehealth pedagogy to their entry into the workforce, I will assess the long-term effects on their professional practices, providing valuable insights into the sustained impact of telehealth education challenges on nursing education and practice.”

Another abbreviated example, but it effectively serves to say,

“I’ve done my research, I’ve found what’s lacking, here’s what I’m planning to study to fill this void. Oh, also, btw, here’s why my study is so necessary to add to the existing body of research + what it will contribute to the field.”

5. End With a Mic Drop

Now, this mic drop doesn’t have to be quite as epic as when Tony Stark revealed himself to be Iron Man (this is, after all, a literature review and not a Marvel movie).

But you should try to conclude in a way that leaves an impression on the reader.

For example, you could talk about what future studies should seek to accomplish based on your findings with a final reminder that your research project will begin to do just that (this is actually the approach I took in my dissertation’s lit review conclusion).

You could also talk about the wider implications on the field that any new studies will have.

And there’s your literature review conclusion in 5 steps.

As I mentioned in the introduction to this post, don’t treat the conclusion as the part of the writing process where you quickly summarize the rest of the review and then skip off to the freezer for a congratulatory bowl of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream.

(I mean, I encourage ice cream, but not just yet.)

Remember: the literature review conclusion should serve as a key place for you to emphasize:

why you conducted the literature review;
what you found;
and why your findings are so valuable/how they’ll shape your upcoming research project.

By writing the conclusion following the above steps, you’re essentially setting yourself up for success when writing the rest of your thesis or dissertation.

Now that’s worth a bowl of ice cream.

Happy writing!

Hi, I'm Erin. I help graduate students go from feeling unsure about their writing to confident and successful academic writers. Welcome to my blog!

Dr. Erin Schleiden Academic Writing Coach

Discover more from The Academic Writing Coach

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…