Literature Review Examples: Annotated Samples & Poor vs. Strong
Written by Elena BrooksLast updated: September 2, 20266 min read
A literature review is where you show that you understand the scholarly conversation around a topic and can identify a defensible reason for further research. It is also difficult to learn from advice alone: writers need to see what a focused paragraph does sentence by sentence and how a weak draft can be revised.
This page organizes 17 literature review examples across eight disciplines into two complementary series. Use the decision guide first, then open the example that best matches your discipline and current writing problem.
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Try Start free →Teaching-example notice: These pages demonstrate structure, synthesis, critique, and research positioning. They are not sources to copy or cite as evidence. Verify every source, quotation, statistic, methodological claim, and gap statement against the original literature and your institution’s requirements.
Which Literature Review Example Should You Use?
Your situation | Start here | What you will get |
|---|---|---|
“I want to see a well-structured literature review paragraph and understand what each sentence does.” | Module A — Annotated Samples | One complete illustrative paragraph per discipline, with each sentence labeled by function: claim, evidence, counterevidence, synthesis, critique, or gap. |
“I want to identify what is weak in my draft and learn how to revise it.” | Module B — Poor vs. Strong | The same topic presented as a weak and a stronger version, with editorial explanations of what changed and why. |
The two series work best together. Module A shows the rhetorical target. Module B helps diagnose the distance between a current draft and that target. If you are unsure where to begin, start with the poor-versus-strong comparison for your discipline, then use its annotated sample to study the full paragraph structure.
Module A: Annotated Literature Review Samples by Discipline
Each page provides an illustrative literature review paragraph with sentence-level annotations. The examples show how different disciplines frame evidence, introduce limitations, synthesize competing positions, and develop a supportable research gap.
Discipline | What the example emphasizes | Annotated sample |
|---|---|---|
Psychology | Effect estimates, synthesis-level evidence, measurement, and methodological critique | Psychology Literature Review Example |
Nursing and Health Sciences | Evidence appraisal, clinical relevance, population and outcome framing, and applicability | Nursing Literature Review Example |
Education | Policy and empirical evidence, implementation context, learner populations, and setting-specific limitations | Education Literature Review Example |
Business and Management | Theoretical framing, construct definition, organizational context, and boundary conditions | Business Literature Review Example |
Computer Science | Methods, datasets, benchmarks, evaluation conditions, and technical limitations | Computer Science Literature Review Example |
Sociology | Theoretical traditions, institutions, contested concepts, empirical evidence, and authorial synthesis | Sociology Literature Review Example |
History | Historiographical interpretation, source criticism, changing scholarly positions, and unresolved questions | History Literature Review Example |
English Literature | Primary texts, critical theory, scholarly interpretation, competing readings, and the writer’s intervention | English Literature Review Example |
Module B: Poor vs. Strong Literature Review Examples
Each comparison page presents a weaker version and a stronger revision of the same topic. Editorial notes explain problems such as source stacking, vague claims, missing transitions, unsupported gaps, and unclear authorial analysis.
Discipline | Comparison topic | Poor vs. strong example |
|---|---|---|
General or cross-disciplinary | Social media use and adolescent mental health | Annotated Literature Review Example Hub |
Psychology | Mindfulness interventions for adolescent anxiety | Psychology Poor vs. Strong Example |
Nursing and Health Sciences | Early mobility protocols in intensive care | Nursing Poor vs. Strong Example |
Education | Culturally responsive teaching and student achievement | Education Poor vs. Strong Example |
Business and Management | Servant leadership and employee innovation | Business Poor vs. Strong Example |
Computer Science | Transformer-based code generation | Computer Science Poor vs. Strong Example |
Sociology | Social capital and educational inequality | Sociology Poor vs. Strong Example |
History | Historiography of the Paris Peace Conference | History Poor vs. Strong Example |
English Literature | An ecocritical reading of Toni Morrison’s Beloved | English Literature Poor vs. Strong Example |
How to Use the Two Series Together
Diagnose your draft.
Open the Module B page closest to your discipline. Read the weak version and identify any patterns that also appear in your writing.
Study the revision.
Compare the stronger version and its editorial notes. Focus on how the revision changes evidence use, transitions, synthesis, critique, and gap language.
Examine the complete structure.
Open the corresponding Module A page and trace the role of every sentence in the annotated paragraph.
Rewrite one paragraph at a time.
Apply the relevant changes to your own sources and argument. Do not reuse the example’s claims, wording, citations, or gap.
Verify the result.
Check your revision against the original sources and the expectations of your supervisor, institution, discipline, or target journal.
Work on the Next Revision with Acade
Tell Acade your discipline, research question, verified source set, and the paragraph you want to improve. Ask it to compare the structure with the annotated examples and identify the next revision you should make. Verify every source, quotation, statistic, and interpretation before academic use.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a literature review example?
A literature review example is a sample paragraph or section showing how sources can be compared, synthesized, critiqued, and connected to a research problem. An annotated example is especially useful because it explains the function of each sentence instead of presenting polished prose without explanation.
Should I start with an annotated sample or a poor-versus-strong comparison?
Use an annotated sample when you need to understand paragraph structure. Use a poor-versus-strong comparison when you already have a draft and need help identifying revision priorities. For most writers, the comparison is a useful diagnostic starting point, followed by the annotated sample.
Which discipline should I use if mine is not listed?
Start with the general poor-versus-strong example. Then choose the discipline closest to your research method and evidence conventions. For example, public-health writers may find the nursing example useful, while political-science writers may compare the sociology and history examples. Your institution’s guidance remains authoritative.
Can I copy these literature review examples?
No. They are teaching models for structure and rhetorical decisions, not text to paste into an assignment, thesis, dissertation, or publication. Use your own research question, verified sources, interpretation, and wording.
Why do literature review examples differ across disciplines?
Disciplines use evidence differently. A nursing review may emphasize clinical applicability and evidence appraisal; computer science may focus on datasets, metrics, and evaluation conditions; history may evaluate changing interpretations and source bases. Always adapt the model to the conventions of your field and venue.
About the author
Elena Brooks
Academic Research Content Editor at Acade
Elena Brooks is an Academic Research Content Editor at Acade. She creates practical, evidence-informed content about literature research, research design, academic writing, and the responsible use of AI in scholarly work. She works with Acade’s product team to evaluate research workflows, verify product capabilities, and translate complex academic processes into clear guidance for students and researchers.
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