<aside> 🧭

Purpose: This page explains what a narrative (traditional) literature review is, what it is for in an applied linguistics / ELT thesis, and how to write one that is analytical, cohesive, and clearly connected to a thesis statement and research questions.

</aside>

1. Definition (what it is)

A narrative (traditional) literature review is a discursive academic text that selects, organizes, synthesizes, and evaluates scholarship relevant to a focused research problem.

• It is not a list of summaries.
• It is not “one source per paragraph.”
• It is an argument about a body of literature that leads readers toward your project’s logic.

2. What a narrative literature review does in a Thesis Seminar project

In a Thesis Seminar context, the literature review typically functions as the chapter that:

1. Defines core constructs (key terms, theoretical lenses, variables, classroom practices).
2. Shows what is known (patterns of findings, common claims, what tends to work and under what conditions).
3. Shows what is not known (limitations, contradictions, missing contexts, methodological gaps).
4. Justifies your study (why your setting, participants, and design are worth doing).
5. Prepares the method (how past work shapes what data you will collect and why).

3. Narrative review vs. systematic review (the clean distinction)

A narrative review is planned and rigorous, but it usually does not require the full apparatus of a systematic review.

• Narrative review: flexible searching, purposeful selection, critical synthesis, argument-driven structure.
• Systematic review: exhaustive or near-exhaustive searching, formal screening criteria, transparent reproducible workflow.

A Thesis Seminar narrative review can still be systematic in spirit by documenting search decisions and using consistent inclusion criteria.

4. Core features of a strong narrative literature review

4.1 Focused scope