How long should a literature review be in a 12,000 word dissertation

Context and purpose

In most literature reviews, the length largely depends on the context and purpose of your research.

How long should a literature review be in a 10,000 word dissertation

Here are some common scenarios to consider:

Undergraduate research papers: Typically concise, these reviews range from 1,000 to 3,000 words (4-12 pages) and provide a basic overview of the existing literature.

They are usually integrated into the introduction or background section of the paper.

Master's theses: More detailed and comprehensive, literature reviews for master's theses usually span 3,000 to 10,000 words (10-40 pages).

They demonstrate the student's understanding of the field and justify the research question.

Doctoral dissertations: The literature review can be extensive for postgraduate dissertations, often ranging from 8,000 to 20,000 words (30-80 pages).

These reviews need to cover a wide range of studies and theories, providing a thorough background for the research and highlighting gaps the dissertation aims to address.

Journal articles: Concise and focused, literature reviews in journal

how long should a literature review be in a 10000 word dissertation

how long should a literature review be for a dissertation