A literature review that just lists what other people found isn't doing its job. The point isn't to prove you read a lot — it's to build a case for why your research question matters and what gap it fills.
Organize by theme, not by source
Walking through sources one at a time, in order, produces a summary. Organizing around themes, tensions, and open questions produces an argument — and it's the argument that actually earns the research that follows.
Look for disagreement
The most useful part of a literature review is often where sources contradict each other. That's usually where the real research opportunity is hiding.
Keep sourcing honest
Every claim should trace back to something a reader could go check. This connects directly to the academic writing discipline I bring to every project, and it's foundational to designing the study that comes next.