Real-world examples of dissertation literature review formatting examples

High-level examples of dissertation literature review formatting examples

Before worrying about sentence-level polish, it helps to see how entire literature review chapters are commonly organized. Here are three high-level examples of dissertation literature review formatting examples that show how the chapter can be structured on the page.

Example of a topic-based (thematic) literature review format

This is the most common layout in social sciences and education. Instead of summarizing studies one by one, you group the literature into themes.

A typical formatting pattern looks like this:

• Chapter 2: Literature Review (centered, bold, same font and size as other chapter titles)
• Introduction subsection (left-aligned, bold)
• Several thematic sections, such as:
  • Historical Context of Online Learning
  • Student Engagement in Virtual Classrooms
  • Faculty Readiness and Training
  • Technological Barriers and Access
• Summary and Gap in the Literature closing section

On the page, each section starts on a new line with consistent spacing (often double-spaced in APA-style theses). In-text citations follow the chosen style, for example APA 7th edition: (Smith & Lee, 2023).

A short, concrete paragraph from this format might look like:

Student Engagement in Virtual Classrooms
Research on student engagement in virtual learning environments has expanded rapidly since 2020 (Johnson & Patel, 2021; Lee, 2022). Early studies focused on attendance and login frequency as proxies for engagement, but more recent work emphasizes interaction quality and cognitive presence (Garrison, 2017; Martin et al., 2023). Across these studies, synchronous video sessions appear to support higher reported engagement than asynchronous discussion boards alone (Baker & Kim, 2024).

This is one of the best examples of formatting because it makes the structure obvious: clear section headings, consistent citation style, and a logical flow from broad context to specific themes.

Example of a methodology-based literature review format

STEM and applied fields often organize the literature review around methods rather than themes. Here, the formatting highlights different research designs.

A typical structure:

• Chapter 2. Review of Related Literature
• Overview of Research on Renewable Energy Forecasting
• Statistical Time-Series Approaches
• Machine Learning Approaches
• Hybrid and Ensemble Models
• Limitations of Existing Methods

Within Statistical Time-Series Approaches, you might see subheadings like:

• ARIMA-Based Models
• GARCH and Volatility Modeling

A formatted paragraph might read:

Machine Learning Approaches
Machine learning models for solar power forecasting have shifted from shallow architectures to deep learning frameworks since 2018 (Nguyen et al., 2020). Early work relied on support vector regression and random forests (Kumar & Singh, 2019), whereas more recent studies adopt convolutional and recurrent neural networks to capture spatial–temporal dependencies (Zhang et al., 2022; Lopez & Chen, 2024). Despite improved accuracy, these models often lack interpretability, which limits adoption by grid operators (U.S. Department of Energy, 2023).

This is a clear example of dissertation literature review formatting where the headings tell the reader how previous work was done, not just what it found.

Example of a chronological literature review format

In some historical, policy, or legal dissertations, a chronological structure makes the most sense.

A typical layout might be:

• Chapter II: Review of the Literature
• Pre-1990: Early Access and Equity Debates
• 1990–2009: Standards-Based Reform Era
• 2010–2019: Accountability and High-Stakes Testing
• 2020–Present: Pandemic-Era Policy Shifts

Each section opens with a brief date range explanation, then summarizes key legislation, landmark studies, and shifts in theory. Formatting is similar to other examples, but the headings explicitly reference time periods.

Detailed examples of subsection and paragraph formatting

Once your chapter-level structure is set, you need consistent formatting within sections. The following examples of dissertation literature review formatting examples zoom in on subsections, paragraphs, and citations.

Example of consistent heading hierarchy

Graduate schools in 2024–2025 still expect a clear hierarchy of headings. Using an APA-like structure, a well-formatted literature review might follow this pattern:

• Level 1 (Chapter title): Centered, bold, Title Case
  Chapter 2: Literature Review

• Level 2 (Main section): Left-aligned, bold, Title Case
  Theoretical Frameworks for Motivation

• Level 3 (Subsection): Left-aligned, bold, italic, Title Case
  Self-Determination Theory

• Level 4 (Sub-subsection): Indented, bold, Title Case, period at end, text runs on.
  Autonomy Support in Classroom Settings.

A short example of this in action:

Theoretical Frameworks for Motivation
Self-Determination Theory
Autonomy Support in Classroom Settings. Research grounded in self-determination theory emphasizes the role of autonomy support in fostering intrinsic motivation (Ryan & Deci, 2020). In K–12 settings, autonomy-supportive teaching practices are associated with higher engagement and achievement (Jang et al., 2016; U.S. Department of Education, 2022).

This example of formatting shows how headings visually guide the reader through complex theoretical territory.

Example of integrating summary, comparison, and critique

Stronger literature reviews do more than summarize; they compare and evaluate. Formatting-wise, this usually appears as multi-sentence paragraphs with a predictable internal pattern.

A typical pattern:

• First sentence: topic sentence for the paragraph
• Middle: summary of 2–3 related studies
• Final sentences: comparison and critique

Example paragraph:

Studies on telehealth satisfaction present mixed findings across patient populations. Early work with veterans reported high satisfaction with video visits, citing reduced travel time and increased access to specialists (Bashshur et al., 2016). More recent surveys during the COVID-19 pandemic found that older adults reported lower satisfaction, often due to technology barriers and privacy concerns (Nouri et al., 2021; Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2023). While both sets of studies highlight convenience, they diverge on digital literacy assumptions, suggesting that age and prior technology use significantly shape telehealth experiences.

This is one of the best examples of dissertation literature review formatting examples at the paragraph level: it keeps sources integrated, uses consistent citation style, and ends with an analytical point.

Example of formatting for a theoretical framework subsection

Many universities expect the theoretical framework to be embedded in or adjacent to the literature review. Here’s an example of how that often looks on the page:

Theoretical Framework
This study is grounded in the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), which posits that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use shape individuals’ intention to adopt new technologies (Davis, 1989). Subsequent extensions of TAM incorporate social influence and facilitating conditions (Venkatesh et al., 2003). In the context of K–12 teachers adopting learning management systems, perceived usefulness has consistently predicted adoption more strongly than perceived ease of use (Teo, 2019; U.S. Department of Education, 2021). The present study applies this framework to examine high school teachers’ adoption of AI-based writing tools.

Formatting-wise, this example of a subsection:

• Uses a clear Level 2 heading (Theoretical Framework)
• Introduces the main theory in the first sentence
• Summarizes key extensions
• Links the theory directly to the dissertation’s focus

Discipline-specific examples of dissertation literature review formatting examples

Expectations for formatting shift slightly across disciplines. Here are several real examples of how different fields typically present their literature reviews.

Education and social sciences example

An education dissertation in APA style might format its literature review like this:

• Chapter 2: Review of the Literature
• Conceptualizing Teacher Burnout
• Organizational Factors in Burnout
• Individual Coping Mechanisms
• Burnout Interventions in K–12 Settings
• Summary and Research Gap

Within Organizational Factors in Burnout, you might see paragraphs that integrate policy sources (e.g., U.S. Department of Education) and peer-reviewed research, all formatted with APA in-text citations and a reference list that starts on a new page at the end of the chapter.

STEM example

A computer science dissertation often uses more tables and algorithm descriptions, even inside the literature review. A typical format:

• Chapter 2: Related Work
• Classical Optimization Approaches
• Heuristic and Metaheuristic Methods
• Deep Reinforcement Learning Methods
• Benchmark Datasets and Evaluation Metrics

Within Benchmark Datasets and Evaluation Metrics, it’s common to include a formatted table summarizing dataset size, number of features, and evaluation protocols. Even with tables, paragraphs follow a similar pattern: topic sentence, summary of related work, and a closing sentence that signals limitations or gaps.

Health sciences example

In nursing or public health, literature reviews often follow PRISMA-style reporting when a systematic review component is involved. While dissertations don’t always require a full PRISMA flow diagram, the formatting often includes:

• A subsection titled Search Strategy or Literature Search Procedures
• Detailed description of databases, search terms, and inclusion/exclusion criteria
• Subsections such as Quality Appraisal of Studies or Risk of Bias

Authoritative health sources like NIH and CDC are often cited for background data, formatted alongside journal articles in the reference list.

Formatting examples for citations, quotations, and references

Even the best examples of dissertation literature review formatting examples fall apart if citations are inconsistent. Here are practical formatting patterns you can mirror.

Example of APA-style in-text citations and reference list

In APA 7th edition, an in-text citation with two authors looks like this:

Recent studies highlight the impact of social isolation on adolescent mental health (Garcia & Lee, 2022).

A corresponding reference list entry:

Garcia, M. L., & Lee, T. R. (2022). Social isolation and adolescent mental health: A longitudinal study. Journal of Adolescent Research, 37(4), 512–530. https://doi.org/10.1177/07435584211012345

Formatting expectations:

• Reference list starts on a new page
• Title References is centered and bold
• Hanging indent for each entry
• Double spacing throughout

Example of integrating long quotations

Most committees prefer you to limit long block quotes, but when you must use one (e.g., for a key definition), formatting matters. In APA style, a block quote of 40+ words is:

• Started on a new line
• Indented 0.5 inches from the left margin
• Double-spaced
• No quotation marks

Example:

As Ryan and Deci (2020) explained:

Self-determination theory posits that humans have basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. When these needs are supported, individuals are more likely to internalize values and engage in self-regulated behavior. When these needs are thwarted, motivation tends to become controlled or amotivated rather than autonomous. (p. 15)

This example of formatting shows respect for the original source while maintaining visual clarity.

2024–2025 trends that shape current formatting expectations

If you look at recent dissertations from 2024 and 2025, a few trends show up repeatedly in examples of dissertation literature review formatting examples:

• More explicit use of subheadings. Committees are less tolerant of 10-page blocks of text. Clear subheadings every 2–4 pages are now common.
• Greater transparency about search methods. Even in non-systematic reviews, authors increasingly include short subsections describing databases, date ranges, and inclusion criteria.
• Integration of gray literature. Policy reports, government data, and reputable organizational reports (for example, from Harvard Graduate School of Education) are more common. These are formatted like other sources but often grouped in separate paragraphs.
• Attention to accessibility. Universities are pushing for accessible PDFs: consistent heading styles, alt text for tables and figures, and clear contrast. While this is more about document design than citations, your heading formatting plays a role.

These trends don’t radically change the core structure, but they do influence what counts as the best examples of formatting in current dissertations.

Putting it together: a mini sample literature review section

To see all of this in one place, here is a condensed example of a formatted literature review subsection that you could realistically include in a dissertation.

Chapter 2: Literature Review

Remote Work and Employee Well-Being

Conceptualizing Employee Well-Being
Employee well-being is typically conceptualized as a multidimensional construct that includes affective, cognitive, and physical components (Danna & Griffin, 1999). Contemporary frameworks distinguish between hedonic well-being, focused on happiness and life satisfaction, and eudaimonic well-being, focused on meaning and self-realization (Ryan & Deci, 2001). In organizational research, well-being is often operationalized through measures of job satisfaction, burnout, and work–life balance (Bakker & Demerouti, 2017).

Remote Work Before and After 2020
Prior to 2020, research on remote work emphasized flexibility and autonomy as primary benefits (Gajendran & Harrison, 2007). Remote workers often reported higher job satisfaction but also greater professional isolation (Golden, 2012). Following the COVID-19 pandemic, large-scale shifts to remote work prompted new studies examining mental health, boundary management, and digital fatigue (Kniffin et al., 2021; Pew Research Center, 2023). These more recent studies suggest that remote work outcomes are highly contingent on managerial support and technological infrastructure.

Gaps in the Literature
While existing research links remote work to various well-being outcomes, comparatively few studies focus on early-career employees transitioning into the workforce during extended remote arrangements (Smith & Alvarez, 2024). Most prior work examines established employees with pre-pandemic in-person experience, leaving limited evidence on how fully remote socialization shapes long-term well-being trajectories.

This mini section pulls together many of the examples of dissertation literature review formatting examples discussed above: clear heading hierarchy, topic sentences, integrated citations, and a closing gap statement.

FAQ: Short answers with formatting examples

How long should a dissertation literature review be?
Universities often suggest a range rather than a fixed number. In many PhD programs, the literature review chapter runs from 30 to 60 double-spaced pages, though some STEM fields use shorter, more targeted reviews. Always check your graduate school’s handbook or template.

Can I see more examples of dissertation literature review formatting examples from real universities?
Yes. Many universities host open-access dissertations through their libraries. Try searching your topic plus “dissertation pdf” in databases like ProQuest (if you have access) or your university’s institutional repository. Skim the tables of contents and Chapter 2 formatting to see real examples.

What is one good example of a heading structure for a mixed-methods dissertation?
A practical example of heading structure might be: Chapter 2: Literature Review, followed by Theoretical Framework, Quantitative Studies on [Topic], Qualitative Studies on [Topic], Mixed-Methods Studies, and Summary and Research Gap. Each main section can have subheadings by theme, population, or context.

Should I include a search strategy section in my literature review?
For many 2024–2025 dissertations, a brief Search Strategy subsection is encouraged, especially in health, education, and social sciences. It does not have to be as formal as a systematic review, but a short paragraph on databases used, date ranges, and key terms improves transparency.

Where can I find style rules for formatting my literature review?
Go straight to your required style manual and your university’s graduate writing guide. For APA style, use the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). Many universities, such as Harvard University, also provide free citation and formatting guides online.