The literature review can be challenging for many of our dissertation consulting clients. It’s certainly detailed and complicated work–incorporating relevant findings from 75 or more studies into one chapter, while ensuring that the focus of the discussion remains on synthesis and critical analysis (rather than summary) throughout. Even for experienced researchers, the time required even just to identify recent research that’s relevant to their topics is often in short supply, because of teaching loads, work obligations, and managing a work/life balance.

For more than a decade, QandQ’s dissertation consultants have assisted with the research and analysis required for a compelling literature review for thousands of doctoral candidates. In fact, many of our clients initially reach out to us once they reach the literature review stage and then stay with us for dissertation help throughout the entire process! We can absolutely tailor this support to meet your current needs, timeline, and budget, so please let us know how we can assist.

• As a first step, we complete an extensive literature search. This step is critical to find additional research and ensure a comprehensive review of existing studies. We identify new and additional research by performing targeted keyword searches on large databases such as ProQuest, EBSCOHost, and ScienceDirect, and include full information on the details of what and how we searched for easy replication.
• Next, we identify themes and sub-themes with your research gap. After identifying 75-100 peer-reviewed, scholarly sources for the topic and theoretical or conceptual framework, our next step is to identify relevant themes and sub-themes within current scholarship. This is central to defining a current research gap, and here, we’ll use your study’s foundational elements, and in particular the research questions, as our guide.
• We then review the identified research to ensure your argument provides clear support for your proposed research design. As part of this work, we include and analyze sources that, whenever relevant, highlight your methodology as a proven approach within your field–but one that has not been applied effectively or as yet to the specific question your study aims to answer.
• Throughout this process, we offer expert drafting, revision, and APA editing support. For the literature review, we ensure discussion of all literature is presented in past tense, as you are discussing previously published work in your field. Your finished chapter will be presented in clear and concise academic prose, so that the focus remains on synthesis and analysis of research to prove the need for your proposed study.