How to Do a Literature Review for a Qualitative Study

Writing a literature review for a qualitative study presents unique challenges. You need to demonstrate familiarity with existing research without letting it predetermine what you will find. You need to establish a gap in the literature without promising to fill it in a quantitative sense. And you need to position your study theoretically without constraining the emergence of new ideas from your data. This guide walks you through the process.

The Purpose of a Qualitative Literature Review

In a quantitative study, the literature review leads to hypotheses. You review what is known, identify what is not known, and propose to test specific predictions. In a qualitative study, the literature review serves a different purpose. It:

• Establishes the significance of your topic by showing what research exists and what questions remain unanswered
• Positions your study within a scholarly conversation by connecting your work to relevant theories and prior findings
• Identifies the gap your study addresses — not a gap in measurement but a gap in understanding
• Informs your methodology by reviewing how other researchers have studied similar topics
• Provides context that helps readers understand why your research questions matter

The Tension: How Much Literature Is Too Much?

Different qualitative traditions have different relationships with existing literature.

Grounded theory has traditionally warned against extensive literature review before data collection, arguing that too much familiarity with existing theory can contaminate your ability to see what is actually in your data. Glaser was particularly adamant about this. However, Charmaz and other contemporary grounded theorists acknowledge that a literature review is necessary for institutional requirements (like a dissertation proposal) and can be conducted without predetermining findings.

Phenomenology similarly calls for bracketing preconceptions, which can create tension with a thorough literature review. However, most phenomenological researchers acknowledge that reviewing the literature is necessary to situate the study and identify the gap.

Other approaches — case study, narrative inquiry, generic qualitative — generally embrace the literature review without the same philosophical tensions.

The practical answer: do the literature review. Your committee requires it, your IRB expects it, and it genuinely improves your study. Just remain reflexively aware of how what you read might shape what you expect to find.

Structuring Your Literature Review

Start with the Phenomenon, Not the Method

Your literature review should be organized around the topic you are studying, not around your methodology. Save the methodological discussion for your methods chapter. If you are studying the experiences of first-generation doctoral students, your literature review should cover the research on first-generation students, doctoral education, and related constructs — not twenty pages on thematic analysis.

Use a Funnel Structure

Move from broad to narrow:

1. Broad context: The wider field your study sits within (e.g., doctoral education, student persistence, access and equity)
2. Focused topic: The specific phenomenon you are studying (e.g., first-generation doctoral student experiences)
3. Specific gap: What remains unexplored or underexplored (e.g., how first-generation students at predominantly white institutions navigate the hidden curriculum)

Include Multiple Types of Literature

A strong qualitative literature review draws on:

• Empirical studies: What have other researchers found about your topic? Include both qualitative and quantitative studies.
• Theoretical frameworks: What theories help explain the phenomenon you are studying? You might draw on social capital theory, critical race theory, communities of practice, or other frameworks relevant to your topic.
• Methodological literature: Briefly reference key studies that used similar methods to study similar topics. This can justify your methodological choices.
• Conceptual and review articles: These help you understand the broader conversation around your topic.

Synthesize, Do Not Summarize

The most common weakness in graduate student literature reviews is a study-by-study summary format: "Smith (2020) found X. Jones (2021) found Y. Brown (2022) found Z." This reads like an annotated bibliography, not a literature review.

Instead, organize by concept and synthesize across studies:

"Several studies have documented the challenges first-generation doctoral students face in understanding implicit academic norms (Smith, 2020; Jones, 2021; Brown, 2022). These challenges range from uncertainty about advisor expectations to unfamiliarity with professional conference culture. However, most of this research has focused on STEM fields, leaving the experiences of first-generation students in the humanities and social sciences largely unexplored."

This approach demonstrates that you understand the landscape, not just individual studies.

What to Include

• Studies directly related to your topic and population
• Foundational or seminal works in your area, even if older
• Recent studies that represent the current state of knowledge
• Studies that use different methods but address similar questions
• Studies with different findings or perspectives to show the complexity of the topic
• Theoretical frameworks that inform your understanding of the phenomenon

What to Exclude

• Studies that are only tangentially related to your topic
• Excessive coverage of your method (save that for Chapter 3)
• Every study ever written on your topic — be selective and strategic
• Studies you include only to pad your reference list

How Long Should It Be?

Dissertation literature reviews for qualitative studies typically range from 30 to 60 pages, though this varies by discipline and institution. The length should be determined by what is necessary to establish context, identify the gap, and position your study — not by an arbitrary page target.

Connecting the Literature Review to Your Study

Your literature review should end by clearly articulating the gap your study addresses and explaining how your research questions respond to that gap. This connection is crucial. The reader should finish your literature review thinking, "Yes, this study needs to be done."

A strong closing paragraph might look like:

"While existing research has documented the challenges first-generation doctoral students face in navigating academic norms, most studies have relied on survey data that captures the prevalence of these challenges without exploring how students experience and respond to them. Qualitative research is needed to understand the lived experience of navigating the hidden curriculum from the perspective of those who lack inherited knowledge of academic culture. This study addresses that gap by exploring the following research questions..."

Updating Your Literature Review

Your literature review is not finished when your proposal is approved. You will need to update it before your final defense to include studies published during your data collection and analysis period. Set a calendar reminder to search for new literature every few months and integrate relevant new studies.

The literature review for a qualitative study is a balancing act: thorough enough to demonstrate scholarly awareness, focused enough to maintain coherence, and honest enough to acknowledge what remains unknown. Approach it as a conversation you are joining, not a report you are compiling, and it will serve your study well.