How Long Should a Dissertation Literature Review Be for UK Courses?

The literature review is the main part of the dissertation writing because it shows the scope of your research and the project's academic basis. The literature review provides a basis for your research's methodology and theoretical basis while critically evaluating the body of previous research on your area of research. However, a question that frequently comes to the mind of the students is how long should a literature review be especially for courses in the United Kingdom.

A dissertation literature length varies according to the various factors some of which are the topic of the study, the institution's policies, and the dissertation's overall word count requirements. There isn't a one-set rule in the UK for literature review but you can use some general expectations that are also used by dissertation writing services in order to help you figure out how long it should be. We will explore the factors that can make a UK literature review lengthy and provide tips on how to handle this important dissertation part.

What is the Role Of Literature Reviews?

It's important that one must understand the literature review of the dissertation before determining its length. The literature review is basically an overview of the research that has already been done and is relevant to your area of study. It gives context to your own research question and highlights important theories, discoveries, and research gaps.  It includes a thorough overview of a topic or study from multiple angles (Eaton, 2018). An effective literature review should analyze the existing research because this will set your own research within that context.

A dissertation literature review generally includes both conceptual and historical analysis. It connects historical and current research (dissertationproposal, 2022). A researcher has to talk about research, others' points of view, methods, and conclusions. The review should also highlight any gaps in the literature, explain the importance of your research, and show how it contributes to existing knowledge of that particular area.

Factors Affecting The Length Of Literature Review

The following factors affect how long a dissertation's literature review is for a course in the United Kingdom:

1. Dissertation Word Count

Undergraduate dissertations in the UK normally go from 10,000 to 15,000 words, while master's or doctoral dissertations normally go from 20,000 to 40,000 words. Your dissertation's total word count actually determines how long your literature review should be. A longer dissertation usually has a longer literature review but it should not be too lengthy as compared to other dissertation sections.

For example, the literature review is 2,000 and 3,000 words in a 10,000-word dissertation. This gives enough word space to discuss the other important research, draw attention to relevant theories, and provide enough critical analysis without affecting other sections like the methodology, findings, and conclusion. Similarly, the literature review will be between 4,000 and 6,000 words long in a dissertation that is 20,000 words long.

2. Topic Area

The topic that you are reviewing also has a big impact on how long the literature review should be. The literature review is usually pretty long in disciplines like the social sciences and humanities because these fields normally involve extensive theoretical frameworks and a lot of previous research. That; 's why literature reviews require more word count for space to address the various theories and perspectives.

On the other hand, the literature review is much shorter in more scientific or technical fields and focuses more on important studies that directly relate to the research question. For instance, engineering and medical research focus more on recent findings or experimental studies over extensive theoretical discussion.

3. Literature Scope

Another element that determines the length of the literature review is the amount of existing research on the topic that you have chosen. You need to include a more thorough literature review to cover all of the important works in the field if your topic is thoroughly studied. 

However, if your research topic is more limited market or emerging then there are chances to have less published research which means to have a shorter review. Your review should focus on the most relevant and high-quality sources, regardless of the amount of literature. Also, make sure that you critically interact with them rather than just listing your references.

4. University Guidelines

The majority of UK universities give detailed guidelines on how to format dissertations which also include the recommendations regarding the length of the literature review. You need to make sure you are adhering to the requirements of your institution by following these guidelines. It is important to discuss your supervisor or your institution's dissertation guidelines in order to find out about any specific requirements that they have regarding the length of the literature review.

5. Research Question Nature

The length of your literature review is determined by the nature of your research question. The literature review will be longer if the question is more complicated and needs a comprehensive review of several theories and studies. The literature review will be shorter if the research question is simpler.

6. Expectations Of The Supervisor

The length and format of the literature review are normally determined by your supervisor. It's always good to get their feedback if you are confused. Supervisors will give clear advice on how to balance the literature review with other dissertation sections because they have years of experience with previous students in your field.

Conclusion

A dissertation literature review's length for UK courses is determined by a number of factors which are discussed such as the dissertation's overall length, topic, literature scope, university guidelines, and the nature of the research question. The length of a literature review for a 10,000-word dissertation usually goes between 2,000 and 3,000 words, while for a bog dissertation review, it can be as long as 6,000. But remember that there is no one set of specific length. A review for a larger dissertation may be as long as 6,000 words or longer.

Writing a successful literature review requires not only length but also depth and relevancy. Try to focus on reading the literature critically, identifying important arguments and gaps, and supporting the requirements of your own research. You can develop a balanced, integrated, and academically demanding type of research that sets up the context for your research by following university guidelines and between the literature review and other dissertation sections.

Reference List 

Eaton, S.E., 2018. Educational research literature reviews: Understanding the hierarchy of sources.

DP., (2022).  How long Should a Literature Review be in a 10000 Words Dissertation. Online Available at <https://www.dissertationproposal.co.uk/guide/how-long-should-a-literature-review-be/> [Accessed on 20th April 2022]