Thematic Literature
The thematic review of related literature groups studies by idea rather than by author. This is the writing style your panel expects - it shows synthesis, not just summary.
Author-by-Author vs Thematic
| Style | Pattern | Reads Like |
|---|---|---|
| Author-by-author | Smith (2021)... Then Cruz (2022)... Then Tan (2023)... | A list, no relationships |
| Thematic | On the theme of biometric attendance, three issues emerge. First... Smith (2021) and Tan (2023) both found... | A discussion |
Building Themes
- Read each source and tag with 2-3 themes.
- Build a theme matrix: rows are sources, columns are themes, cells hold the finding.
- Pick the 4-6 strongest themes that map to your study.
- Each theme becomes a sub-section heading.
Sample Theme Matrix
| Source | Adoption | Accuracy | Cost | PH Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smith (2021) | High | 98% | Medium | No |
| Cruz (2022) | Medium | 95% | Low | Yes |
| Tan (2023) | Low | 91% | High | Partial |
| Reyes (2024) | High | 97% | Medium | Yes |
Writing The Theme Paragraph
Each theme paragraph follows a tight pattern:
- **Topic sentence** - name the theme.
- **Evidence** - cite at least three sources.
- **Synthesis** - say where they agree, disagree, or leave a gap.
- **Link forward** - state how this informs your study.
Discussion
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