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<div class="hbg">🎓 Literature Review · Research Guide · 7 min read</div>
<h1>How Many Sources in a Literature Review? <span class="gc">2025 Guide by Degree Level</span></h1>
<p class="hi">One of the most common questions from students writing their first literature review: how many sources do I actually need? The answer depends on your degree level, discipline, and the scope of your review.</p>
</div></section>
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<div class="card"><h2>Quick Reference by Degree Level</h2>
<table style="width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:.84rem;margin:1rem 0">
<tr style="background:var(--bg3)"><th style="padding:.7rem 1rem;text-align:left;color:var(--gold);font-size:.75rem;text-transform:uppercase">Degree Level</th><th style="padding:.7rem 1rem;text-align:left;color:var(--gold);font-size:.75rem;text-transform:uppercase">Sources (min)</th><th style="padding:.7rem 1rem;text-align:left;color:var(--gold);font-size:.75rem;text-transform:uppercase">Typical range</th></tr>
<tr><td style="padding:.7rem 1rem;border-bottom:1px solid var(--brd2);color:#fff">Undergraduate essay</td><td style="padding:.7rem 1rem;border-bottom:1px solid var(--brd2)">10–15</td><td style="padding:.7rem 1rem;border-bottom:1px solid var(--brd2);color:var(--tx2)">10–25</td></tr>
<tr><td style="padding:.7rem 1rem;border-bottom:1px solid var(--brd2);color:#fff">Master's thesis chapter</td><td style="padding:.7rem 1rem;border-bottom:1px solid var(--brd2)">40–60</td><td style="padding:.7rem 1rem;border-bottom:1px solid var(--brd2);color:var(--tx2)">40–80</td></tr>
<tr><td style="padding:.7rem 1rem;border-bottom:1px solid var(--brd2);color:#fff">PhD dissertation chapter</td><td style="padding:.7rem 1rem;border-bottom:1px solid var(--brd2)">80–120</td><td style="padding:.7rem 1rem;border-bottom:1px solid var(--brd2);color:var(--tx2)">80–200+</td></tr>
<tr><td style="padding:.7rem 1rem;color:#fff">Systematic review (journal)</td><td style="padding:.7rem 1rem">50+</td><td style="padding:.7rem 1rem;color:var(--tx2)">50–500+ (all eligible studies)</td></tr>
</table>
<h2>Quality Over Quantity — The Real Rule</h2>
<p>The number of sources matters far less than their <strong>relevance, recency, and quality</strong>. A literature review with 30 highly relevant, recent, peer-reviewed articles synthesized critically is far stronger than one with 100 sources listed superficially.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Recency:</strong> Prioritize sources from the last 5–10 years unless citing foundational/seminal works</li>
<li><strong>Peer-reviewed:</strong> At least 80% of sources should be peer-reviewed journal articles</li>
<li><strong>Primary sources:</strong> Where possible, cite original research, not summaries or textbooks</li>
<li><strong>Coverage:</strong> Ensure your sources cover all major themes and debates in your topic area</li>
</ul>
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if(b){b.style.display='block';}
}, 1500);
});
}
})();
</script>
<!-- ═══ END COOKIE CONSENT ═══ -->
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