[donald james]

I remember when I first started my dissertation, I spent more time worrying about how many words should a literature review should be than actually writing it. The truth is, there’s no magic number — but most reviews take up about 20–30% of your total word count. So, if your dissertation is 10,000 words, your lit review will likely be around 2,000–3,000 words.

What really matters isn’t hitting an exact number but making sure your review flows logically, covers key research, and shows how your work fits in. Think of it as setting the stage — not writing the whole play! Focus on clarity and connections, and the right length will come naturally.

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