"Review of Related Literature", usually shortened to RRL, is the name many universities, especially in the Philippines and parts of Asia, use for the literature review chapter of a thesis or research paper. It is usually Chapter 2, coming after the introduction and before the methodology. The purpose is the same as any literature review: show what is already known about your topic, how it connects to your study, and what gap your research addresses.
Formats differ between schools and even between departments, so treat this guide as a common pattern and follow the template your adviser gives you.
Related literature vs. related studies
Many RRL formats split the chapter into two kinds of sources:
- Related literature covers books, articles, reports, policies and other published material that discuss the topic, its concepts, or its context. They tell the reader what the topic is and why it matters.
- Related studies are empirical research, such as journal articles, theses and dissertations, that investigated questions similar to yours. They tell the reader what has been found.
Some schools further divide each into foreign and local sources, so you may see four sub-sections: foreign literature, local literature, foreign studies, local studies. Others drop the split and organize everything by theme. If your template does not require the split, a thematic organization usually reads better, because it puts sources that discuss the same point side by side.
A common RRL structure
Chapter 2: Review of Related Literature and Studies
Introduction (what the chapter covers and how it is organized)
Related Literature
[Theme or variable 1]
[Theme or variable 2]
Related Studies
[Theme or variable 1]
[Theme or variable 2]
Synthesis of the Reviewed Literature and Studies
Theoretical Framework
Conceptual Framework (often with a diagram, e.g., an input–process–output model)
Definition of Terms (in some formats; others place it in Chapter 1)Where the theoretical and conceptual frameworks go varies: some schools put them in Chapter 1, others at the end of Chapter 2. Check before you write.
Example RRL outline
Here is a filled-in outline for a study on online learning readiness among senior high school students. The sources are placeholders; the point is the shape.
Chapter 2: Review of Related Literature and Studies
Introduction
- Scope: online and blended learning readiness, 2015–2025
Related Literature
Online learning readiness as a concept
- Common dimensions: technology access, self-directed learning, motivation [Sources A, B]
Policy context for blended learning in senior high school [Source C]
Related Studies
Readiness levels among secondary students
- Most studies report moderate readiness, lowest on self-directed learning [Sources D–F]
Factors associated with readiness
- Internet access and device ownership most consistently linked [Sources D, G]
- Mixed results for gender and grade level [Sources E, H]
Synthesis
- Agreement: access and self-direction matter most
- Tension: demographic factors differ across studies
- Gap: few studies of this grade level in provincial schools → present study
Theoretical Framework: Self-Determination Theory [Source I]
Conceptual Framework: IPO model (profile and access → assessment → readiness profile)How to write the synthesis
The synthesis is the part of the RRL that advisers read most closely, and the part most often written as a list of summaries. A synthesis should:
- Group sources by point, not by author. "Four of the reviewed studies found…" rather than one paragraph per study.
- Compare. Say where studies agree, where they disagree, and why they might differ: sample, setting, method, or year.
- Connect to your study. Show how the reviewed works relate to your variables and setting.
- Name the gap. End with what the literature has not yet answered, and state that your study addresses it.
A useful test: if you could reorder the paragraphs of your synthesis without changing its meaning, it is probably still a list of summaries.
Citations, recency and format
- Most advisers expect recent sources, often from the last five to ten years, plus any classic works your theory comes from.
- Use the citation style your school requires; APA 7 is the most common for RRLs in education and the social sciences.
- Keep a page number for every direct quote, and check each one against the source before submission.
- A literature review matrix is the simplest way to track sources, findings and quotes while you read, and to spot themes for the synthesis.
About RRL generators
Searching for an "RRL generator" turns up tools that write paragraphs from a topic. Be careful with them: some produce references that do not exist or claims the cited source does not make, and submitting generated text as your own may break your school's academic integrity rules. If you use a tool, use it to organize sources you have actually read, and check every citation yourself.
Lit Review Outline works that way. It builds an outline from the PDFs you upload, with each point linked to its verbatim quote and page number, and exports an Excel literature review matrix and a Word outline with APA 7 references. It is built first for dissertation literature review chapters in education, and it does not write the chapter for you. You can see what the output looks like in the demo case.
For a general template that also works for an RRL, see the literature review outline template and example.
