ieee literature review template

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Manuscript Templates for Conference Proceedings

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The purpose of a conference template is to provide a consistent format for papers appearing in the conference proceedings. IEEE strongly encourages use of the conference manuscript templates provided below. 

IEEE conference templates contain guidance text for composing and formatting conference papers. Please ensure that all guidance text is removed from your conference paper prior to submission to the conference. 

Failure to remove template text from your paper may result in your paper not being published.

Accessing the templates

Microsoft Word

• US letter (DOC, 30 KB) Updated Jan 2019
• A4  (DOC, 30 KB) Updated Jan 2019

LaTeX Template Instructions (PDF, 63 KB) [ Be sure to use the template's  conference  mode.]

• Template (ZIP, 700 KB) Updated October 2019
• LaTeX Bibliography Files  (ZIP, 309 KB)
• When working in Overleaf, the template is available at https://www.overleaf.com/gallery/tagged/ieee-official

1. For conference organizers:  The use of the conference manuscript templates provided by  IEEE eXpress Conference Publishing  will greatly reduce the chance for errors in the metadata visible in IEEE Xplore ® , and IEEE's downstream Indexing partners. Errors may result in delays in posting or in making any approved corrections, or in some cases, may simply persist. Using the templates is one of the ways to reduce errors.

If you wish, you may link to this webpage in its entirety. It is not recommended that you link to individual files, however, because they may be updated or replaced without notice.

2. Grateful acknowledgement is made to the IEEE Computational Intelligence Society, which provided the current LaTeX template.

3. Other templates that more closely align with the IEEE Transactions article format are available.

Structure Your Article

Learn about the elements that organize a typical IEEE journal article and how to compose your work to help communicate your ideas more clearly.

The article’s title should be specific, concise, and descriptive to help readers decide if they should read the full article.  Use keywords and short phrases to describe the article’s content in as few words as possible.  Avoid terms such as “new” or “novel” since the reader already knows that your research is new and worthy of publication.

Follow the IEEE authorship guidelines when determining who belongs on the author list. 

You may publish your name in your native language, alongside the English version of your name, in the author list if you wish.  The guidelines below are for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean characters. All other native language names should be submitted via Unicode characters. In your article’s cover letter, indicate that the article includes author names in native languages.

Be sure to carefully check the rendering of your name in your article during the proof stage before article publication.

Chinese, Japanese, and Korean characters

The following font styles will be used when rendering Chinese, Japanese, or Korean characters in the final publication. Use the appropriate font for your native language to avoid potential errors.

• Simplified Chinese: SongMT
• Traditional Chinese: SungMT
• Japanese: MS Mincho
• Korean: Batang

Use Microsoft Word’s Insert Symbols feature to add the correct characters in parentheses after the name of each author who would like to have their name shown in their native language. Use the standard font listed above to ensure accuracy.

When writing in LaTeX, provide the CJK Ascii Unicode for Chinese (traditional or simplified), Japanese, or Korean.

Your abstract should provide a brief summary of the research conducted, the conclusions reached, and the potential implications of those conclusions.

A strong abstract will also:

• Consist of a single paragraph up to 250 words, with correct grammar and unambiguous terminology
• Be self-contained; without abbreviations, footnotes, references, or mathematical equations
• Highlight what is novel in your work
• Include 3-5 keywords or phrases that describe the research, with any abbreviations clearly defined, to help readers find your article

Most authors write the abstract last and edit it multiple times before article publication to ensure it accurately captures the entire article.

IEEE recommends that you do not include mathematical symbols in your article title or abstract because they may not display properly.

Using the right keywords in your article can make your article more easily and reliably discoverable—which leads to a broader readership for your article. For best results, define any abbreviations and, where possible, strive to use standardized keywords. Using the IEEE Thesaurus  can help you find the best standardized keywords to fit your article. Use the  thesaurus access request form  for free access to the  IEEE Thesaurus .   

Back to Top

First Footnote

The first footnote is not numbered. All other footnotes in the article are numbered consecutively. Do not use asterisks or daggers. The first footnote (or the author affiliation paragraph) is made up of at least three paragraphs.   

First paragraph

The first paragraph consists of:

• all IEEE-provided received, revised, and accepted dates of the article, as well as the two additional online published dates (i.e., first and final publication dates)
• author-provided name(s) of the corresponding author(s) (as well as names of equally contributed authors or co-first authors, if applicable)
• author-provided full financial support for the work in the article (listed here and not in the Acknowledgment)
• author-provided   information of full or partial prior presentation of an article (referred to as a “paper”) at a conference, including the DOI of the prior presentation, which links to the conference version and not a preprint; if an article is a thesis or part of a thesis or dissertation, this should be noted in the last sentence of the first paragraph
• Articles That Are Reporting on Human/Animal Research and Have Review Board Approval: This work involved human subjects or animals in its research. Approval of all ethical and experimental procedures and protocols was granted by (Name of Review Board or Committee) (if provided under Application No. xx, and performed in line with the (Name of Specific Declaration (if applicable/provided)).
• Articles That Are Reporting on Human/Animal Research and Are Exempt From Review Board Approval: This work involved human subjects or animals in its research. The author(s) confirm(s) that all human/animal subject research procedures and protocols are exempt from review board approval.

Refer to the IEEE’s policy on Research on Human and Animal Subjects .

Second paragraph

The second paragraph consists of author affiliations, including author-provided department, university or corporation, city, state, province or prefecture (if provided), postal code, and country for each author. Note that the country and corresponding author’s e-mail address must be included. All authors may include their e-mail addresses, which would be separated by semicolons.

See IEEE Editorial Style Manual for Authors for detailed examples of author affiliation types for two or more authors, changed affiliation, retired author, deceased author, and consultant.

Third paragraph

The third paragraph consists of an IEEE-provided notice if the article has supplementary materials and/or color figures in the online version.

Introduction

The introduction section includes a review of the existing literature to position your research within the broader scientific field and to show the novelty of your work.  The introduction should also describe the question you’re trying to answer with your research and why that question is important to the field.

Methodology

The methodology section is a straightforward description of what you did in your research and how you did it.  A detailed methodology section will make your article reproducible by other researchers, which helps others trust and build upon your work.

Ensure your mathematical equations and formulas display correctly in your published article by following either the IEEE Math Typesetting Guide for LaTeX Users or the IEEE Math Typesetting Guide for MS Word Users .

The results section describes the results you obtained in your research.  Include figures and tables as appropriate to illustrate your results. Figures can show data trends or other visual information. Tables are best to use when the exact values are important.

In the discussion section, describe what your results mean and how they are an important contribution to the research field.

The conclusion section can highlight potential broader implications of your work and areas that need further study.  Be careful not to inflate your findings.

The reference section is important because all scientific and technical research builds upon previous work. References help give proper credit and attribution to that preceding body of work.  References also support and validate your hypothesis.  Be sure to only cite references that directly support your work. Inflating citations by adding unnecessary references is considered a breach of publishing ethics.

Acknowledgments

The acknowledgments section is where you can recognize and thank those who have helped you publish this article. Here you can thank your funder, someone who supported you during the research project, or the anonymous reviewers who evaluated the article.  The Acknowledgements section is optional but quite common.

Refining the Use of English in Your Article

Communicate your work clearly. If you are not fully proficient in English, consider using an English language editing service before submitting your article. An expert editing service can help you refine the use of English in your article, so you can communicate your work more effectively.

The use of an editing service is paid for by the author. It does not guarantee acceptance in an IEEE publication.

IEEE authors are eligible for discounts at the following language editing services:

• American Journal Experts : 10% discount
• Enago : 30% discount ( review Enago’s services for authors in Chinese )

Structure Your Paper

Learn how to structure your paper for publication. IEEE has put together some tips and best practices for what should be included in your conference paper.

Your paper title should be specific, concise, and descriptive. Avoid using unnecessary words such as “new” or “novel”. Include keywords that will help a reader find your paper.

Provide a concise summary of the research conducted. Include the conclusions reached and the potential implications of those conclusions. Your abstract should also:

• consist of a single paragraph up to 250 words, with correct grammar and unambiguous terminology;
• be self-contained with no abbreviations, footnotes, references, or mathematical equations;
• highlight what is unique in your work;
• include 3-5 keywords or phrases that describe the research, with any abbreviations clearly defined,  to help readers find your paper.

First Footnote

Funding footnote.

If the research reported in your paper was supported by a funding source, include the funder’s name and grant information in a footnote on the first page of the paper.

Human and animal research statements

For papers reporting on research involving human subjects or animals, complete and include one of the following human/animal research statements in a footnote on the first page of the paper:

• Papers That Are Reporting on Human/Animal Research and Have Review Board Approval:   This work involved human subjects or animals in its research. Approval of all ethical and experimental procedures and protocols was granted by (Name of Review Board or Committee) (if provided under Application No. xx, and performed in line with the (Name of Specific Declaration (if applicable/provided)).
• Papers That Are Reporting on Human/Animal Research and Are Exempt From Review Board Approval: This work involved human subjects or animals in its research. The author(s) confirm(s) that all human/animal subject research procedures and protocols are exempt from review board approval.

Refer to the IEEE’s policy on Research on Human and Animal Subjects .

Introduction

Help the reader understand why your research is important and what it is contributing to the field.

• Start by giving the reader a brief overview of the current state of research in your subject area.
• Progress to more detailed information on the specific topic of your research.
• End with a description of the exact question or hypothesis that your paper will address.

Also state your motivation for doing your research and what it will contribute to the field.

Formulate your research question. It should include:

• a detailed description of the question;
• the methods you used to address the question;
• the definitions of any relevant terminology;
• any equations that contributed to your work.

The methods section should be described in enough detail for someone to replicate your work.

Results and Discussion

Show the results that you achieved in your work and offer an interpretation of those results. Acknowledge any limitations of your work and avoid exaggerating the importance of the results.

Summarize your key findings. Include important conclusions that can be drawn and further implications for the field. Discuss benefits or shortcomings of your work and suggest future areas for research.

Acknowledgments

You can recognize individuals who provided assistance with your work, but who do not meet the definition of authorship . The acknowledgments section is optional.

Provide citation information for all the previous publications referred to in your paper. Cite only those references that directly support your work.

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• Ask A Librarian

Q. How do I write a methodology and lit review using the IEEE Style Guide?

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Answered By: AskA Librarian Last Updated: May 02, 2023     Views: 6350

IEEE does not have a specific format for lit reviews or methodologies. You can find their f ull style manual here , with details on citing references in chapter 5.

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What’s Included: Literature Review Template

This template is structure is based on the tried and trusted best-practice format for formal academic research projects such as dissertations and theses. The literature review template includes the following sections:

• Before you start – essential groundwork to ensure you’re ready
• The introduction section
• The core/body section
• The conclusion /summary
• Extra free resources

Each section is explained in plain, straightforward language , followed by an overview of the key elements that you need to cover. We’ve also included practical examples and links to more free videos and guides to help you understand exactly what’s required in each section.

The cleanly-formatted Google Doc can be downloaded as a fully editable MS Word Document (DOCX format), so you can use it as-is or convert it to LaTeX.

PS – if you’d like a high-level template for the entire thesis, you can we’ve got that too .

FAQs: Literature Review Template

What format is the template (doc, pdf, ppt, etc.).

The literature review chapter template is provided as a Google Doc. You can download it in MS Word format or make a copy to your Google Drive. You’re also welcome to convert it to whatever format works best for you, such as LaTeX or PDF.

What types of literature reviews can this template be used for?

The template follows the standard format for academic literature reviews, which means it will be suitable for the vast majority of academic research projects (especially those within the sciences), whether they are qualitative or quantitative in terms of design.

Keep in mind that the exact requirements for the literature review chapter will vary between universities and degree programs. These are typically minor, but it’s always a good idea to double-check your university’s requirements before you finalize your structure.

Is this template for an undergrad, Master or PhD-level thesis?

This template can be used for a literature review at any level of study. Doctoral-level projects typically require the literature review to be more extensive/comprehensive, but the structure will typically remain the same.

Can I modify the template to suit my topic/area?

Absolutely. While the template provides a general structure, you should adapt it to fit the specific requirements and focus of your literature review.

What structural style does this literature review template use?

The template assumes a thematic structure (as opposed to a chronological or methodological structure), as this is the most common approach. However, this is only one dimension of the template, so it will still be useful if you are adopting a different structure.

Does this template include the Excel literature catalog?

No, that is a separate template, which you can download for free here . This template is for the write-up of the actual literature review chapter, whereas the catalog is for use during the literature sourcing and sorting phase.

How long should the literature review chapter be?

This depends on your university’s specific requirements, so it’s best to check with them. As a general ballpark, literature reviews for Masters-level projects are usually 2,000 – 3,000 words in length, while Doctoral-level projects can reach multiples of this.

Can I include literature that contradicts my hypothesis?

Yes, it’s important to acknowledge and discuss literature that presents different viewpoints or contradicts your hypothesis. So, don’t shy away from existing research that takes an opposing view to yours.

How do I avoid plagiarism in my literature review?

Always cite your sources correctly and paraphrase ideas in your own words while maintaining the original meaning. You can always check our plagiarism score before submitting your work to help ease your mind. 

Do you have an example of a populated template?

We provide a walkthrough of the template and review an example of a high-quality literature research chapter here .

Can I share this literature review template with my friends/colleagues?

Yes, you’re welcome to share this template in its original format (no editing allowed). If you want to post about it on your blog or social media, all we ask is that you reference this page as your source.

Do you have templates for the other dissertation/thesis chapters?

Yes, we do. You can find our full collection of templates here .

Can Grad Coach help me with my literature review?

Yes, you’re welcome to get in touch with us to discuss our private coaching services , where we can help you work through the literature review chapter (and any other chapters).

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Literature Review: Conducting & Writing

• Sample Literature Reviews
• Steps for Conducting a Lit Review
• Finding "The Literature"
• Organizing/Writing
• APA Style This link opens in a new window
• Chicago: Notes Bibliography This link opens in a new window
• MLA Style This link opens in a new window

Sample Lit Reviews from Communication Arts

Have an exemplary literature review.

• Literature Review Sample 1
• Literature Review Sample 2
• Literature Review Sample 3

Have you written a stellar literature review you care to share for teaching purposes?

Are you an instructor who has received an exemplary literature review and have permission from the student to post?

Please contact Britt McGowan at [email protected] for inclusion in this guide. All disciplines welcome and encouraged.

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• URL: https://libguides.uwf.edu/litreview

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Writing a Literature Review

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

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Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

A literature review is a document or section of a document that collects key sources on a topic and discusses those sources in conversation with each other (also called synthesis ). The lit review is an important genre in many disciplines, not just literature (i.e., the study of works of literature such as novels and plays). When we say “literature review” or refer to “the literature,” we are talking about the research ( scholarship ) in a given field. You will often see the terms “the research,” “the scholarship,” and “the literature” used mostly interchangeably.

Where, when, and why would I write a lit review?

There are a number of different situations where you might write a literature review, each with slightly different expectations; different disciplines, too, have field-specific expectations for what a literature review is and does. For instance, in the humanities, authors might include more overt argumentation and interpretation of source material in their literature reviews, whereas in the sciences, authors are more likely to report study designs and results in their literature reviews; these differences reflect these disciplines’ purposes and conventions in scholarship. You should always look at examples from your own discipline and talk to professors or mentors in your field to be sure you understand your discipline’s conventions, for literature reviews as well as for any other genre.

A literature review can be a part of a research paper or scholarly article, usually falling after the introduction and before the research methods sections. In these cases, the lit review just needs to cover scholarship that is important to the issue you are writing about; sometimes it will also cover key sources that informed your research methodology.

Lit reviews can also be standalone pieces, either as assignments in a class or as publications. In a class, a lit review may be assigned to help students familiarize themselves with a topic and with scholarship in their field, get an idea of the other researchers working on the topic they’re interested in, find gaps in existing research in order to propose new projects, and/or develop a theoretical framework and methodology for later research. As a publication, a lit review usually is meant to help make other scholars’ lives easier by collecting and summarizing, synthesizing, and analyzing existing research on a topic. This can be especially helpful for students or scholars getting into a new research area, or for directing an entire community of scholars toward questions that have not yet been answered.

What are the parts of a lit review?

Most lit reviews use a basic introduction-body-conclusion structure; if your lit review is part of a larger paper, the introduction and conclusion pieces may be just a few sentences while you focus most of your attention on the body. If your lit review is a standalone piece, the introduction and conclusion take up more space and give you a place to discuss your goals, research methods, and conclusions separately from where you discuss the literature itself.

Introduction:

• An introductory paragraph that explains what your working topic and thesis is
• A forecast of key topics or texts that will appear in the review
• Potentially, a description of how you found sources and how you analyzed them for inclusion and discussion in the review (more often found in published, standalone literature reviews than in lit review sections in an article or research paper)
• Summarize and synthesize: Give an overview of the main points of each source and combine them into a coherent whole
• Analyze and interpret: Don’t just paraphrase other researchers – add your own interpretations where possible, discussing the significance of findings in relation to the literature as a whole
• Critically Evaluate: Mention the strengths and weaknesses of your sources
• Write in well-structured paragraphs: Use transition words and topic sentence to draw connections, comparisons, and contrasts.

Conclusion:

• Summarize the key findings you have taken from the literature and emphasize their significance
• Connect it back to your primary research question

How should I organize my lit review?

Lit reviews can take many different organizational patterns depending on what you are trying to accomplish with the review. Here are some examples:

• Chronological : The simplest approach is to trace the development of the topic over time, which helps familiarize the audience with the topic (for instance if you are introducing something that is not commonly known in your field). If you choose this strategy, be careful to avoid simply listing and summarizing sources in order. Try to analyze the patterns, turning points, and key debates that have shaped the direction of the field. Give your interpretation of how and why certain developments occurred (as mentioned previously, this may not be appropriate in your discipline — check with a teacher or mentor if you’re unsure).
• Thematic : If you have found some recurring central themes that you will continue working with throughout your piece, you can organize your literature review into subsections that address different aspects of the topic. For example, if you are reviewing literature about women and religion, key themes can include the role of women in churches and the religious attitude towards women.
• Qualitative versus quantitative research
• Empirical versus theoretical scholarship
• Divide the research by sociological, historical, or cultural sources
• Theoretical : In many humanities articles, the literature review is the foundation for the theoretical framework. You can use it to discuss various theories, models, and definitions of key concepts. You can argue for the relevance of a specific theoretical approach or combine various theorical concepts to create a framework for your research.

What are some strategies or tips I can use while writing my lit review?

Any lit review is only as good as the research it discusses; make sure your sources are well-chosen and your research is thorough. Don’t be afraid to do more research if you discover a new thread as you’re writing. More info on the research process is available in our "Conducting Research" resources .

As you’re doing your research, create an annotated bibliography ( see our page on the this type of document ). Much of the information used in an annotated bibliography can be used also in a literature review, so you’ll be not only partially drafting your lit review as you research, but also developing your sense of the larger conversation going on among scholars, professionals, and any other stakeholders in your topic.

Usually you will need to synthesize research rather than just summarizing it. This means drawing connections between sources to create a picture of the scholarly conversation on a topic over time. Many student writers struggle to synthesize because they feel they don’t have anything to add to the scholars they are citing; here are some strategies to help you:

• It often helps to remember that the point of these kinds of syntheses is to show your readers how you understand your research, to help them read the rest of your paper.
• Writing teachers often say synthesis is like hosting a dinner party: imagine all your sources are together in a room, discussing your topic. What are they saying to each other?
• Look at the in-text citations in each paragraph. Are you citing just one source for each paragraph? This usually indicates summary only. When you have multiple sources cited in a paragraph, you are more likely to be synthesizing them (not always, but often
• Read more about synthesis here.

The most interesting literature reviews are often written as arguments (again, as mentioned at the beginning of the page, this is discipline-specific and doesn’t work for all situations). Often, the literature review is where you can establish your research as filling a particular gap or as relevant in a particular way. You have some chance to do this in your introduction in an article, but the literature review section gives a more extended opportunity to establish the conversation in the way you would like your readers to see it. You can choose the intellectual lineage you would like to be part of and whose definitions matter most to your thinking (mostly humanities-specific, but this goes for sciences as well). In addressing these points, you argue for your place in the conversation, which tends to make the lit review more compelling than a simple reporting of other sources.

Systematic Reviews in the Engineering Literature: A Scoping Review

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