No matter what type of literature review method you choose, it is a good idea to work in a systematic way. Most review projects include these three stages: planning, conducting, and reporting. Depending on your method, each phase may demand more or less of your time and effort.

Literature review projects are resource intense. They usually take a long time (at least half a year) and involve contributions from several researchers. The better you plan your review project, the more likely you are to save yourself time later on and get your results published.