Key Takeaways: Your literature search forms the conceptual foundation of your argument. The most effective approach is to organize sources by topic or theoretical theme, synthesize the research (identifying connections, patterns, and contradictions), and conclude with a clearly defined research gap. This gap provides a logical transition into your empirical methodology or theoretical framework. Tools like our downloadable source evaluation template (included in this article) will help you systematically assess each study and plan how it supports your overarching argument, turning your reading into a coherent, argument-driven chapter.
Table of Contents
Introduction
The State of Research contextualizes existing scholarship and demonstrates how your own work fits into the current scientific discourse. Depending on the university, the State of Research may be treated before, after, or combined with the Theoretical Background. While the Theoretical Background explains the relevant terms, concepts, and theories underpinning your study, the State of Research critically evaluates prior empirical findings, highlights commonalities, contradictions, and research gaps, and thereby justifies the relevance of your research question. In a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctoral thesis, as well as in continuing education programs like CAS, DAS, MAS, or MBA degrees, a well-developed State of Research demonstrates academic maturity: it shows that you can critically evaluate sources, identify overarching patterns, synthesize findings, and build a persuasive, evidence-based argument.
At Delta Lektorat, we frequently review State of Research chapters that contain numerous citations yet still feel "weak." This usually happens because they fail to answer the core questions: What does existing research show, where do contradictions or research gaps exist, and why is your study necessary? This guide condenses our experience into a practical framework to help you develop a State of Research that is clearly structured, critically reflective, and fully aligned with rigorous academic standards.
Before you Write: Evaluate your Sources (with Delta Lektorat Template)
Before writing your State of Research (Forschungsstand), you should have already conducted a thorough literature search and evaluated your selected sources regarding their relevance, quality, and scientific contribution. It is important to emphasize that this process is distinct from a Systematic Literature Review as a standalone research methodology; rather, it focuses on selecting high-quality academic literature that directly addresses and contextualizes your research question. If your source selection lacks rigor, even a well-structured State of Research chapter will remain weak in content. Before incorporating a study into your State of Research chapter, you should evaluate it against the following analytical criteria:
- Analytical Focus: Which core research questions or problems do the selected sources address? How directly do they relate to your own research question?
- Conceptual & Terminological Framing: How are central terms and key concepts defined? Are the definitions consistent across studies, or do significant conceptual differences exist?
- Theoretical Baseline: Which theories, models, or theoretical frameworks underpin the sources? What commonalities or divergent theoretical perspectives emerge?
- Key Findings & Empirical Syntheses: What main results, empirical findings, or arguments are presented in the literature? Where do studies reach consensus, and where do findings contradict one another?
- Synthesis within the State of Research: What overall patterns, developments, or research gaps emerge from the literature as a whole?
- Methodological Limitations: What limitations do the authors acknowledge (e.g., sample size, specific study context, or methodological constraints)? How do these limitations affect the validity and generalizability of prior research?
To support your critical synthesis, we provide a downloadable Source Evaluation Table Template. Download it here. Filling out this matrix for each key source will help you rapidly identify thematic connections, map agreements and contradictions, and clarify how each study strengthens your overarching argument in the State of Research.
Writing the State of Research: Key Elements and Common Pitfalls
Before you begin writing your State of Research (Forschungsstand), keep this guiding question in mind: What does existing scholarship show regarding my topic, and which questions remain unanswered?
A well-founded State of Research typically encompasses the following core elements:
Scope and Fokus: Which specific topics, research questions, or subfields of prior research are included in your overview?
Thematic Structure: Organize your State of Research by themes, research streams, or theoretical debates, never author by author or study by study.
Critical Synthesis: Compare research findings, highlight commonalities, differences, and contradictions, and evaluate the weight of the evidence while taking methodology, sample sizes, and study limitations into account.
Current State of Knowledge: Demonstrate which findings are well-established, where conflicting results exist, and which questions remain open in the literature.
Research Gap & Justification: Derive a clear research gap logically from prior scholarship, explaining why addressing it is scientifically relevant.
Transition: Create a seamless logical transition to your Theoretical Background, your hypotheses or theory-driven assumptions, and/or your empirical methodology.
These elements ensure a clearly structured, critically reflective, and academically rigorous State of Research chapter.
Together, these points demonstrate the importance of clarity, coherence, and a strong theoretical focus.
Do’s: | Don’ts: | • Structure your State of Research thematically by research streams or theoretical debates.
• Compare studies directly to highlight commonalities, divergent perspectives, and contradictions. • Evaluate findings critically by taking methodology, research context, and limitations into account. • Clearly show what is well-established in the literature versus where scholarly disagreement exists. • Derive a concrete research gap and justify the specific academic value of your study. | • Summarize studies one after another (chronologically or author-by-author) without connecting them. • String together sources or citations without explaining their direct relevance to your research question. • Treat all published studies as having equal evidentiary weight or rigor. • Ignore or gloss over conflicting research results. • End your section with a vague cliché like "More research is needed" without defining a clear, specific research gap. |
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Beyond a clear structure, a well-founded State of Research chapter must critically synthesize existing scholarship, highlight commonalities and contradictions, evaluate the strength of the evidence, and derive a clear, logical research gap.
Building an Argument-Driven State of Research
Pro-Tip: Treat each subsection as a self-contained argument: start with a clear main assertion, support it with empirical or theoretical evidence, critically evaluate the findings, and close with a brief sub-synthesis. At the end of the chapter, use this collective synthesis to derive a clear research gap and create a seamless transition to your Theoretical Background and/or Methodology.
Section Opening Sentence (Core Claim): “Existing research on [topic] demonstrates that [key finding], particularly within the context of [specific context].”
Section Closing Sentence (Sub-Synthesis): “Overall, current findings suggest that [key conclusion]. However, scholarly consensus remains divided regarding [aspect], largely due to differing methodological approaches or study contexts.”
Bridging the Research Gap to Your Study (Chapter Conclusion): “While prior scholarship clearly establishes that [well-supported findings], the question of [specific research gap] remains unanswered. This study addresses this gap by investigating [focus of your thesis].”
The following checklist serves as a final reality check to ensure that your State of Research chapter is academically rigorous and persuasively structured.
State of Research Checklist
A Step-by-Step Guide with Example
A compelling State of Research (Forschungsstand) follows a clear scholarly argument. The overview below demonstrates how you can structure the core elements into three progressive steps:
| Step | Content Elements | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
|
Step 1: Define the scope & delimit the field Guiding question: Which aspects of existing research are directly relevant to my thesis? |
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Establish the analytical focus and provide clear orientation for the reader. |
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Step 2: Critically synthesize the research Guiding question: What patterns, commonalities, and contradictions emerge in the literature? |
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Bring individual studies together into a coherent, evidence-based academic argument. |
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Step 3: Derive the research gap & transition Guiding question: Which questions remain open, and what contribution does my study make? |
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Provide a clear scholarly justification for the relevance of your thesis. |
Below is a compact example illustrating how this 3-step process can be implemented in practice.
Step 1: Define Scope & Delimit the Research Field
This State of Research chapter provides an overview of existing scholarship regarding factors that influence university students' continued use of online learning platforms. It considers peer-reviewed studies published in higher education contexts between [Year] and [Year]. The review is structured into three thematic streams: (1) perceived usefulness and learning outcomes, (2) usability and user experience, and (3) social and motivational factors.
Step 2: Critically Synthesize the Research
Existing research consistently indicates that perceived usefulness is positively associated with a stronger behavioral intention to continue using online learning platforms, particularly when platforms are understood to improve learning efficiency or academic performance (Author X, Year; Author Y, Year). However, the strength of this relationship is not uniform across all studies. While Author A (Year) reports a strong positive effect, Author B (Year) finds only a weak or non-significant association once usability and social factors are taken into account. These discrepancies can be partially explained by methodological differences: studies reporting stronger effects frequently rely on self-reported learning outcomes, whereas investigations utilizing objective usage data yield more mixed results. Furthermore, several widely cited studies (Author C, Year; Author D, Year) rely on convenience samples drawn from single courses, thereby limiting the generalizability of their findings. Overall, the evidence suggests that perceived usefulness is an important driver of continued platform use, though its exact significance varies depending on research context and methodology.
Step 3: Derive Research Gap & Create Transition
While prior scholarship establishes that perceived usefulness is a central influencing factor for continued platform use, few studies have examined how its impact compares to social and motivational factors within the same empirical setting. This research gap justifies the academic relevance (Mehrwert) of the present thesis and provides the baseline for the subsequent development of our research question and methodology.
After writing your State of Research chapter, ask yourself: Could an external reader easily follow what is already established in this field, what open questions or controversies remain, and why your study contributes genuine academic value?
Using AI to Accelerate Your Writing
We wouldn’t want to skip AI in this context: AI tools can support you in thematically structuring literature, refining your prose, and maintaining consistent academic terminology. Below, you will find an instantly usable AI Mega-Prompt. However, a crucial caveat remains: AI merely provides an initial draft or general orientation. The critical evaluation of the literature, the synthesis of research findings, and the derivation of a well-founded research gap must be carried out by you.
Mega Prompt for a Strong State of Research
I am writing the State of Research (Forschungsstand) chapter for my [Bachelor’s thesis / Master’s thesis / Doctoral dissertation] in the field of [Academic Discipline]. Based on the information provided below, generate a scholarly State of Research chapter that critically evaluates and synthesizes existing literature. Structure the text by themes or research streams, not by individual authors, and adopt an objective, academic tone.
Requirements:
- Treat literature as an academic discourse: Highlight where studies reach consensus, contradict one another, or place different emphases.
- Compare and synthesize research findings: Avoid summarizing studies one by one.
- Critically evaluate the strength of evidence: Consider methodology, sample size, research context, and limitations.
- Clearly delineate patterns: Identify commonalities, divergent perspectives, research trends, and open questions.
- Formulate a clear research gap: Ensure it follows logically from prior scholarship.
- Maintain academic rigor: Write in a precise, scholarly style with smooth transitions between sections.
Required structure (please integrate):
- Scope and focus of the State of Research
- Thematic structure (organized by research streams or scholarly debates)
- Critical synthesis of existing scholarship
- Current state of research & key empirical findings
- Identified research gap and academic justification
- Logical transition to your own study leading into the Theoretical Background and/or empirical Methodology
My topic and sources:
[Insert your research topic, primary research question, and key sources along with a brief summary of their central findings here.]
AI should be used as a support tool, not a replacement for your own critical thinking. Always verify theoretical claims and references generated by AI tools, as citation errors are common.Several AI tools can support you on this journey. Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity all handle this prompt effectively, each with different strengths. Remember that the prompt gives you a starting point and some ideas to build on, but AI drafts are just drafts. Your task is to properly write and revise the content and make sure it truly reflects your argument.
When using AI for academic writing, strictly adhere to the guidelines set by your university, department, or academic journal. Check applicable policies regarding AI usage and disclosure in advance, as regulations vary across institutions (such as ZHAW, ETH, or HSG). If disclosure is required, transparently state the extent to which AI tools assisted your process. Ultimate scientific responsibility always remains with you: the critical evaluation of literature, analysis and interpretation of results, and all final conclusions must stem from your own thoroughly vetted judgment—never from unverified AI output.
Conclusion
A well-developed State of Research (Forschungsstand) does far more than summarize existing studies. It critically contextualizes prior scholarship, highlights commonalities, contradictions, and research gaps, and demonstrates the specific academic value your thesis contributes. By synthesizing research findings, critically evaluating the strength of the evidence, and identifying a clear research gap, you lay the baseline for a compelling theoretical framework and a sound methodology.
At the same time, this process sharpens your critical thinking, scientific reasoning, and academic writing—skills that will benefit you throughout your studies and professional career. Our step-by-step guides on writing a persuasive introduction, a theoretical framework, methodology chapter, a results chapter, a discussion chapter, and an effective conclusion , will help you bring your entire thesis together into a coherent whole. If you would like personalized feedback on your State of Research chapter or your complete manuscript, book a coaching session or submit your document here for professional academic editing and proofreading.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
There is no fixed length. Follow the specific guidelines provided by your university or institute. Prioritize a critical synthesis of key literature over simply citing as many sources as possible.
Not necessarily. The State of Research can be presented before or after the Theoretical Background, or combined into a single chapter. The ideal approach depends on your institute's guidelines. What matters most is maintaining the conceptual distinction: the State of Research critically evaluates and synthesizes existing empirical findings, while the Theoretical Background establishes the concepts, definitions, and theories underpinning your study.
Structure the chapter thematically rather than study-by-study or chronologically. Explain how the literature connects, highlight conflicting findings, and demonstrate why these insights directly relate to your research question.
AI tools can assist with structuring, brainstorming, and refining your prose. However, source verification, critical analysis, and intellectual synthesis must be your own work and must comply with your university’s specific guidelines on generative AI.
In the Theoretical Background, you define terms, establish key concepts, and lay out the theoretical framework/models that guide your study. In the State of Research, you analyze, compare, and critically evaluate prior empirical studies to demonstrate what is already known and identify the research gap.
Editors check whether the chapter follows a logical structure, critically evaluates existing literature instead of just summarizing it, and clearly articulates a compelling research gap. Delta Lektorat helps you refine your structure, academic tone, and scholarly argumentation to ensure your thesis meets rigorous university standards.
Disclosure: This article was prepared by human contributors. Generative AI tools were used to support brainstorming, language refinement, and structural editing. All final decisions regarding content, recommendations, and academic.
References.
Grant, M. J., & Booth, A. (2009). A typology of reviews: An analysis of 14 review types and associated methodologies. Health Information & Libraries Journal, 26(2), 91–108. 10.1111/j.1471-1842.2009.00848.x
Swales, J. M., & Feak, C. B. (2012). Academic writing for graduate students: Essential tasks and skills (3rd ed.). University of Michigan Press.
ZHAW Library. (n.d.). Writing a literature review. Zurich University of Applied Sciences. https://www.zhaw.ch/en/library/writing-publishing/writing-a-literature-review
Dea Elmasllari, MSc.
Dea is a senior researcher passionate about helping students navigate the world of academia. She explores the intersection of AI and scholarly work, offering insights on how technology can enhance writing, research, and learning. As the Head of Partnerships at Delta Lektorat, Dea leads collaborations with universities and student associations to promote excellence in academic writing and innovative approaches to thesis support. Her work focuses on bridging traditional academic rigour with emerging digital tools that empower students and scholars alike.
Dr. Meriton Ceka
Meriton is a scholarly author, lecturer, and researcher with many years of experience supporting academic writing. He assists students and researchers in producing structured, clear, and persuasive work. As the founder of Delta Lektorat, he collaborates closely with universities to promote academic excellence through professional feedback and methodological clarity.
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