Input
Source cards
Add titles, methods, samples, findings, contribution direction, evidence strength, page or quote notes, limitations, and citation notes from papers you have actually read.
Updated 2026-09-08
Literature Review Matrix Template
Compare the papers you have read in one synthesis matrix. Keep methods, samples, key findings, themes, evidence notes, limitations, and citations together before you write your review.
Free, blank, and ready to edit. No account or source entry required. Open the Excel file in Excel or import it into Google Sheets; CSV contains the same 11 column headings.
Output
Synthesis matrix
Group sources by theme, compare how each paper contributes, keep evidence notes attached, copy an outline, and export the matrix as CSV.
Worked example
See how evidence becomes themes
Follow three real papers about active learning in undergraduate STEM, with DOI links, evidence locations, and a synthesis outline.
Explore the completed literature review matrixFrom reading to synthesis
How to fill out a literature review matrix
- Set a question. Define the population, topic, and outcome your review will compare. A focused question makes theme labels more useful.
- Record the study. Enter its title, year, method, and sample. Keep the DOI or library reference beside your notes.
- Separate findings from interpretation. Paraphrase the result, then record the page, table, or section where it appears. Use the limitation field for the boundary of the evidence.
- Compare across rows. Give related sources a shared theme. Mark whether a source supports, complicates, contradicts, or supplies background for that theme. Evidence strength is your appraisal, not an automatic score.
- Plan the review. Organize sections around themes and disagreements, then check each proposed claim against the original sources. The outline builder groups your saved browser matrix into a writing scaffold.
A matrix organizes reading; it does not establish study quality or replace a systematic review protocol. See our ethical-use guidance.
Where it fits
Use It With Your Research Stack
Zotero, Paperpile, Mendeley
Citation managers
Keep PDFs, bibliographies, and formatted citations there; use this matrix to compare methods, findings, limitations, and themes before writing.
Elicit, ResearchRabbit, Litmaps, Connected Papers
Paper discovery tools
Use discovery tools to find candidate papers and extraction clues; bring only read sources into the matrix with citation, page, or quote notes.
Docs, notes, outlining apps
Writing tools
Export a cautious outline or CSV after the evidence table is complete, then write the final review in your own document.
Matrix questions
Literature review matrix FAQ
What is a literature review matrix?
A literature review matrix is a table for comparing sources across consistent fields such as method, sample, finding, theme, evidence strength, limitation, and citation. It is also commonly called a synthesis matrix.
Can I use this as a blank literature review matrix template?
Yes. Download the blank Excel or CSV template directly, without entering any sources. The Excel file has editable rows and a field guide. You can also start a blank matrix in the online generator.
Is a citation matrix the same as a synthesis matrix?
The terms overlap, but a citation or reference matrix may only track bibliographic details. A synthesis matrix also compares what each source found, how it was studied, where sources agree, and where evidence is limited or contradictory.