How do I create a cohesive narrative in my literature review?

[Gregory56]

I'm finalizing my dissertation and keep hitting a wall with my literature review's structure. I've organized sources thematically, but my advisor says the narrative flow between sections feels disjointed and lacks a clear through-line, making it hard for a reader to follow the development of my argument. How do you create a cohesive narrative when synthesizing so many different voices and studies?

[EricLG]

I found it helped to decide on a single through-line and then let every section bend toward it. I started with a one-sentence version of the argument and wrote the intro of each section to echo that sentence, then used a short bridge sentence at the end to hint at the next part. It was ugly at first, but the recurring phrase kept readers tethered even as the sources argued in different directions.

[PaisleyVH]

In practice I kept a running file of transition lines that connect ideas from one group of studies to the next. When I finished a section, I wrote a two-liner that says what that block did for the bigger goal, then used that line to lead into the next block. It slows things down, but the reader doesn’t get yanked around by unrelated points.

[Mark.H]

Sometimes the problem feels like a mismatch of voices, so I let some editorial tension stay instead of ironing it out. I ask myself which claim is most controversial and make that the thread that threads the sections, while still acknowledging the others.

[SavannahDM]

Would it help to map a rough narrative spine on a whiteboard and test if readers can state the main argument after each section?