RRL Example: Review of Related Literature Samples

A review of related literature example (RRL example) is a sample Chapter 2 passage that shows how to review related literature: studies grouped by theme, local and foreign findings compared, every source cited in APA 7, and a synthesis that names the gap. Below are four complete samples built only from real studies you can check.

Many RRL samples shared online cite studies that cannot be traced to a real paper. Every study in this guide has a working DOI or journal link, and each sample shows a different research type: quantitative, qualitative, a senior high school topic and a STEM topic. You will also find an RRL introduction, a synthesis, an RRL matrix and an RRL and RRS example, plus two published Philippine studies whose reviews are worth reading.

Key Takeaways

Five takeaways from the RRL examples: each paragraph covers one theme, cites two or more studies, mixes local and foreign sources, explains why studies disagree, and the review ends with a synthesis that names the gap

Pick the sample that matches your design: Example 1 for a quantitative survey, Example 2 for a qualitative study, Example 3 for a Practical Research 2 paper and Example 4 for a STEM experiment. All four follow the same pattern.

Each paragraph covers one theme or variable, not one author.
Each paragraph cites two or more studies and compares them.
Local and foreign studies sit side by side, so the reader sees how the Philippine evidence fits the wider picture.
When studies disagree, the paragraph says why: sample, setting, method or measure.
The review ends with a synthesis that names the gap the study fills. Never copy a citation from a sample without opening the source.

What a Good RRL Example in Research Looks Like

Anatomy of an RRL paragraph: a claim in the writer's own words, a local study, a foreign study that agrees, a study that disagrees with the reason, a short critique, and a final sentence that connects to the present study

A strong review of related literature reads as an argument, not a list. Purdue OWL's test is simple: if you cite just one source per paragraph, that "usually indicates summary only" [1]. The samples below use the 5 Cs of a literature review in every paragraph: cite, compare, contrast, critique and connect [2].

They are organized thematically, which USC Libraries notes is the most common approach in the social sciences [3]. Each sample is shorter than a real Chapter 2. A full review would have more sources per theme, more themes, and the framework after the synthesis. For the method behind the samples, read the guide on how to write an RRL step by step.

RRL Example 1: Quantitative Research

Study: Social media use and academic performance of Grade 11 students
Design: Descriptive-correlational survey
Variables: Social media use (time, addiction, purpose) and academic performance

Chapter 2: Review of Related Literature and Studies

This chapter reviews local and foreign literature and studies on students' social media use and academic performance. It is organized into two themes: social media addiction and academic performance, and the purpose of social media use. It ends with a synthesis that identifies the gap addressed by the present study.

Social Media Addiction and Academic Performance

Studies across several countries link problematic social media and smartphone use to weaker academic performance. In a survey of 3,374 high school students from 11 Philippine schools, smartphone addiction was a significant predictor of low and average perceived academic performance (Buctot et al., 2021). Similar patterns appear abroad. Among college students in China, social media addiction was negatively associated with both mental health and academic performance (Hou et al., 2019), and a cross-sectional study of 403 Ethiopian university students found that most were addicted to Facebook and that the addiction was negatively affecting their academic performance (Dule et al., 2023). These studies measured addiction, not ordinary use, and relied on self-report, so they show that heavy, compulsive use is a risk rather than that social media itself lowers grades.

Purpose of Social Media Use

Other studies find no harm, or even a benefit. In a local study at the University of Southern Mindanao, exposure to social networking media positively affected students' academic performance (Kulidtod & Pasagui, 2017). A meta-analysis of 59 independent samples suggests why results differ: the overall relationship between social networking and achievement was small and negative, using social networking for academic purposes was linked to slightly better grades, and using it while studying, as multitasking, to slightly worse ones (Marker et al., 2018). Together these findings suggest that purpose of use may explain why studies of "social media use" reach opposite conclusions.

Synthesis

The reviewed literature agrees that addiction and social media use while studying are linked to lower academic performance, while academic use is neutral or slightly helpful. The evidence is mixed mainly because studies measure different things: addiction (Buctot et al., 2021; Dule et al., 2023; Hou et al., 2019), exposure (Kulidtod & Pasagui, 2017), or several types of use (Marker et al., 2018). Few of the local studies reviewed separate academic from non-academic use among senior high school students. The present study addresses this gap by measuring both the time Grade 11 students spend on social media and their purpose of use, and relating each to their general weighted average.

References for this sample

Buctot, D. B., Kim, N., & Kim, S.-H. (2021). Personal profiles, family environment, patterns of smartphone use, nomophobia, and smartphone addiction across low, average, and high perceived academic performance levels among high school students in the Philippines. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(10), 5219. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18105219
Dule, A., Abdu, Z., Hajure, M., Mohammedhussein, M., Girma, M., Gezimu, W., & Duguma, A. (2023). Facebook addiction and affected academic performance among Ethiopian university students: A cross-sectional study. PLOS ONE, 18(2), e0280306. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0280306
Hou, Y., Xiong, D., Jiang, T., Song, L., & Wang, Q. (2019). Social media addiction: Its impact, mediation, and intervention. Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace, 13(1), Article 4. https://doi.org/10.5817/CP2019-1-4
Kulidtod, R. C., & Pasagui, N. S. (2017). Effects of social networking media to the academic performance of the students. In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Educational Management and Administration (CoEMA 2017) (pp. 59-64). Atlantis Press. https://doi.org/10.2991/coema-17.2017.11
Marker, C., Gnambs, T., & Appel, M. (2018). Active on Facebook and failing at school? Meta-analytic findings on the relationship between online social networking activities and academic achievement. Educational Psychology Review, 30(3), 651-677. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-017-9430-6

Notice what the synthesis does. It does not repeat each study. It explains the pattern across them and turns the disagreement into the reason for the new study. If your own topic is still taking shape, the guide on how to write a research problem statement helps you frame the gap before you write.

RRL Example 2: Qualitative Research

Study: Lived experiences of Grade 12 students in printed modular distance learning
Design: Phenomenology, interviews
Themes: Barriers to learning at home, acceptance of remote learning, coping

A qualitative RRL reviews what earlier studies found about the experience you plan to explore. It still needs comparison and a gap, but the themes come from earlier participants' accounts rather than from variables.

Barriers to Learning at Home

Philippine studies on remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic describe similar barriers at every level. University students reported unstable internet connectivity, inadequate learning resources, electric power interruptions and mental health struggles (Rotas & Cahapay, 2020). College students at a state university in Quirino described vague module content, poor internet connectivity and financial problems (Soriano et al., 2023), and parents of learners struggled with the use and availability of technology, unsatisfactory learning outcomes and financial difficulties during lockdown (Agaton & Cueto, 2021). Owning a device did not guarantee readiness. In a national survey of 3,670 medical students, 93% owned a smartphone and 83% a laptop or desktop computer, yet only 41% considered themselves physically and mentally capable of engaging in online learning (Baticulon et al., 2021).

Acceptance of Remote Learning

Foreign studies show that acceptance depends on the setting. Medical students in Saudi Arabia who moved to synchronized online classes accepted them well, and all participants agreed that the sessions saved time (Khalil et al., 2020). College students in the United States, by contrast, preferred face-to-face learning, and their engagement depended on attitude, motivation, self-efficacy and use of technology (Aguilera-Hermida, 2020). The contrast with the Philippine studies suggests that infrastructure and support, more than the mode of learning, shape how students experience remote classes.

Coping With Remote Learning

Students also developed ways to cope. Learners in the Quirino study described managing their time wisely and seeking help from others (Soriano et al., 2023). Of the studies reviewed, however, only this one examined coping in depth, so less is known about how students managed than about what made remote learning hard.

Synthesis

The studies agree that connectivity, resources and money were the main barriers to remote learning in the Philippines, and that the emotional cost was real. Foreign evidence shows that the same mode can be accepted when infrastructure is strong. However, the Philippine studies reviewed here sampled college students, medical students or parents, and only one examined how learners coped. The experiences of senior high school students who relied on printed modules, often without internet access, are less documented. The present study explores these experiences among Grade 12 students in a public school.

References for this sample

Agaton, C. B., & Cueto, L. J. (2021). Learning at home: Parents' lived experiences on distance learning during COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines. International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education, 10(3), 901-911. https://doi.org/10.11591/ijere.v10i3.21136
Aguilera-Hermida, A. P. (2020). College students' use and acceptance of emergency online learning due to COVID-19. International Journal of Educational Research Open, 1, 100011. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedro.2020.100011
Baticulon, R. E., Sy, J. J., Alberto, N. R. I., Baron, M. B. C., Mabulay, R. E. C., Rizada, L. G. T., Tiu, C. J. S., Clarion, C. A., & Reyes, J. C. B. (2021). Barriers to online learning in the time of COVID-19: A national survey of medical students in the Philippines. Medical Science Educator, 31(2), 615-626. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40670-021-01231-z
Khalil, R., Mansour, A. E., Fadda, W. A., Almisnid, K., Aldamegh, M., Al-Nafeesah, A., Alkhalifah, A., & Al-Wutayd, O. (2020). The sudden transition to synchronized online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia: A qualitative study exploring medical students' perspectives. BMC Medical Education, 20, 285. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-020-02208-z
Rotas, E. E., & Cahapay, M. B. (2020). Difficulties in remote learning: Voices of Philippine university students in the wake of COVID-19 crisis. Asian Journal of Distance Education, 15(2), 147-158. https://www.asianjde.com/ojs/index.php/AsianJDE/article/view/504
Soriano, R. M., Catabay, M. Q., & Quijano, M. G. (2023). In a road of trying times: Unraveling the lived experiences of students in the new normal. International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education, 12(2), 675-683. https://doi.org/10.11591/ijere.v12i2.23027

A qualitative RRL often ends with the experience that has not been heard yet, as this one does. The guide to qualitative and quantitative methods explains how the gap shapes the design.

RRL Example 3: Senior High School Research

Study: Academic stress, sources of stress and coping among Grade 11 students
Design: Descriptive-correlational survey
Variables: Level of academic stress, sources of stress, coping self-efficacy

This sample suits a Practical Research 2 paper. Its first theme also shows how to handle studies that report very different numbers.

Prevalence of Stress and Anxiety Among Students

Stress is common among Filipino students, though estimates vary widely. Among 273 medical students at the University of the Philippines, the prevalence of stress was 79.71% and of poor sleep quality 59.73%, and the two were positively correlated (Ballebas et al., 2024). In a study of 187 senior high school students in Metro Manila, three in five were at significant risk of depression and four in five at significant risk of anxiety, but only one in four was at risk of significant stress (Serrano et al., 2023). Abroad, 71% of 195 college students in the United States reported increased stress and anxiety due to COVID-19 (Son et al., 2020), while among 7,143 students at a medical college in China, 0.9% had severe, 2.7% moderate and 21.3% mild anxiety (Cao et al., 2020). The differences partly reflect the instruments and populations used, so prevalence figures should be compared with care.

Sources of Academic Stress

Students' own expectations, workload and family expectations recur as sources of stress. Among 446 senior high school students in distance learning, self-expectation and workload were the primary sources of academic stress (Regalado, 2024). Social work students at a Philippine state university reported moderate academic stress, driven mainly by examinations, parental expectations, poor time management and instructor-related demands (Travero et al., 2025). Both studies are Philippine, so a full review would add foreign evidence on the same question.

Effects of Stress and Protective Factors

Stress matters because of its effects. A review of research on secondary and higher education students concluded that academic-related stress can reduce academic achievement (Pascoe et al., 2020). Stress was also negatively correlated with coping self-efficacy among senior high school students (Regalado, 2024), while higher social support from the family was associated with lower depression, anxiety and stress scores (Serrano et al., 2023).

Synthesis

The literature agrees that academic stress is common, that self-expectation, workload and family expectations are its main sources, and that family support and coping self-efficacy may protect students. Most of the local evidence, however, was collected during the pandemic or among college and medical students. The present study measures academic stress, its sources and coping self-efficacy among Grade 11 students now that face-to-face classes have resumed.

References for this sample

Ballebas, T. M., Maraon, J. Q., Janer, C. O., Irisari, P. S., Alucilja, L. K. B., Ko, L. A. T., Minalang, K. G., De Leon, A. S., Castillo, F. R. G., Octavo, E. M., Bacolongan, A. O., Roa, C. C., Jr., & Sison, E. O. D. (2024). Cross-sectional study on the correlation of stress and sleep quality of Learning Unit III (1st year) to VII (5th year) medical students from the University of the Philippines College of Medicine. Acta Medica Philippina, 58(14), 41-49. https://doi.org/10.47895/amp.vi0.6574
Cao, W., Fang, Z., Hou, G., Han, M., Xu, X., Dong, J., & Zheng, J. (2020). The psychological impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on college students in China. Psychiatry Research, 287, 112934. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.112934
Pascoe, M. C., Hetrick, S. E., & Parker, A. G. (2020). The impact of stress on students in secondary school and higher education. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 25(1), 104-112. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2019.1596823
Regalado, R. A. (2024). Academic stress and coping self-efficacy of senior high school students attending distance learning during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Malaysian Journal of Learning and Instruction, 21(1), 39-66. https://doi.org/10.32890/mjli2024.21.1.2
Serrano, I. M. A., Cuyugan, A. M. N., Cruz, K., Mahusay, J. M. A., & Alibudbud, R. (2023). Sociodemographic characteristics, social support, and family history as factors of depression, anxiety, and stress among young adult senior high school students in metro Manila, Philippines, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 14, 1225035. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1225035
Son, C., Hegde, S., Smith, A., Wang, X., & Sasangohar, F. (2020). Effects of COVID-19 on college students' mental health in the United States: Interview survey study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 22(9), e21279. https://doi.org/10.2196/21279
Travero, A. S., Moner, J. P., & Labastida, M. J. (2025). Academic stress and coping behaviors among social work students in a Philippine state university. Asia Pacific Journal of Social and Behavioral Sciences, 23, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.57200/apjsbs.v23i0.455

RRL Example 4: STEM Research

Study: Effect of a mobile learning app on the mathematics achievement of Grade 10 students
Design: Quasi-experimental, pretest and posttest
Variables: Use of a mobile learning app (independent) and mathematics achievement (dependent)

Digital Tools in Mathematics and Science Learning

Large syntheses of foreign research support the use of digital tools in teaching. A meta-analysis of 110 experimental and quasi-experimental studies found a moderate mean effect size of 0.523 for mobile devices in education (Sung et al., 2016). A later meta-analysis of 92 studies in secondary mathematics and science found a positive effect on learning outcomes (g = 0.65), with effects that tended to be larger when digital tools supplemented rather than replaced other instruction, and that were significantly larger when teachers had been trained to use them (Hillmayr et al., 2020).

Mobile Tools in Philippine Mathematics Learning

Local studies point the same way. In a public high school in Cebu City, 80 Grade 8 students learning linear equations improved in both the control and experimental groups, and the authors concluded that the mobile application helped enhance achievement (Etcuban & Pantinople, 2018). Among 58 Grade 9 students in Nueva Vizcaya, the group taught with mobile educational applications outperformed the control group in a mathematics achievement test (Canilao & Gurat, 2023). During modular distance learning, lectures and video lessons sent through Facebook Messenger helped students understand mathematical concepts and procedures (Insorio & Insorio, 2023).

Synthesis

Foreign meta-analyses and local studies agree that mobile and digital tools can improve mathematics achievement, especially as a supplement to teaching. The local evidence is thinner: the two experiments each involved a single school and fewer than 100 students, and in one, both groups improved, so the effect of the app itself is hard to isolate. The present study uses a pretest and posttest design with a control group in two schools and reports an effect size, so that its results can be compared with the foreign meta-analyses.

References for this sample

Canilao, C. M., & Gurat, M. G. (2023). Comparing mathematics achievement: Control vs. experimental groups in the context of mobile educational applications. American Journal of Educational Research, 11(6), 348-358. https://doi.org/10.12691/education-11-6-2
Etcuban, J. O., & Pantinople, L. D. (2018). The effects of mobile application in teaching high school mathematics. International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education, 13(3), 249-259. https://doi.org/10.12973/iejme/3906
Hillmayr, D., Ziernwald, L., Reinhold, F., Hofer, S. I., & Reiss, K. M. (2020). The potential of digital tools to enhance mathematics and science learning in secondary schools: A context-specific meta-analysis. Computers & Education, 153, 103897. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2020.103897
Insorio, A. O., & Insorio, J. E. (2023). Messenger lectures and video lessons as mathematics interventions for modular distance learning. International Journal of Professional Development, Learners and Learning, 5(1), ep2306. https://doi.org/10.30935/ijpdll/13008
Sung, Y.-T., Chang, K.-E., & Liu, T.-C. (2016). The effects of integrating mobile devices with teaching and learning on students' learning performance: A meta-analysis and research synthesis. Computers & Education, 94, 252-275. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2015.11.008

This synthesis turns a methodological weakness into the gap: small, single-school studies. The study's variables need clear definitions before data collection, which the guide to independent and dependent variables covers.

RRL Introduction Example

The introduction to Chapter 2 is short. It tells the reader what the chapter covers and how it is organized. Here is one for Example 3:

Keep it to one paragraph. Do not cite studies here unless your school asks you to, and do not repeat your statement of the problem.

RRL Synthesis Example

The synthesis is the paragraph advisers read most closely, because it shows whether you understood the literature. A useful pattern has four sentences: what the studies agree on, where they disagree and why, what is missing, and what your study does.

Here is the pattern applied to Example 2:

When you write your own, take the gap from your matrix, not from your hopes for the study. The guide on how to find research gaps in the literature shows how to check that a gap is real before you claim it.

RRL Matrix Example

Every sample above started as a matrix: one row per study, the same columns for every study. Here is the matrix behind Example 3. It is what made the comparison in the first theme possible.

RRL Matrix for Example 3: Study, Place, Design, Sample, Finding and Theme

Study	Local or foreign	Design	Sample	Key finding	Theme
Ballebas et al. (2024)	Local	Cross-sectional	273 medical students	Stress prevalence 79.71%, linked to poor sleep	Prevalence
Serrano et al. (2023)	Local	Cross-sectional	187 SHS students, Metro Manila	3 in 5 depression risk, 4 in 5 anxiety risk, 1 in 4 stress risk; family support protective	Prevalence, protective factors
Regalado (2024)	Local	Descriptive-correlational	446 SHS students	Self-expectation and workload main sources; stress negatively correlated with coping self-efficacy	Sources, effects
Travero et al. (2025)	Local	Mixed methods	266 social work students	Moderate stress from exams, parental expectations, time management	Sources
Son et al. (2020)	Foreign (US)	Interview survey	195 college students	71% reported increased stress and anxiety	Prevalence
Cao et al. (2020)	Foreign (China)	Survey	7,143 medical college students	24.9% had anxiety, mostly mild (21.3%)	Prevalence
Pascoe et al. (2020)	Foreign (Australia)	Review	Secondary and higher education	Academic stress can reduce achievement	Effects

Reading down the "Key finding" column shows the spread in prevalence at a glance, and the "Local or foreign" column shows that most local data come from the pandemic years. For larger reviews, the guide on building a literature review map turns a matrix like this into a visual outline.

RRL and RRS Example: Local and Foreign Sources

Many Philippine schools ask you to sort sources into related literature and related studies, and into local and foreign. Related literature discusses ideas, facts and principles, while related studies are investigations with their own data. Local sources come from the Philippines and foreign ones from other countries. Here is how sources from the samples would be sorted:

RRL and RRS Example: Where Each Source Belongs

	Local	Foreign
Related literature	Book chapters, DepEd orders or CHED memoranda on your topic (for example, policies on modular distance learning)	Reviews and theory papers, such as Pascoe et al. (2020) on the impact of stress on students
Related studies	Buctot et al. (2021), Regalado (2024), Rotas and Cahapay (2020), Canilao and Gurat (2023)	Hou et al. (2019), Khalil et al. (2020), Son et al. (2020), Sung et al. (2016)

If your school uses separate sections, you can still write each section by theme. Place the local studies on a theme next to each other, then the foreign ones, and compare them in the synthesis. To find more local sources, the guide on finding a review of related literature lists Philippine databases and repositories.

Published RRL Examples to Study

Samples teach the pattern. Published studies show it at full length. Two open-access articles by Filipino researchers have literature reviews worth reading closely:

Abad Santos et al. (2023) review the literature on internet use and mental health among Filipino university students under one section, "Literature review and conceptual framework", organized by variable. Two of its subsections end with hypotheses drawn from the evidence, and one, on bidimensional mental health, openly reviews mixed findings [4].
Serrano et al. (2023) show a short review for a senior high school sample. The introduction moves from mental health problems among students in the Philippines, to factors affecting student mental health, to the study's objectives, in about two pages [5].

Read them for structure, not for wording. The research question examples by discipline help you see how each review leads into the questions a study asks.

Common Mistakes When Using RRL Examples

Six mistakes when using RRL examples, with fixes: copying citations without checking them, copying sentences, one study per paragraph, only foreign or only local sources, a synthesis that summarizes again, and a gap that does not match the study

Copying citations without checking them. Some RRL samples shared online cite studies that cannot be traced to any journal. If you copy one, your reference list now contains a source that does not exist. Open every source before you cite it.

Copying sentences from a sample. Samples, including the ones here, show a pattern. Copying their sentences is plagiarism, and a similarity checker will flag it. Use the structure, then write about your own sources in your own words.

One study per paragraph. Advisers often return Chapter 2 for this. Each paragraph should compare at least two studies.

Only foreign or only local sources. Foreign studies alone do not show that the problem exists in your setting, and local studies alone do not show what is known elsewhere. Follow your school's required mix.

A synthesis that summarizes again. The synthesis should state the pattern across studies and the gap. If it lists studies one by one, rewrite it with the four-sentence pattern above.

A gap that does not match the study. If the synthesis says senior high school students are understudied but the study surveys college students, the panel will notice. Write the synthesis last, after your methods are set.

RRL Example Checklist

Before you hand in a Chapter 2 built from these samples, check:

[ ] Every source has been opened and its DOI or link works
[ ] Every sentence is my own, with quotes marked and paged
[ ] Each theme paragraph cites two or more studies and compares them
[ ] Local and foreign sources meet my school's required mix
[ ] Disagreements between studies are explained by sample, setting, method or measure
[ ] The synthesis states agreement, disagreement, the gap and my study
[ ] The gap matches my study's population, setting and design
[ ] Every in-text citation has a matching APA 7 entry in the reference list

Try It Yourself (2 Minutes)

Paperguide RRL Finder page with the Literature Review mode selected, a box to describe the topic or research question, a sources and filters menu, and sample questions to start from

Pick the sample closest to your topic and note its themes.
Enter your own research title in Paperguide's free RRL Finder and find two studies that fit one of those themes.
Write one sentence that compares the two studies, using the first theme paragraph of the sample as your model.

By the end you will have the opening sentence of your own RRL, built from sources you have checked.

Conclusion

A good RRL example does more than list studies. It groups them by theme, compares local and foreign findings, explains why studies disagree, and ends with a synthesis that leads to the study. The four samples here use only real, checkable sources, so you can see the pattern without inheriting a fabricated citation.

Use the samples for structure, then build your own review from your own matrix. Search for sources with the RRL Finder, and keep them in a Reference Manager so the APA 7 list stays accurate. For broader context, the explainer on what a literature review is explains the same method under its international name.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an example of an RRL?

An RRL example is a sample Chapter 2 passage that groups studies by theme, compares them, and ends with a synthesis. For instance, a review on social media and grades might compare a Philippine survey linking smartphone addiction to lower performance with a meta-analysis showing that academic use is slightly positive.

How do you write an RRL with citations?

Write each theme paragraph around a claim, then support it with two or more studies cited in APA 7, such as (Regalado, 2024) or Regalado (2024). Add a full reference list entry with a DOI for every source. Check that every in-text citation matches an entry.

What is a thematic RRL example?

A thematic RRL organizes sources by topic rather than by author or date. All four samples in this guide are thematic: Example 3 uses three themes, the prevalence of stress, its sources, and its effects and protective factors.

What is an example of local and foreign literature?

A local study is one conducted in the Philippines, such as Regalado (2024) on senior high school students' academic stress. A foreign study is one conducted elsewhere, such as Son et al. (2020) on college students in the United States. Most schools ask for both.

What is an RRL example in qualitative research?

A qualitative RRL reviews what earlier studies found about an experience, such as students' difficulties in remote learning. Example 2 above groups Philippine and foreign findings into barriers, acceptance and coping, then names an experience not yet studied.

How many studies should an RRL have?

There is no national rule. Your school or adviser sets the count, often with a required mix of local and foreign sources. Judge by coverage: each variable or theme should have enough studies to show agreement and disagreement.

Can I copy an RRL example?

You can copy the structure, not the sentences. Copying text is plagiarism, and copying citations without checking them risks citing sources that do not exist. Use samples to learn the pattern, then write about your own sources.

Where can I find RRL examples in PDF?

Open-access journals publish full studies with literature reviews you can download, such as the Frontiers articles by Abad Santos et al. (2023) and Serrano et al. (2023). University repositories and Philippine E-Journals also hold local theses and articles. Treat uploaded student papers with care, since their citations are often unchecked.

References

Purdue Online Writing Lab. (n.d.). Writing a literature review. Purdue University. https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/conducting_research/writing_a_literature_review.html (accessed 9 November 2026)
Texas Tech University Graduate Writing Center. (n.d.). 5 Cs to writing a literature review. https://www.depts.ttu.edu/provost/uwc/graduate/writing-resources/writing-a-literature-review.php (accessed 9 November 2026)
USC Libraries. (n.d.). Organizing your social sciences research paper: 5. The literature review. University of Southern California. https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/literaturereview (accessed 9 November 2026)
Abad Santos, P. M. T., Cleofas, J. V., Austria, A. G. O., de Guzman, A. K. B., & Sarile, B. A. F. (2023). The double-edged impact of Internet use on mental health outcomes among Filipino university students: The mediating role of online social support. Frontiers in Sociology, 8, 1132523. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2023.1132523
Serrano, I. M. A., Cuyugan, A. M. N., Cruz, K., Mahusay, J. M. A., & Alibudbud, R. (2023). Sociodemographic characteristics, social support, and family history as factors of depression, anxiety, and stress among young adult senior high school students in metro Manila, Philippines, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 14, 1225035. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1225035

The studies cited inside each sample are listed under that sample.

RRL Example: Review of Related Literature Samples

Key Takeaways

What a Good RRL Example in Research Looks Like

RRL Example 1: Quantitative Research

RRL Example 2: Qualitative Research

RRL Example 3: Senior High School Research

RRL Example 4: STEM Research

RRL Introduction Example

RRL Synthesis Example

RRL Matrix Example

RRL Matrix for Example 3: Study, Place, Design, Sample, Finding and Theme

RRL and RRS Example: Local and Foreign Sources

RRL and RRS Example: Where Each Source Belongs

Published RRL Examples to Study

Common Mistakes When Using RRL Examples

RRL Example Checklist

Try It Yourself (2 Minutes)

Conclusion

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an example of an RRL?

How do you write an RRL with citations?

What is a thematic RRL example?

What is an example of local and foreign literature?

What is an RRL example in qualitative research?

How many studies should an RRL have?

Can I copy an RRL example?

Where can I find RRL examples in PDF?

References

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