Guest Lecture: “How to Write a Literature Review: Analysis, Tools, and Lifehacks”

On February 3, 2025, the Faculty of Philosophy and Political Science of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University hosted a guest lecture as part of an open “Writing” research club session for master’s and doctoral students. The event focused on methodology for preparing a high-quality literature review, a key stage in academic writing and scientific inquiry.

The guest speaker was Aisulu Tursynbaikyzy Moldabekova — Ph.D., Head of the Zerteu LAB at the Institute of Economics of the Committee for Science of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and member of the Presidium of the Council of Young Scientists of the National Academy of Sciences under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

In her lecture, Dr. Moldabekova presented a step-by-step guide for writing an effective literature review, including:

• Strategies for searching and selecting relevant literature;
• Methods for critical analysis of sources;
• Structuring the review according to research objectives;
• Use of digital tools and platforms (Google Scholar, Mendeley, Scopus, ResearchRabbit, etc.);
• And various practical lifehacks for organizing, visualizing, and synthesizing academic materials.

Special emphasis was placed on academic integrity, correct citation practices, and avoiding plagiarism, in line with international scholarly standards. The speaker highlighted that a literature review is not just a formal requirement, but an intellectual framework that shapes the direction of the study.

The topic of the lecture was also discussed in the context of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 – Quality Education:

• Developing core academic competencies among early-career researchers;
• Enhancing research culture and critical thinking skills;
• Integrating digital technologies into academic and research processes.

The lecture included real-life research examples and an interactive discussion with participants. It addressed common mistakes, argument construction, and how to identify research gaps in detail.

Organized by: Shedenova N.U., Akmadi M.A,