How to Build a Literature Map for Your Thesis with Litmaps

Writing a thesis means mastering the literature, and keeping track of hundreds of connected papers by hand is overwhelming. Litmaps gives you a visual map of any research topic, showing how papers cite each other and making it easy to build a complete, well-organized reference list.

Here is how to use Litmaps to build a literature map for your thesis from scratch, find gaps, and keep it updated as you write.

Starting a New Literature Map

• Create an account at Litmaps.
• Start a new map and add a seed paper you are certain belongs in your review.
• Launch a discovery search to pull in cited and citing works.

Expanding and Structuring Your Map

From your seed paper, Litmaps expands outward, drawing connections between papers. Group related works into collections—say, methods, theory, and case studies—so your map mirrors the structure of your thesis. The visual layout makes it obvious which papers anchor each section of your review.

Finding Gaps and Key Papers

• Look for the most-connected papers; they are often central to your field.
• Identify clusters you have not explored to spot coverage gaps.
• Use the citation score to find the highest-impact works.

Staying Current While Writing

Set citation alerts so you are notified whenever a new paper cites one of your key sources. As your thesis develops, add new papers to the map and let it grow with your understanding. When it is time to write, export your collections to build a reference list grounded in the visual map you created.

Build your map with Litmaps today. Start from one paper, explore the connections, and keep your whole literature review in one clear, visual place.