Literature Review

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

• Conducting a systematic literature review for research or publication
• Synthesizing current knowledge on a specific topic across multiple sources
• Performing meta-analysis or scoping reviews
• Writing the literature review section of a research paper or thesis
• Investigating the state of the art in a research domain
• Identifying research gaps and future directions
• Requiring verified citations and professional formatting

Visual Enhancement with Scientific Schematics

⚠️ MANDATORY: Every literature review MUST include at least 1-2 AI-generated figures using the scientific-schematics skill.

This is not optional. Literature reviews without visual elements are incomplete. Before finalizing any document:

1. Generate at minimum ONE schematic or diagram (e.g., PRISMA flow diagram for systematic reviews)
2. Prefer 2-3 figures for comprehensive reviews (search strategy flowchart, thematic synthesis diagram, conceptual framework)

How to generate figures:

• Use the scientific-schematics skill to generate AI-powered publication-quality diagrams
• Simply describe your desired diagram in natural language
• Nano Banana Pro will automatically generate, review, and refine the schematic

How to generate schematics:

The AI will automatically:

• Create publication-quality images with proper formatting
• Review and refine through multiple iterations
• Ensure accessibility (colorblind-friendly, high contrast)
• Save outputs in the figures/ directory

When to add schematics:

• PRISMA flow diagrams for systematic reviews
• Literature search strategy flowcharts
• Thematic synthesis diagrams
• Research gap visualization maps
• Citation network diagrams
• Conceptual framework illustrations
• Any complex concept that benefits from visualization

For detailed guidance on creating schematics, refer to the scientific-schematics skill documentation.

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Core Workflow

Literature reviews follow a structured, multi-phase workflow: