Is an RRL the same as a literature review?

Yes, in purpose. Both survey and synthesize earlier work on a topic to show what is known and what is missing. RRL is the term used in Philippine schools, and the Philippine format often requires subsections that an international literature review does not, such as related literature versus related studies and foreign versus local.

RRS stands for review of related studies. It covers earlier research investigations that have their own research problem, method, data and findings: published research articles, theses and dissertations. It is normally the second half of Chapter 2, after the review of related literature.

Is a journal article related literature or a related study?

It depends on what the article is. An article that reports original research with a method and results is a related study. An article that discusses concepts, reviews a theory or gives commentary without collecting data is related literature. Classify by content, not by where it was published.

Is a study by a Filipino author published abroad local or foreign?

Ask your adviser, because the manuals we reviewed do not settle it. The Emilio Aguinaldo College manual describes research literature as studies 'conducted from foreign and local settings', which points to classifying by where the study was conducted: research on Philippine participants or settings is local even if an international journal published it. A teacher may classify by place of publication instead. Whichever rule you use, apply it consistently through the chapter.

Where does a systematic review or meta-analysis go?

The manuals we reviewed do not say, so ask your adviser. The case for related studies is that a systematic review has a stated method and findings. The case for related literature is that it collects no new data. Either way it is useful, since it summarizes many studies at once.

Do I need both RRL and RRS in my paper?

If your school's format lists both, yes. Some manuals use one combined chapter organized by theme, and in that case you include both kinds of source without separating them under different headings.

RRL vs Literature Review vs RRS: What Is the Difference?

Three terms cause most of the confusion around Chapter 2: RRL, RRS and literature review. They overlap, and teachers do not always use them the same way. Here is how they relate.

Quick comparison

	Literature review	RRL	RRS
Full name	Literature review	Review of related literature	Review of related studies
Where the term is used	Internationally	Philippines	Philippines
What it covers	All earlier scholarly work on the topic	Strictly, conceptual and published material. Loosely, all of Chapter 2	Earlier research with its own method and findings
Typical sources	Any scholarly source	Books, theory and concept articles, government reports, laws	Journal research articles, theses, dissertations
Usual organization	By theme, method or chronology	Foreign and local, or by theme	Foreign and local, or by theme
Ends with	Summary of gaps	Synthesis, often shared with the RRS	Synthesis

"RRL" has two meanings

Students use RRL in two ways, and both are normal:

The whole of Chapter 2. "I'm done with my RRL" usually means the entire chapter, including related studies and the synthesis.
The literature half only. Inside the chapter, "Review of Related Literature" is the heading for conceptual sources, separate from "Review of Related Studies".

When your teacher gives feedback on "your RRL", check which one they mean.

Related literature vs related studies

The manuals cited below name the categories but do not define the boundary between them. A workable test is to ask whether the source collected or analyzed data to answer its own research question. The table applies that test. Treat it as a working rule and confirm borderline cases with your adviser.

Source	Classification	Why
Textbook chapter on motivation theory	Related literature	Explains concepts, no new data
Republic Act or DepEd order	Related literature	Legal or policy basis
WHO or PSA statistical report	Related literature	Reports figures but is not a research study with a hypothesis
Journal article reporting a survey of 300 students	Related study	Has method, sample and findings
Unpublished master's thesis from your own school	Related study	Has method, sample and findings
Systematic review or meta-analysis	Related study under this test	Has a stated method and results. Confirm with your adviser
Opinion column or editorial	Related literature, if used at all	No method. Use sparingly
News article	Background only	Better placed in Chapter 1 than in Chapter 2

Foreign vs local

Some Philippine formats, such as the one in the Emilio Aguinaldo College manual, divide both halves again into foreign and local. The manual speaks of studies "conducted from foreign and local settings", so the examples below classify by where the study was conducted. Your adviser may apply a different rule.

Filipino author, international journal, Philippine participants. Local under this rule, because the study was conducted in the Philippines.
Foreign author, study conducted in the Philippines. Local, for the same reason.
Filipino author studying overseas Filipino workers in another country. Ask your adviser. Arguments exist for both.
Book by a foreign author, reprinted by a Philippine publisher. Foreign under this rule. The content did not originate locally.

The split exists so that your panel can see whether the problem has been studied in the Philippine context. If it has not, that is a legitimate gap, and you should say so in the synthesis.

How an international literature review differs

If you later write for a journal, expect these differences:

There is usually no literature versus studies split. Sources are grouped by theme, debate or method.
There is usually no foreign versus local split. Geography is mentioned where it affects the findings.
In a journal article the review is normally part of the introduction, not a separate chapter.
The review is expected to evaluate methods as well as describe findings.

Some Philippine institutions already work this way. PUP's thesis manual requires a thematic Chapter 2 titled Review of Literature and Studies, and the UP Diliman College of Science manual lists a single Review of Literature section. If your school allows a thematic chapter, our guide on how to start a literature review applies directly.

The same sources, arranged two ways

Take the four real studies used in our RRL writing guide on bedtime device use and adolescent sleep, plus whatever conceptual sources you have found (shown in square brackets, because they depend on your own search).

Philippine Pattern A:

Foreign Literature: [a textbook chapter on sleep physiology]
Local Literature: [a Philippine policy document or textbook relevant to the topic]
Foreign Studies: Carter et al. (2016), Hysing et al. (2015), Chang et al. (2015)
Local Studies: Buctot et al. (2020)
Synthesis

Thematic:

How screen light affects sleep: [the textbook chapter], Chang et al. (2015)
Evidence of the association in young people: Carter et al. (2016), Hysing et al. (2015)
Smartphone use among Filipino adolescents: Buctot et al. (2020), [the policy document]
Synthesis

The sources and the conclusions are identical. Only the headings change. If you build a source matrix with a column for type, origin and theme, you can produce either arrangement from the same notes.

References

Polytechnic University of the Philippines. (2017). University thesis and dissertation manual. ISBN 978-971-95208-8-7. https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/pupuniversitythesisanddissertationmanualwithisbnasof080717pdf/251450946
Emilio Aguinaldo College, Research and Development Office. (n.d.). Manual on thesis writing (A.Y. 2017–2018 edition). https://eac.edu.ph/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/EACC-RDO-Manual_on-Thesis-Writing.pdf
University of the Philippines Diliman, College of Science. (2021). Style and format manual for thesis and dissertations (Rev. ed.). https://science.upd.edu.ph/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/revised_Style-and-Format-Manual_Revised-September-2021.pdf

Studies used in the example (full references are in the RRL writing guide):

Buctot, D. B., Kim, N., & Kim, J. J. (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.104758
Carter, B., Rees, P., Hale, L., Bhattacharjee, D., & Paradkar, M. S. (2016). https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2016.2341
Chang, A.-M., Aeschbach, D., Duffy, J. F., & Czeisler, C. A. (2015). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1418490112
Hysing, M., Pallesen, S., Stormark, K. M., Jakobsen, R., Lundervold, A. J., & Sivertsen, B. (2015). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2014-006748

In Wonders you save papers from search and group them in the Organize view, so sorting sources into literature and studies, foreign and local, or themes is a matter of dragging cards. See how to find sources for your RRL.