Current understandings suggest that three aspects of writing practice underpin the research student publication process: knowledge creation, text production and identity formation. Publishing a literature review is the first opportunity most students have to publish. This article compares the pedagogical benefits of different literature review methods. It discusses why narrative reviews are challenging for novices both in terms of process and outcomes (publications) whereas other types of reviews, such as meta-analyses, are the province of multi-skilled teams working intensively for extended periods. Case studies are used to highlight how a new systematic quantitative literature review method, developed for the social and natural sciences, is beneficial as students can more readily create knowledge, produce text, and so transition from novice to knowledgeable and publish rather than perish.