Building a Literature Review Across Disciplines

One of the most underestimated parts of doctoral research is synthesis.

Emotion-aware garments sit at the intersection of textile innovation, wearable computing, stress physiology, sustainability, and design ethics. Each of these fields speaks its own language.

Engineering literature focuses on signal accuracy, hardware performance, system validation.
Psychological literature explores emotional regulation, stress biomarkers, behavioural intervention.
Design research asks questions about user experience, embodiment, and meaning.
Sustainability scholarship interrogates lifecycle, waste, repairability, and long-term impact.

The challenge is not simply collecting sources. It is building bridges between them.

Where do these conversations overlap?
Where do they ignore each other?
What assumptions does each discipline make?

For example, many wearable technology studies emphasise data collection. Fewer explore long-term behavioural integration. Even fewer address aesthetic identity and emotional comfort as design variables.

That gap is where this research begins to situate itself.

The literature review is not just background reading. It is terrain mapping. It reveals where innovation might be possible - and where caution is necessary.