Steps in Literature Review
Steps in Literature Review
Steps in Literature Review
1. Define your topic: Before diving into the literature, it's essential to have a clear
understanding of the topic you'll be exploring. Define the scope of your review and identify
key concepts or themes.
2. Conduct a comprehensive search: Once you have a clear topic in mind, it's time to start
searching for relevant literature. Use academic databases, journals, books, and other sources
to gather information on your topic.
3. Evaluate the sources: Not all sources are created equal. As you gather information, critically
evaluate each source to determine its credibility, relevance, and reliability. Look for peer-
reviewed articles and reputable sources to ensure the quality of your review.
4. Organize the literature: As you review the literature, organize your findings according to
themes, concepts, or chronological order. This will help you identify patterns, gaps, and
contradictions in the existing research.
5. Analyze and synthesize the literature: Once you've gathered and organized the literature, it's
time to analyze and synthesize the findings. Identify key arguments, theories, and
perspectives within the literature and discuss how they relate to your research question or
topic.
6. Write the review: With your analysis and synthesis complete, it's time to start writing your
literature review. Structure your review with an introduction, body paragraphs that discuss
key themes or findings, and a conclusion that summarizes the main points and highlights the
significance of your review.
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Define the research questions you intend to answer with the review. Demonstrates why a topic is
significant to a subject area. But, if you go about it systematically, you'll be able to save a ton of time
and build a solid foundation for your research. Describe Approaches: You have to describe the
methods or approaches you are going to adopt to prove your case. Why conduct a literature review,
stages of a literature review, lit reviews: an overview (video), check out these books. The
Significance of an Effective Literature Review A strong review plays a crucial role in research
papers, offering several key advantages: Serves Context and Relevance: It provides background and
context for your research, showing its importance within existing knowledge. The Lit Review should
include the most relevant related studies and demonstrate an understanding of both key past research
and practices in the subject and promising current research and practices. The text should be written
in a clear academic style, using formal language. Move them around if you decide that (a) they ?t
better under different headings, or (b) you need to establish new topic headings. Identifying gaps
allows you to position your work as a valuable contribution to the field. In a thesis, a literature
review is part of the introduction, but it can also be a separate section. You should have a rough idea
of your strategy before you start writing. Step 5: Begin The Writing Process Upon gathering and
organizing sources, begin the writing phase: Introduction: Begin by stating your research question
and explaining why your review is important. It is assumed that by mentioning a previous work in the
field of study, that the author has read, evaluated, and assimilated that work into the work at hand. It
describes what is currently known, understood, or agreed upon regarding the research topic and
highlights where there are still disagreements. For this, the approach to be used is to answer each of
the research questions with the information contained in these studies. There is no universal
definition of what a quality study is, but the literature suggests that these studies have little or no
bias, and that internal and external validity is maximized. It provides an overview of current
knowledge, allowing you to identify relevant theories, methods, and gaps in the existing research
that you can later apply to your paper, thesis, or dissertation topic. Quality assessment is widely used
in healthcare reviews. Do a quick scan of the titles and see what seems relevant, then search for the
relevant ones in your university’s database. A literature review is important because it: Explains the
background of research on a topic. Remember that any error in planning could compromise your
entire research. It should be a fair representation of the perspectives and voices of a range of scholars
across the field. Magazines aimed at a wide audience, such as Time, Us, and National Enquirer, will
not provide you with the information you require. The most simple version of a literature review can
be a mere summary of the sources. In case your results are different, you can use a literature review
to discuss why your results are different and mention if the difference is important in the research
topic. Sometimes, you might also be asked to write a literature review as an assignment by itself. In
addition to critical thinking, a literature review needs consistency, for example in the choice of
passive vs. Let Us Help You Well, now you’re ready to write the most fantastic outline for a
literature review ever. Key Concepts (one main section per theme and then sub sections as necessary
to help organize your work and make it easier to read) 5.
In contrast, you might only need to refer to 5-15 sources at the undergraduate level. For instance,
some of the recurring themes when viewing the impact of technology on business include digital
marketing, artificial intelligence, social media, the internet of things, increased employee
productivity, etc. You can categorise them chronologically, by publication, by methods or themes.
Writing the Systematic Literature Review Once the questions have been answered, the literature
review should now be documented. This way, by the time you have read the literature you selected,
you will already have a rough draft of the review. However, it is likely that most scientists have not
thought in detail about how to approach and carry out a literature review. The literature may come
from books, articles, reports, or other formats. To make the paragraphs more obvious, use
subheadings. Check our 45 great tips on how to format and structure the literature review for more
advice. It is conducted before the research to highlight gaps in the existing body of knowledge and
explains why the project should be greenlit. As you work your way to the right, the information
grows increasely more detailed. Every time you visit an article page, it provides you links to related
papers. Four Steps to Narrow Your Research Topic (Video) This 3-minute video provides
instructions on how to narrow the focus of your research topic. I am doing two papers on my final
year thesis, and I must stay I feel very confident to face both headlong after reading this article.
Choose the structure you intend to use and use the format we discussed above. However, if you
choose this strategy, be careful to avoid simply listing and summarising sources in order.
Methodological approach: A methodological approach focuses on the methods used by the
researcher. When you start writing, make sure that you’ve included everything you have on the map.
Don’t be afraid to do more research if you discover a new thread as you’re writing. The Lit Review
should include the most relevant related studies and demonstrate an understanding of both key past
research and practices in the subject and promising current research and practices. There is probably a
continuum between mini- and full reviews. The purpose is to place research in a historical context to
show familiarity with state-of-the-art developments and identify future research's likely directions. It
is important to simulate the protocol execution, which will help to find possible errors in each of the
steps. Open Google Slides Download PowerPoint If you want to know more about the research
process, methodology, research bias, or statistics, make sure to check out some of our other articles
with explanations and examples. Previous literature reviews in the same area, or in similar areas, may
help to define these issues. However, it’s critically important to decide on your structure and develop
a detailed outline before you write anything. Their conclusions should be regarded with greater
skepticism than previously published research. Could the problem have been approached more
effectively from another perspective. Where might the discussion proceed if someone else picked it
up where you left off. Standalone 2. As a section of a research paper How SciSpace Discover makes
literature review a breeze.
How to Write a Literature Review: 5 Steps for Clear and Meaningful 1. While your are working on
your analysis, you should ask the following questions: What are the key terms, concepts and
problems addressed by the author. Well, there are (at least) four core functions: For you to gain an
understanding (and demonstrate this understanding) of where the research is at currently, what the
key arguments and disagreements are. A literature review is an assessment of the sources in a chosen
topic of research. Critically evaluate: what are the strengths and weaknesses of your sources. I’m
delighted coming to know you even before the commencement of my dissertation which hopefully is
expected in not more than six months from now. Based on your reading and notes, you can look for:
Trends and patterns (in theory, method or results): do certain approaches become more or less
popular over time. You will be with this literature review for an extended period of time and it will
be difficult to stick with it even under the best circumstances. Now you are ready to analyze the
literature you have gathered. You could have the subsections according to the time, theme, or
methodological approach. Use the key words in your question, as well as synonyms for those words,
as terms in your search. After the introduction, it grounds your research in a scholarly field and leads
directly to your theoretical framework or methodology. Focus on the opinions and ideas of others. ??
A literature review can be a part of a research paper. How can you organize the flow of the main
body of the review so that the reader will be drawn into and guided through it. Are there any
weaknesses that should be addressed. Literature review on the link between COVID-19 infection
and eye diseases. We recommend that an expert on the subject of the review review the issues still in
the protocol construction phase. How does the publication relate to other literature in the field.
Content from video platforms and social media platforms is blocked by default. You can emphasise
the timeliness of the topic (“many recent studies have focused on the problem of x”) or highlight a
gap in the literature (“while there has been much research on x, few researchers have taken y into
consideration”). Remember that you can use our template to summarise and evaluate sources you’re
thinking about using. Ten Simple Rules for Writing a Literature Review Go to: Rule 1: Define a
Topic and Audience How to choose which topic to review. While you probably already have a decent
base of this from your research proposal, you need to expand on this substantially in the dissertation
or thesis itself. My proposal was accepted late last year but I honestly did not know where to start
Like the name of your YouTube implies you are GRAD (great,resource person, about dissertation).
But, again, it all depends on the instructions, topic, etc. A critical part of the review, these questions
are used to build strings (keywords) to search for articles in the bibliographic databases. We scan
every final draft before releasing it to be delivered to a customer. Talk to your professor, brainstorm,
and read lecture notes and recent issues of periodicals in the ?eld. In this case, the theoretical
approach is the most effective way to structure the report. If you are writing the review as a stand-
alone task, the introduction should offer some background information on the topic, why the issue is
important, and cover the scope you intend to review.
Book an appointment Consider your specific area of study. If yours is keen on this, determine your
take in the introduction and string it throughout your paper. Do this for all the sources you intend to
use in your review. Create a synthesis matrix to find connections between resources, and ensure your
sources relate to your main ideas. If the same authors, books or articles keep appearing in your
reading, make sure to seek them out. Methodological If you draw your sources from different
disciplines or fields that use a variety of research methods, you might want to compare the results
and conclusions that emerge from different approaches. There are gaps in research on artificial
intelligence and how it could change the business realm. Previous literature reviews in the same area,
or in similar areas, may help to define these issues. Quick tips on how to write a literature review To
know how to write a literature review, you must clearly understand its impact and role in establishing
your work as substantive research material. In the case of our research question above, some of the
keywords we may use include: Digital marketing, social media, Facebook ads, YouTube ads,
marketing videos, e-commerce, SEO, email marketing, online shopping, etc. Well, there are (at least)
four core functions: For you to gain an understanding (and demonstrate this understanding) of where
the research is at currently, what the key arguments and disagreements are. What are the strengths
and weaknesses of the research. Give references to other sources when you are writing, but start and
end the paragraphs with your own ideas. Often, professors are looking for strict use of these formats
as part of the grade. You can identify the best methods to collect data and analyze your work.
Identifying Gaps: Aims to pinpoint areas where there is a lack of research or unresolved questions,
highlighting opportunities for further investigation. Clarity and Conciseness Write with clarity and
conciseness. As a rule, the thematic approach requires an in-depth study of the available scientific
literature. This information helps us to understand how our visitors use our website. Analyze the
academic literature on chronic pain management. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the
accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. Make sure you thoroughly go
through appropriate reference sources like books, reports, journal articles, government docs, and
web-based resources. If you are writing the review as a stand-alone task, the introduction should
offer some background information on the topic, why the issue is important, and cover the scope you
intend to review. The materials for analysis are the results obtained by such or another method. You
likely won’t be able to read absolutely everything that has been written on your topic, so it will be
necessary to evaluate which sources are most relevant to your research question. In this context, the
question arises: how will I know what to write and which sections and subsections I should consider.
However, most people end up merely listing and summarizing their sources in chronological order.
Now equipped with the essential steps to start your literature review, you're set on the right path. For
example, if you are reviewing literature about inequalities in migrant health outcomes, key themes
might include healthcare policy, language barriers, cultural attitudes, legal status, and economic
access. These are excellent for finding out about new research or study that hasn’t been published
yet.
Reading it out loud could help you identify sentences that don’t make sense. Eminent researcher and
academic Arlene Fink, in her book Conducting Research Literature Reviews, defines it as the
following: “A literature review surveys books, scholarly articles, and any other sources relevant to a
particular issue, area of research, or theory, and by so doing, provides a description, summary, and
critical evaluation of these works in relation to the research problem being investigated. I t usually
has an organizational pattern and combines both summary and synthesis. Critical Analysis: Do not
write a mere description of those studies, including your opinions on them and record all their
weaknesses and strengths. Keeping these notes will help you avoid this nightmare in the future.
When planning a literature review, remember that no matter whether you’re dealing with a Chicago,
MLA, or APA literature review outline, you’ll have to remember several important things. ? A
literature review is NOT a research proposal. It is also helpful to use as a guide is the searches are
not finding any useful results. You can use a subheading for each theme, time period, or
methodological approach. There are so many issues in contemporary science that you could spend a
lifetime of attending conferences and reading the literature just pondering what to review. Having
an extensive literature review section, you are convincing your instructor on your knowledge and
ability to conduct research. All you have to do is skim through literature review chapters of existing
dissertations related to your topic and you’ll find a gold mine of potential literature. Your
assignment will likely specify what kinds of formats you should use for citations within the text.
Your sentences should transition easily and bear logic. It's best to have someone else go over your
work, too. Write a literature review on the emergency room wait time and healthcare quality.
Depending on the length of your literature review, you can combine several of these strategies (for
example, your overall structure might be thematic, but each theme is discussed chronologically). A
recent blog posting in Science ( Pain, 2016 ) provides several tips from researchers and graduate
students on how to effectively read these papers. Before Writing How many sources should you
include. These are excellent for finding out about new research or study that hasn’t been published
yet. Examine the relevant literature on the benefits of Electronic Health Record systems. Analyze the
role of pressure ulcer protocols in reducing the rates of hospital-acquired pressure ulcer cases. A
literature review is important because it: Explains the background of research on a topic. We’ve
written a step-by-step guide that you can follow below. Remember that an outline is not a research
proposal or dissertation, so do not write about the goals, objectives, methods, etc. ? How to write a
literature review outline. However, it could be hard to go through everything that has been written.
First, consult the most reputable sources and then read significant theories and landmark studies. It
will help you order your thoughts into an organized presentation, making the paper ultimately easier
to write. In addressing these points, you argue for your place in the conversation, which tends to
make the lit review more compelling than a simple reporting of other sources. As you’re doing your
research, create an annotated bibliography ( see our page on the this type of document ). Nova has a
passion for writing that engages and informs her readers. Now’s the time to try to improve the
linkage from each section to the next, tighten up the writing to be more concise, trim down word
count and sand it down into a more digestible read.
There are numerous ways to find relevant literature, but I’ll cover my top four tactics here. In
addressing these points, you argue for your place in the conversation, which tends to make the lit
review more compelling than a simple reporting of other sources. Identifies critical gaps and points
of disagreement. You can do this by assessing the citation count of any given article in Google
Scholar. The question must be answerable using a review of the published works. By examining past
research, you can identify gaps and inconsistencies and use them to address your work. Use of this
site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use. Some references are Google
Scholar, EBSCO, JSTOR, MedLine, EconLit, Inspec, Project Muse, and your college’s library
catalog. If the literature review is part of your dissertation or thesis, reiterate how your research
addresses gaps and contributes new knowledge, or discuss how you have drawn on existing theories
and methods to build a framework for your research. The smaller column is to be used to create cue
words or keywords that describe the information they are taking notes about. When you have
multiple sources cited in a paragraph, you are more likely to be synthesizing them (not always, but
often Read more about synthesis here. A literature review should have its own independent section.
Identifying gaps allows you to position your work as a valuable contribution to the field. Some
databases to search for journals and articles include: Your university’s library catalogue Google
Scholar Project Muse (humanities and social sciences) Medline (life sciences and biomedicine)
EconLit (economics) Inspec (physics, engineering and computer science) You can use boolean
operators to help narrow down your search: Read the abstract to find out whether an article is
relevant to your question. In a research study, how good are the basic components of the study
design (e.g., population, intervention, outcome). In such a scenario, constructing a literature review
will help you. It can be helpful to make an annotated bibliography, where you compile full reference
information and write a paragraph of summary and analysis for each source. It aims to come up with
relevant sources of literature that established or build on the view of the author. Its purpose is to
prevent duplication of efforts, resolve conflicts, and point the way for further research. To carry out
the planning you must follow the steps below: Identify the need for literature review. The smaller
column is to be used to create cue words or keywords that describe the information they are taking
notes about. Thank you Coach, you have greatly enriched and improved my knowledge Great piece,
so enriching and it is going to help me a great lot in my project and thesis, thanks so much This is
THE BEST site for ANYONE doing a masters or doctorate. LibGuides: Writing a Literature
Review: Step 4: Taking Notes The first column measures about 2.5 inches. The second column (the
larger of the two) measures about 6 inches. Sometimes you might find it hard to place the cutouts
into a specific pile. Step 1 to writing a literature review Search for relevant literature You must
formulate a clearly defined topic before you start searching for literature. Read your assignment
carefully and seek clarification from your professor or instructor if needed. Videos Tutorials about
Literature Reviews This 4.5 minute video from Academic Education Materials has a Creative
Commons License and a British narrator. Does it confirm, add to, or challenge established
knowledge. It is however advisable to reread the draft one more time before submission, as a last-
minute correction of typos, leaps, and muddled sentences may enable the reviewers to focus on
providing advice on the content rather than the form. This landscape informs the reader that the
author has indeed assimilated all (or the vast majority of) previous, significant works in the field into
her or his research.
A literature review seeks to survey scholarly sources on a certain topic to look at what was said on
the topic and by whom. An example of how SPICE factors can be used to develop a research
question is given below. Another good source of literature other than the internet is in libraries. Has it
been narrow enough to exclude irrelevant material. SciSpace Discover is a one-stop solution to do an
effective literature search and get barrier-free access to scientific knowledge. As you sort them, try to
find out the main theme of the text, and place these excerpts according to the themes. Are your
sources all prescribing to one specific theory. Using referencing software from the very beginning of
your endeavour will save you time. Nova has also worked as a technical and scientific writer. For
example, linkages to or disagreements with other theories, questions raised but unanswered,
shortcomings or limitations, and so forth. Thank you Coach, you have greatly enriched and improved
my knowledge Great piece, so enriching and it is going to help me a great lot in my project and
thesis, thanks so much This is THE BEST site for ANYONE doing a masters or doctorate. Bolin TD,
Wong S, Ult GC, Crouch R, Engelman JL and Riordan SM. Where to find databases: use the tabs on
this guide Find other databases in the Nursing Information Resources web page More on the
Medical Library web page. This approach seeks to trace the development of your sources over time.
It will help you order your thoughts into an organized presentation, making the paper ultimately
easier to write. This landscape informs the reader that the author has indeed assimilated all (or the
vast majority of) previous, significant works in the field into her or his research. Is the analysis of the
data accurate and relevant to the research question. Open Google Slides Download PowerPoint If
you want to know more about the research process, methodology, research bias, or statistics, make
sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples. I would love to engage
my study under your guidance from the beginning to the end. Justification: Your theoretical
framework will justify your choice of topic by giving out sufficient data about similar theories to the
reader. Make sure the sources you use are credible, and make sure you read any landmark studies and
major theories in your field of research. Try SciSpace Copilot Search research papers Add Copilot
Extension Try AI Detector Try Paraphraser Try Citation Generator April Papers June Papers July
Papers How To Write A Literature Review - A Complete Guide Table of Contents A literature review
is much more than just another section in your research paper. Plagiarism: Including references
without any citation, using the author’s exact phrases without making any changes, using quotes to
denote that the words belong to someone else but not giving credits to them. Conclusion: Summarize
what you discovered, highlight any important contributions, and suggest areas for future research. If
still, you need further guidance, seek the help of Literature Review Writing Service. A literature
review is an account of what has been published on a topic by accredited scholars and researchers.
NOT A RESEARCH ARTICLE -- A literature review follows a different style, format, and structure
from a research article. The smaller column is to be used to create cue words or keywords that
describe the information they are taking notes about. Check with your professor, or a subject expert
in the field, if you are missing any key works in the field. Some journals are now favouring the
publication of rather short reviews focusing on the last few years, with a limit on the number of
words and citations.