What is a literature review? |
“A literature review is an analysis and synthesis of work that has been undertaken in a particular area”. [Aveyard, 2016, page 1] Critical discussion is a crucial component of writing a good review. |
What is a narrative review? | A narrative review is one type of literature review. If you are writing for an academic assignment you probably intend to write a narrative review. The focus of the question in a narrative review may be broader than in, for example, a systematic review, but you should still use a systematic approach to carrying out the review. |
Where do I start? |
Be clear about the purpose of the review. You may not have decided on your question at this stage but choosing a topic that interests you will make the process much easier! |
Literature searching |
Keep a record of your searching as you go along. Collect information about your topic using a combination of primary sources, such as journal articles or reports, and secondary sources, such as article reviews or textbooks. You should search journals by hand as well as electronically; no electronic source can find everything. You should include unpublished as well as published sources. Your local NHS GGC library can help you conduct a comprehensive literature search (see Reference section for link to Library Training page). |
Reading |
Searching and reading the literature is a continuous process in the early stages. Performing a comprehensive search is essential to finding the necessary information on a topic. It will also help to avoid plagiarism and bias. |
Focusing your question |
Once you have gathered your background information, you can frame your research question. The question should be focused, clear and precise. Tip: Have a look at Glasgow Caledonian University’s, ‘Defining a practice-based question: Focusing your question’ (3). |
Writing your review |
The structure you choose (eg thematic, chronological) should allow the review to flow from one section to the next. You may wish to start writing a draft of your review whilst you continue to read and search for evidence. |
Synthesis and analysis
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There are many methods available to analyse your data. The method you choose will depend on whether your data is qualitative or quantitative. Thematic synthesis is one approach that is used with qualitative data. Quantitative data can be combined in a meta-analysis or description of statistical data. Organising and synthesising the information makes it easier to analyse the data and make comparisons across studies. |
Critical appraisal tools | There are various instruments available that will help you evaluate (critique) the studies in your review to identify their strengths and weaknesses.
Have a look at the checklists produced by the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (4). |
Presentation | Follow your institution’s guidelines regarding presentation of the review.
One example is to use the IMRaD format – Introduction, Method, Results, and Discussion (5). The use of subheadings will make the review easier to read and will help the reader to understand the points you are making. |
Introduction |
This section defines the scope and purpose of the review. |
Methodology | Use the Methods section to explain exactly what you did. Explain the rationale for conducting the study as well as your approach to the analysis and synthesis of information. Document your searching rationale and process. |
Results |
This section is not just a summary of the results. You should explain your analysis of the findings. |
Discussion and conclusions
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Use this section to reflect on your results. What do the results mean? How might they affect future practice? There are different frameworks available for structuring this section. See, ‘Hess, D.R.; How to Write an Effective Discussion’ (6). |
How can the library help? |
The GGC Library Network stocks a range of books on this topic. Log on to the NHS Scotland library catalogue to see what is available and contact one of our friendly librarians for advice, training and on-going support. (See References section for a link to the library catalogue). |
If you think of one piece of literature as one part of a jigsaw .....
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..... then you can see how a review of the literature is like the whole completed jigsaw.” [Aveyard, 2014, page 2] |
References
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