Crafting a literature review is a critical aspect of any academic research project.

It requires a thorough
understanding of the topic, extensive research, and effective synthesis of existing literature.
However, amidst the process of composing a literature review, there are common pitfalls that one
should avoid to ensure its quality and effectiveness.

Firstly, it's essential not to include irrelevant or outdated sources in your literature review. This can
dilute the focus of your review and undermine its credibility. Additionally, be cautious about cherry-
picking sources that only support your argument while ignoring conflicting evidence. A
comprehensive literature review should encompass a diverse range of perspectives and findings.

Another common mistake is providing a mere summary of each source without critically analyzing or
synthesizing the information. Your literature review should demonstrate your ability to engage
critically with existing literature, identify gaps or contradictions, and offer insights or interpretations.

Avoid the temptation to include excessive quotations from sources without providing adequate
analysis or context. Your literature review should primarily consist of your own writing, with
quotations used sparingly to support your arguments or illustrate key points.

Furthermore, refrain from using overly vague or broad language in your literature review. Be precise
and specific in your terminology to ensure clarity and coherence. Ambiguity or lack of clarity can
confuse readers and diminish the effectiveness of your review.

Lastly, steer clear of bias or subjective interpretations in your literature review. It's crucial to maintain
objectivity and impartiality when evaluating and synthesizing sources. Presenting a balanced and
evidence-based analysis will enhance the credibility and validity of your review.

In conclusion, crafting a literature review is indeed a challenging task that requires careful attention
to detail and rigorous analysis. By avoiding common pitfalls such as including irrelevant sources,
providing mere summaries, over-relying on quotations, using vague language, and succumbing to
bias, you can ensure that your literature review is comprehensive, insightful, and academically
rigorous.

For assistance with writing a literature review that adheres to these principles and meets the highest
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Use Evidence A literature review section is, in this sense, just like any other academic research paper.
You’ll need to present a critical analysis that addresses some (if not all) of the following questions:
What have different studies found in relation to your research questions. For example, is it possible
that your research may lead to a new policy, new theoretical understanding, or a new method for
analyzing data. The practice of citing a source that you haven’t read directly is known as
“grandfathering,” and it’s not allowed. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your
own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. The first step is to recognize a
topic about which you want to write the literature review. Chronological The simplest approach is to
trace the development of the topic over time. The focus of a literature review, however, is to
summarize and synthesize the arguments and ideas of others without adding new contributions. GW
faculty, staff, and students may download NVIVO software. ABSTRACT: We build upon our
experiences conducting three scoping studies using the Arksey and O'Malley methodology to
propose recommendations that clarify and enhance each stage of the framework. Literature reviews
provide you with a handy guide to a particular topic. Subsequently, they use fixed or random-effects
analysis models to combine the results of the included studies, assess statistical heterogeneity, and
calculate a weighted average of the effect estimates from the different studies, taking into account
their sample sizes. I am happy with the writing, especially the sources used. Use of this site
constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use. As mentioned previously, there are a
number of existing guidelines for literature reviews. Consequently, it is critical that the research
design and methods section is well-written, clear, and logically organized. It has good external
validity among guideline developers and good interrater reliability across trained reviewers.) When
reviewing genetics studies Human genetics review reporting guidelines. You can use it to discuss
various theories, models, and definitions of key concepts. The PCI DSS standard protects quick and
smooth transactions. This standard format will help you finish the literature review for any research
paper, regardless of its type. Read more. The ideal way to demonstrate your research is with a
qualitative or quantitative approach. Furthermore, they provide information on which researchers are
active in specific fields, which can be useful for tracking down their other work. A literature review
allows you to highlight essential ideas and methodologies while also highlighting gaps in whatever
research currently exists because it provides an overview of existing research. A well-done
integrative review meets the same standards as primary research in regard to clarity, rigor, and
replication. Does the research use established frameworks or take an innovative approach. Research
gaps cover broad portions of the literature. Review the literature on a few questions I had one day on
atrial fibrillation: Why 48 hours. Therefore, the literature review will discuss only that research which
leads directly to your own project. To help you come up with an overall organizational framework for
your review, consider the following scenario: You’ve decided to focus your literature review on
materials dealing with sperm whales. Narrative reviews. Organize the selected papers by looking for
patterns and by developing subtopics 5.
Results indicate that the majority of systematic reviews in this particular area suffer from important
methodological flaws and biases that impair their internal validity and limit their usefulness for
clinical and decision-making purposes. However, the following steps are generally accepted in how
Systematic Reviews are done: Identify a gap in the literature and form a well-developed and
answerable research question which will form the basis of your search Select a framework that will
help guide the type of study you’re undertaking Different guidelines are used for documenting and
reporting the protocols of your systematic review before the review is conducted. In other words, a
chronological review would have subsections for each vital time period; a thematic review would
have subtopics based upon factors that relate to the theme or issue. Search the library catalog or
PubMed from within RefWorks Best for books or when you have a list of citations 4. Theoretical
literature reviews play an instrumental role in establishing what theories already exist, the
relationships between them, to what degree existing theories have been investigated, and to develop
new hypotheses to be tested. The introduction should clearly establish the focus and purpose of the
literature review. Searching the extant literature: The next step consists of searching the literature and
making decisions about the suitability of material to be considered in the review ( Cooper, 1988 ).
The purpose is to place research in a historical context to show familiarity with state-of-the-art
developments and to identify the likely directions for future research. You are seeking to understand
what scholars have said about her work. This statement indicates the trend to be addressed rather
than presenting a new idea or theory. Try to analyze the patterns, turning points, and key debates that
have shaped the direction of the field. Methodological A methodological approach focuses on the
methods utilized by the researcher. They originated from criticisms of positivist systematic reviews
which centre on their “simplistic” underlying assumptions ( Oates, 2011 ). Describe how these
studies fail to fill the research gap. A word of advice is to save the writing of your abstract until the
very end of your research proposal preparation. And settle into a rhythm that you can sustain for
several weeks. Summarize and synthesize Remember to summarize and synthesize your sources
within each paragraph as well as throughout the review. These structures are not meant to be
straightjackets but tools to help you organize your research. This consistency also makes it easy to
compare multiple articles. A good literature review sample should be well-organized and clearly
written, with a clear introduction that explains the purpose of the review and the research question
being addressed. Furthermore, the details must be based on proven facts. I’m saying that before you
read, you need to know what notes you want to take. 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. If your notes have the
same shortcomings, then you’re doing it wrong. Here are a couple of examples: The current trend in
treatment for congestive heart failure combines surgery and medicine. For example, what might
cultural anthropologists say about the continuing conflict in the Middle East. However, rather than
merely compiling as many sources as possible, use this approach to establish a theoretical framework
for your paper, establish trends, and identify gaps in the research. Try to analyze patterns, turning
points and key debates that have shaped the direction of the field. The goal is to deliberately
document, critically evaluate, and summarize scientifically all of the research about a clearly defined
research problem. The only thing worse than bad writing is lots of bad writing.
The review compares the amassed group of literature in the subfields to a set of. What is the
significance of your proposed research. Your doggedness to discover every morsel will make the
literature review process drag on much longer than needed. However, if you choose this strategy, be
careful to avoid simply listing and summarising sources in order. There are two main ways to write
this paper and we use both at our. You can extend upon these lines, taking them as your frame:
Talking about food cannot be done without talking about money. Consider organization You’ve got a
focus, and you’ve stated it clearly and directly. For instance, a thematic review of material on sperm
whales might examine how they are portrayed as “evil” in cultural documents. To bolster your
confidence and calm these anxieties, you keep on reviewing. 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. Systematic: The systematic review is most appropriate when you have a clearly-
defined research question and have established criteria for the types of sources you need.
Introduction PDF How to Write a Literature Review This handout will focus on defining what a
literature review is, how to organize and synthesize information, and what the different parts of a
literature review are. Structure your review logically: Guide the reader through the information. If
you want to make your research seem more credible, then there is absolutely no option, except to
understand in detail how to write a methodology. Pick one of these themes to focus the organization
of your review. When starting from scratch, reviewing the literature can require a titanic amount of
work. Integrative Review Considered a form of research that reviews, critiques, and synthesizes
representative literature on a topic in an integrated way such that new frameworks and perspectives
on the topic are generated. Delaying it by a day or two won’t make much difference. Your
interpretation of the available sources must be backed up with evidence to show that what you are
saying is valid. Writing service experts are ready to make it, considering the peculiarities of your
educational stage. 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. For the
introduction (and discussion) of a research paper, masters thesis or dissertation 3. For tips on the
revising and editing process, see our handout on revising drafts. The purpose is to place research in a
historical context to show familiarity with state-of-the-art developments and to identify the likely
directions for future research. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine, 5(3), 101117. Lyons, K. (2005).
UCSC library - how to write a literature review. Here again, if the same authors are being cited again
and again, this may indicate no new literature has been written on the topic. Notice that Falk and
Mills do quote certain terms that were coined by the author, not common knowledge, or taken
directly from the study. If so, you can find a more novel research gap by combining multiple
weaknesses. Print Friendly Literature review basics A literature review synthesizes and analyzes
previous research in a field to inform an audience and establish background knowledge. I’ve
developed my literature review strategy to do just that.
Searching for eligible studies using multiple databases and information sources, including grey
literature sources, without any language restrictions. A literature review discusses published
information in a particular subject area. Now, I love a good joy ride; there’s nothing like a leisurely
drive on my beach cruiser to the ice cream shop on a warm summer day. Your interpretation of the
available sources must be backed up with evidence to show that what you are saying is valid. Use
caution when paraphrasing When paraphrasing a source that is not your own, be sure to represent the
author’s information or opinions accurately and in your own words. Chronology (this method will
give the worst impression, use only if it really makes sense to your topic!) (University of Wisconsin,
2006) MS 640: Introduction to Biomedical Information 21. You don’t want to substitute a thorough
review of core research literature in your discipline for studies conducted in other fields of study. In
writing the literature review, your purpose is to convey to your reader what knowledge and ideas
have been established on a topic, and what their strengths and weaknesses are. A literature review is
an integrated analysis -- not just a summary-- of scholarly writings and other relevant evidence
related directly to your research question. Extended definition essay outlineExtended definition essay
outline. The focus of a literature review, however, is to summarize and synthesize the arguments and
ideas of others without adding new contributions. Here the aim is to summarize and critique the
body of literature you’re studying. These reviews often incorporate historical context and offer a
broad understanding of the subject matter, making them valuable for researchers looking to establish
a foundational understanding of their area of interest. The theoretical literature review helps to
establish what theories already exist, the relationships between them, to what degree the existing
theories have been investigated, and to develop new hypotheses to be tested. Your opinion on the
quality of the research is just as important as the facts you include. 3. Relying too heavily on one
source. 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. If you haven’t made a selection yet, which types are you considering. An
evaluation of the current state of research on the topic, including a discussion of any gaps in existing
knowledge. Regardless, every chapter will argue its own importance. If you begin to see the same
researchers cited again and again, then this is often an indication that no new ideas have been
generated to address the research problem. You can open each article’s notes and quickly compare
their findings, which are all located in the same place of the notes’ common structure. When I started
grad school, I viewed the literature much like a textbook. Finally, don’t forget to tie your previous
work to the academic knowledge that is currently available. The literature review gives you a chance
to: Demonstrate your familiarity with the topic and its scholarly context Develop a theoretical
framework and methodology for your research Position your work in relation to other researchers and
theorists Show how your research addresses a gap or contributes to a debate Evaluate the current
state of research and demonstrate your knowledge of the scholarly debates around your topic. Use
the key words in your question, as well as synonyms for those words, as terms in your search. Then,
find appropriate books in the library and check them out. Institute of Medicine. (2011). Finding
What Works in Health Care: Standards for Systematic Reviews. Depending on the scope that is
going to be presented, the comprehension of the work could change. 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. Should I evaluate the sources in any way beyond evaluating how
they relate to understanding the research problem? 5.
An annotated bibliography is where you methodologically make notes. But how is a literature review
different from an academic research paper. GUIDELINES FOR HOW TO WRITE UP FOR
PUBLICATION THE RESULTS OF ONE QUANTITATIVE CLINICAL TRIAL When reporting
the results of a Randomized Controlled Trial: Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials
(CONSORT) Statement. (2010 reporting guideline for writing up a Randomized Controlled Clinical
Trial).. Since updated in 2022, see Butcher, M. A., et al. (2022). Guidelines for Reporting Outcomes
in Trial Reports: The CONSORT-Outcomes 2022 Extension. Analyzing data using quantitative or
qualitative methods. Stancanelli, P. Weisberg, and X. Xu for insights and discussions, and to P.
Bourne, T. Matoni, and D. Smith for helpful comments on a previous draft. Clearly identify the key
or most relevant sources of research you intend to use and explain how they will contribute to your
analysis of the topic. Washington, DC: National Academies (Systematic review guidelines from the
Health and Medicine Division (HMD) of the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering,
and Medicine (formerly called the Institute of Medicine)). However, peer reviewers don't assess the
quality of trade magazines. Set some context; provide information about the field of study, the.
Lamb, Sandra E. 1998. How to Write It: A Complete Guide to Everything You’ll Ever Write. Clarify
Your Research Goals: Begin by defining your research objectives and what you aim to achieve with
the literature review. Spending a lot of time revising is a wise idea, because your main objective is to
present the material, not the argument. How to write review of related literature (RRL) in research
Tips on how to write a review of related literature in research. But before I explain my strategy, let’s
lay a little groundwork. It serves with some specific purpose in the research. Consider Whether Your
Sources are Current Some disciplines require that you use information that is as current as possible.
Conclusion: Summarize the key findings you have taken from the literature and emphasize their
significance Connect it back to your primary research question How should I organize my lit review.
While outlines are not strictly required, being in the habit of completing an outline before beginning
any project also promotes good writing habits, and improves technical skill. How well do they
present the material and do they portray it according to an appropriate theory. There are many
benefits to writing a literature review, from improving your research skills to gaining a better
understanding of the field you are studying. Ideas and insights also come from discussions with
coauthors and colleagues, as well as feedback from reviewers and editors. However, I am thoroughly
satisfied with the work of expert. It can be overwhelming getting into the literature of a field of
study. Pilot Review: Consider conducting a small-scale pilot review of the literature to test the
feasibility and suitability of your chosen review type before committing to a larger project. After the
introduction, it grounds your research in a scholarly field and leads directly to your theoretical
framework or methodology. Import web pages from Ref-Grab-It bookmarklet downloaded from Ref.
That is, it represents a synthesis of the evidence that provides background information on your topic
and shows a association between the evidence and your research question. Meta-analysis is associated
with deductive research approach. PDF LITERATURE REVIEWS WRITING A TARGETED
LITERATURE REVIEW a targeted literature review is NOT. And each set of notes is organized a
bit differently.