Writing a literature review can be a challenging task for many individuals, especially those new to

academic writing or research. It requires a thorough understanding of the topic, extensive reading,
critical analysis, and effective synthesis of information from various sources. Additionally,
structuring the literature review in a coherent and organized manner is essential to convey the
relevance and significance of the reviewed literature to the research topic.

The process of writing a literature review involves several steps, including:

1. Identifying the Research Topic: Clearly defining the research topic or question is the first
step in writing a literature review. It helps in narrowing down the focus and identifying
relevant literature to review.
2. Conducting Literature Search: Conducting a comprehensive literature search is crucial for
identifying relevant studies, articles, and publications related to the research topic. Utilizing
academic databases, libraries, and online resources can help in accessing a wide range of
scholarly literature.
3. Evaluating Sources: Evaluating the credibility, reliability, and relevance of the selected
sources is essential to ensure that only high-quality literature is included in the review.
Critically analyzing the methodology, findings, and arguments presented in each source helps
in determining its suitability for inclusion.
4. Organizing the Literature: Organizing the reviewed literature based on themes, theories, or
methodologies provides a structured framework for the literature review. It helps in
identifying patterns, gaps, and relationships among the reviewed studies.
5. Synthesizing Information: Synthesizing the information from the reviewed literature
involves summarizing key findings, identifying common themes or trends, and discussing the
implications for the research topic. It requires critical thinking and analytical skills to
integrate the findings from various sources into a coherent narrative.
6. Writing and Revising: Writing the literature review involves drafting an organized and well-
structured document that presents the reviewed literature in a clear and concise manner. It is
essential to follow the appropriate citation style and formatting guidelines specified by the
academic institution or journal. Additionally, revising and editing the literature review to
ensure clarity, coherence, and accuracy is an important step in the writing process.

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This is an open access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non
Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon
this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the
original work is properly cited, appropriate credit is given, any changes made indicated, and the use
is non-commercial. See:. Statistics from Altmetric.com Request permissions. All in all, 130 articles
met the criteria and their data were extracted manually into a database. In the fields of health
sciences and medical informatics, reviews that focus on examining the range, nature and evolution of
a topic area are described by Anderson, Allen, Peckham, and Goodwin (2008) as mapping reviews.
Do not forget to invert authors’ names (the last name should come first) and include the full titles of
journals instead of their abbreviations. They originated from criticisms of positivist systematic
reviews which centre on their “simplistic” underlying assumptions ( Oates, 2011 ). Other times, the
author may have to seek examples to prove their point. Select Databases for Searches: Identify
relevant databases for your field. Include each of the key concepts or variables you’re interested in,
and list any synonyms and related terms. You can add to this list as you discover new keywords in
the process of your literature search. This helps you remember what you read and saves time later in
the process. Provide the reader with strong “umbrella” sentences at beginnings of paragraphs,
“signposts” throughout, and brief “so what” summary sentences at intermediate points in the review
to aid in understanding comparisons and analyses. Contradictions and conflicts: Theories, both the
supporting and the contradictory ones, for the research topic. If you have the opportunity, discuss
your topic with your professor and your class mates. 2. Decide on the scope of your review How
many studies do you need to look at. Data supplement 1 Contributors HT and SM were involved in
the initial conception of the review. Sometimes, though, you might need to add additional sections
that are necessary for your study, but do not fit in the organizational strategy of the body. This step
will help you work out the structure of your literature review and (if applicable) show how your own
research will contribute to existing knowledge. Two members of the research team selected the
articles using a pre-established list of inclusion and exclusion criteria and following a two-step
procedure. Lit reviews can take many different organizational patterns depending on what you are
trying to accomplish with the review. In addition to repeating the above procedure, make sure you
answer the following question. The analytical features of a literature review might: Give a new
interpretation of old material or combine new with old interpretations, Trace the intellectual
progression of the field, including major debates, Depending on the situation, evaluate the sources
and advise the reader on the most pertinent or relevant research, or Usually in the conclusion of a
literature review, identify where gaps exist in how a problem has been researched to date. While 75%
of studies disclosed all outcome data, and 100% of the included trials adequately left out bias in the
selection of the reported outcomes, only 20% of studies adequately left out performance bias. The
sources support what Falk and Mills are saying. Only 4 out of 11 RCT trials overall showed a
minimal risk of bias. This can lead directly into your methodology section. Click this link to see the
Heading Levels Template Student Paper Last Updated: Jan 16, 2024 4:48 PM URL: APA Headings
and Seriation Headings. It will help steer your path from any threats of plagiarism and also make it
easier to curate an annotated bibliography or reference section. 4. Discover connections At this stage,
you must start deciding on the argument and structure of your literature review. Your title must be
typed with upper and lowercase letters and centered in the upper part of the page; use no more than
12 words, and avoid using abbreviations and useless words. Do not use extensive quotes as a
substitute for using your own words in reviewing the literature. Clear definition of perspectives and
decisions on indirect evidence, sampling and use of existing QES help in targeting eligibility criteria.
At the outset, make a plan for how you will deal with matters of capitalization, formatting and
sequencing of headings. The efficacy of acupuncture and decompression splints in the treatment of
temporomandibular joint pain-dysfunction syndrome.
It goes beyond documentation and reflects decisions related to the selection of the sources, the
search terms used, the period of time covered, the articles selected in the search, and the application
of backward and forward searches ( vom Brocke et al., 2009 ). In short, the rigour of any review
article is reflected by the explicitness of its methods (i.e., transparency) and the soundness of the
approach used. Supplemental materials including additional resources details of our
recommendations and practical examples are provided in online supplemental appendices A and B.
Efficacy of acupuncture and laser acupuncture in temporomandibular The aim of this study is to
perform a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the scientific literature regarding the use of
acupuncture and laser acupuncture in the treatment of pain associated with temporomandibular
disorders (TMDs). Any changes made as part of the iterative nature of the scoping review will be
documented here. The specific goals were to investigate how outcomes are produced and, most
importantly, how variations in outcomes can be explained. If you have identified some recurring
themes in the literature, you can divide your RRL into sections that address various aspects of the
topic. Introduce the topic of investigation, its relevance, and your personal interest in it. That means
that you should be using two sources total for the paper—the short story itself as well as ONE
outside source. Literature reviews are designed to provide an overview of sources you have explored
while researching a particular topic, and to demonstrate to your readers how your research fits within
a larger field of study.” Simply put, a literature review can be defined as a critical discussion of
relevant pre-existing research around your research question and carving out a definitive place for
your study in the existing body of knowledge. Transitioning to chronic temporomandibular disorder
pain: A combination of patient vulnerabilities and iatrogenesis. 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. Two reviewers (AW-R and HT) will
pilot the data charting form on a sample of randomly selected papers (10% of included papers). If
you are writing the literature review section of a dissertation or research paper, you will search for
literature related to your research objectives and questions. You have now created a draft of a Short
Literature Review. Victoria (BC): University of Victoria; 2017 Feb 27. Consider organization You’ve
got a focus, and you’ve stated it clearly and directly. A third reviewer (SM) may be consulted for
arbitration of any conflicting decisions. Writing teachers often say synthesis is like hosting a dinner
party: imagine all your sources are together in a room, discussing your topic. As mentioned earlier,
when rigorously conducted review articles represent powerful information sources for eHealth
scholars and practitioners looking for state-of-the-art evidence. Writing a literature review using the
MLA style requires the following text formatting: In the MLA format, you can cite a source in the
text by indicating the author’s last name and the page number in parentheses at the end of the
citation. What other sections you include in the body is up to you. All information is provided in
good faith, however, we make no representation or warranty of any kind regarding its accuracy,
validity, reliability, or completeness. A: A literature review is typically structured with an
introduction, body paragraphs that discuss the key themes or concepts, and a conclusion that
summarizes the findings. Each stage will involve two reviewers independently screening the
identified studies against the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Like any other chapter in your thesis or
dissertation, your literature review needs to have a clear, logical structure. Last but not least, if it’s
your intention to develop a conceptual framework for your dissertation or thesis, the conclusion
section is a good place to present this. This means drawing connections between sources to create a
picture of the scholarly conversation on a topic over time. Finally, average impact scores increased
over time with two notable growth periods. Was the research funded by a source that could influence
the findings. Not applicable. All data is from published articles.
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. Usually you will need to synthesize research rather than just
summarizing it. Be selective - you don't have to include everything you have read in your literature
review. This step will help you work out the structure of your literature review and (if applicable)
show how your own research will contribute to existing knowledge. Let’s take a closer look at each
of these. 1: The Introduction Section Just like any good introduction, the introduction section of
your literature review should introduce the purpose and layout (organisation) of the chapter. Place
page numbers in the upper right corner of each page, including the cover page. Be selective Select
only the most important points in each source to highlight in the review. As you’ve been collecting
and synthesising literature, you’ll likely have started seeing some themes or patterns emerging.
Education Literature Review Example For your education studies, you can write a review of related
literature about academic performance to determine factors that affect student achievement and
highlight research gaps. Deep dry needling of trigger points located in the lateral pterygoid muscle:
efficacy and safety of treatment for management of myofascial pain and temporomandibular
dysfunction. Findings will be of benefit to researchers, clinicians and policy-makers by highlighting
areas for future research and identifying ways to making ED treatment more accessible for
individuals from all backgrounds. Developing and refining your literature review (pdf) Developing
and refining your literature review (Word) Developing and refining your literature review (Word rtf)
Writing a literature review has a lot in common with other assignment tasks. What types of sources
(books, journal articles, websites). Learn how to write a review of literature Group research studies
and other types of literature (reviews, theoretical articles, case studies, etc.) according to common
denominators such as qualitative versus quantitative approaches, conclusions of authors, specific
purpose or objective, chronology, etc. You can argue for the relevance of a specific theoretical
approach or combine various theorical concepts to create a framework for your research. Look for
links between the various articles and try to develop a bigger picture view of the state of the
research. Sometimes, the main idea will just glare from a piece of literature. How to Write a
Narrative Review (Tips for Undergrad Students) Most undergraduate students conducting a capstone
research project will be writing narrative reviews. Introduction of Review of Related Literature:
Sample An introduction should clarify the study topic and the depth of the information to be
delivered. The right choice depends on your topic, research objectives and research questions, which
we discuss in this article. Methodologically As made obvious by the terminology, this type of
structuring focuses on the methods used to present the central concept. Good academic practice As
with any writing task, you will need to review, edit and rewrite sections of your literature review.
Unlike a dissertation research question, this question has to be answerable without collecting original
data. For instance, a thematic review of material on sperm whales might examine how they are
portrayed as “evil” in cultural documents. Resolve conflicts amongst seemingly contradictory
previous studies. In the preceding example, Falk and Mills either directly refer in the text to the
author of their source, such as Hamilton, or they provide ample notation in the text when the ideas
they are mentioning are not their own, for example, Gastil’s. In this section, you should emphasise
the research that is especially important to your research questions and highlight the gaps that exist in
the literature. Let’s get to it! What should I do before writing the literature review. However, only
include what is necessary for the reader to locate your study within the larger scholarship about the
research problem. If the cited information takes several pages, you need to include all the page
numbers.
To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off
compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). We also aim to explore how and where participants were
recruited (e.g., sampling technique, clinical or non-clinical sample, sample size). Literature reviews
can be presented in multiple ways: a section of an article, the whole research paper itself, or a
chapter of your thesis. A pre-existing framework, where readily identified, may help to structure the
data extraction template. 15 37 The same framework may be used to present the findings. With this
AI research assistant, you can efficiently synthesize and analyze a vast amount of information,
identify key themes and trends, and uncover gaps in the existing research. The page header must be
a shortened version of your essay title and limited to 50 characters, including spacing and
punctuation. Conclusions In conclusion, our systematic review demonstrate that the evidence for
acupuncture as a symptomatic treatment of TMD is limited. Like any other research paper, the
literature review format must contain three sections: introduction, body, and conclusion. The search
was performed using several terms and free text words, combining them in an appropriate manner.
The structure of a literature review (Royal Literary Fund) Guidance on structuring a literature
review. Pick one of these themes to focus the organization of your review. They should arise out of
your organizational strategy. And depending on the situation, the literature review may evaluate the
sources and advise the reader on the most pertinent or relevant. As you write, make sure to follow
these tips: Summarise and synthesise: give an overview of the main points of each source and
combine them into a coherent whole. At this stage, all you need to do is follow the plan you've
created and keep in mind the overall structure and format defined in your professor's instructions. To
identify the most important publications on your topic, take note of recurring citations. Laser
acupuncture in the treatment of neuropathies in dentistry: a systematic review. Corresponding
authors Correspondence to Fabrizio Di Francesco, Giuseppe Minervini or Yuliia Siurkel. Instead,
researchers often present studies that are representative of most works published in a particular area
and they consider a specific time frame to be mapped. Telescopic overdenture on natural teeth:
prosthetic rehabilitation on (OFD) syndromic patient and a review on available literature. Ask your
professor questions such as: “If you had to read only one book from the 90’s on topic X, what would
it be?” Questions such as this help you to find and determine quickly the most seminal pieces in the
field. They generally discuss what has been done before and how the research being introduced in
this document fills a gap in the field's knowledge and why it is an important. Doing your literature
review (video) Watch this brief video tutorial for more on the topic. How To Structure A Literature
Review (Free Template) Here's an example of the layout visualised in a literature review
introduction: Your introduction should also outline your topic (including any tricky terminology or
jargon) and provide an explanation of the scope of your literature review - in other words, what you
will and won't be covering (the delimitations ). Whether you are writing a literature review within
the framework of a large research project (e.g., thesis, dissertation, or other) or as a stand-alone
assignment, the approach you should take to writing generally remains the same. The following data
were extracted and included in Table 1. In the absence of validated risk of bias tools for qualitative
studies, the team should choose a tool according to Cochrane Qualitative and Implementation
Methods Group (CQIMG) guidance together with expediency (according to ease of use, prior
familiarity, etc) ( table 2, item R15). 41 In comparison to the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme
checklist which was never designed for use in synthesis, 42 the Cochrane qualitative tool is similarly
easy to use and was designed for QES use. How will you further your research as a result of the
review? IV. When a literature review stands alone, it is reviewing what is known about the topic,
analyzed for trends, controversial issues, and what still needs to be studied to better understand the
topic at hand. The thematic approach is the most common approach and is useful for structuring
literature reviews in most fields.
I’m doing a research project topic; stool analysis for parasitic worm (enteric) worm, how do I
structure it, thanks. Thematic synthesis adapts the key principles of thematic analysis 36 for use in
reviews. If you’re working with Grad Coach, this is a good time to have your Research Specialist
review your chapter. Types of Literature Reviews What kinds of literature reviews are written.
Remember that you may eventually be writing about the same text under different headings, so bear
that in mind when you are reading and making notes. While 75% of studies disclosed all outcome
data, and 100% of the included trials adequately left out bias in the selection of the reported
outcomes, only 20% of studies adequately left out performance bias. If a single reviewer undertakes
full-text screening, 8 the team should identify likely risks to trustworthiness of findings and focus
quality control procedures (eg, use of additional reviewers and percentages for double screening) on
specific threats 14 ( table 2, item R13). Quantitative and qualitative summaries of extracted data will
be provided. The only difference here between a “chronological” and a “thematic” approach is what
is emphasized the most: the development of the harpoon or the harpoon technology.But more
authentic thematic reviews tend to break away from chronological order. When it is just a chapter,
sources should equal the total number of pages in your article's body. This theory explains why the
intraoral musculature, the temporalis muscle, the submandibular and posterior mandibular regions,
which did not receive the direct and localized action of the laser, also showed diminution or
remission of the algic symptom in the control group. How does the publication contribute to your
understanding of the topic. Check out Scribbr’s professional proofreading services. 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. In the preceding
example, Falk and Mills either directly refer in the text to the author of their source, such as
Hamilton, or they provide ample notation in the text when the ideas they are mentioning are not their
own, for example, Gastil’s. This means that you will not just simply list your sources and go into
detail about each one of them, one at a time. No. As you read widely but selectively in your topic
area, consider instead what themes or issues connect your sources together. A literature review is a
survey of scholarly sources on a specific topic. In other cases, research is discussed by category (such
as in groupings of closely related studies) without regard for chronological order. Discuss the
strengths and weaknesses of the studies. Organizing the body Once you have the basic categories in
place, then you must consider how you will present the sources themselves within the body of your
paper. In the present context, the notion of rigour refers to the reliability and validity of the review
process described in section 9.2. For one thing, reliability is related to the reproducibility of the
review process and steps, which is facilitated by a comprehensive documentation of the literature
search process, extraction, coding and analysis performed in the review. For example, additional
categories of interest may emerge. The content will look slightly different in each case, but the
process of conducting a literature review follows the same steps. Consult with a librarian about
identifying research databases in other disciplines; almost every field of study has at least one
comprehensive database devoted to indexing its research literature. Cook, Kathleen E. and Elise
Murowchick. “Do Literature Review Skills Transfer from One Course to Another?” Psychology
Learning and Teaching 13 (March 2014): 3-11; Fink, Arlene. Correct my document today Writing
literature reviews can be quite challenging. Bioengineering. 2023;10(7):875. Spagnuolo G,
Annunziata M, Rengo S. In the last 36 months, he received royalties from Systematic Approaches To
a Successful Literature Review (Sage 3rd edition), honoraria from the Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality, and travel support from the WHO. This technique will give you a strong
indication of which points were clearly communicated and which weren’t. I’m asked to do
conceptual, theoretical and empirical literature, and i just don’t know how to structure it Submit a
Comment Cancel reply Your email address will not be published.
It might give a new interpretation of old material or combine new with old interpretations. After the
introduction, it grounds your research in a scholarly field and leads directly to your theoretical
framework or methodology. A team should start by specifying the phenomenon of interest, the
review question, 9 the perspectives to be included 9 and the sample to be determined and selected.
10 Subsequently, the team must finalise the appropriate choice of synthesis. 11 Above all, the review
team should consider the intended knowledge users, 3 including requirements of the funder. There
may be other places where people are publishing exemplary research. Provenance and peer review
Not commissioned; internally peer reviewed. Thus, while ambient sexism accounted for some of the
masculine bias, sexist language amplified the effect. (Source: Erika Falk and Jordan Mills, “Why
Sexist Language Affects Persuasion: The Role of Homophily, Intended Audience, and Offense,”
Women and Language19:2). You should be able to answer it based only on a review of existing
publications. This is achieved by simplifying or omitting stages of the systematic review process.
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. Table of Contents What is the purpose of literature review? a. A literature review is a
survey of scholarly sources on a specific topic. Historical literature reviews focus on examining
research throughout a period of time, often starting with the first time an issue, concept, theory,
phenomena emerged in the literature, then tracing its evolution within the scholarship of a discipline.
Critical thinking As with other forms of academic writing, your literature review needs to
demonstrate good academic practice by following the Code of Student Conduct and acknowledging
the work of others through citing and referencing your sources. In this comprehensive guide, we will
explore everything from the definition of a literature review, its appropriate length, various types of
literature reviews, and how to write one. This literature review provides a thorough summary of
research on climate change, focusing on climate change fingerprints and evidence of human
influence on the Earth's climate system. Social media, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat,
TikTok Body image, self-perception, self-esteem, mental health Generation Z, teenagers, adolescents,
youth Search for relevant sources Use your keywords to begin searching for sources. This review can
describe the effectiveness of specific programs for adolescent mothers and their children and
summarize recommendations for preventing early pregnancy. ?? Check out some more valuable
examples below: Hospital Readmissions: Literature Review. The literature review is an important
part of any research project because it allows the writer to look at previous studies on a topic and
determine existing gaps in the literature, as well as what has already been done. It all depends on the
type of research you are pursuing. 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.
The MeSH term analysis also suggested a strong interdisciplinary trend. For example, what might
cultural anthropologists say about the continuing conflict in the Middle East. Chronic Obstructive
Pulmonary Disease: Literature Review. Or it might trace the intellectual progression of the field,
including major debates. A stand-alone literature review can be as short as a few pages or may be
more extensive with long bibliographies for in-depth reviews. This is of particular importance given
prompt diagnosis and intervention can improve ED treatment outcomes and recovery prospects. 28
In this scoping review, we aim to examine the extent, range and nature of research activity into
disordered eating and EDs among minority ethnic populations in the UK, Canada, Australia and
New Zealand. In the end, I hope you will have a simple, practical strategy to write an effective
literature review. Rapid reviews summarise information from multiple research studies to produce
evidence for 'the public, researchers, policymakers and funders in a systematic, resource-efficient
manner'.16 Involvement of knowledge users is critical.3 Given time constraints, individual
knowledge users could be asked only to feedback on very specific. The type of information you
choose to mention should relate directly to the review’s focus, whether it is thematic,
methodological, or chronological. The MeSH term analysis also suggested a strong interdisciplinary
trend.