How to write a literature review

How to write a literature review

Literature Review Definition

The format of a literature review can vary from one discipline to another and from one assignment to another. A literature review can stand alone as a self-contained unit or serve as a preface and rationale for engaging in primary research. It is a necessary component of grant and research proposals and often a chapter in theses and dissertations.

In general, the purpose of a literature review is to critically analyze a segment of existing knowledge by summarizing, classifying, and comparing prior research studies, literature reviews, and theoretical articles.

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How to Write a Literature Review Introduction

In the introduction of a literature review, you should:

1. Define or identify the general topic, issue, or area of concern, providing context for the literature review.
2. Highlight overall trends in what has been published about the topic, conflicts in theory, methodology, evidence, and conclusions, gaps in research, or a specific problem or new perspective of immediate interest.
3. Explain the writer’s reason (point of view) for conducting the literature review, define the criteria used for analyzing and comparing literature, outline the organization of the review, and, if necessary, justify the inclusion or exclusion of specific literature.

How to Write the Body of the Literature Review

In the body of the literature review, you should:

• Group research studies and other types of literature (e.g., reviews, theoretical articles, case studies) based on common characteristics such as qualitative versus quantitative approaches, authors’ conclusions, specific objectives, chronology, etc.
• Summarize individual studies or articles, providing as much or as little detail as each study merits based on its significance in the literature. Remember that the length of discussion often reflects its importance.
  Use strong “umbrella” sentences at the beginning of paragraphs, provide “signposts” throughout, and include brief “so what” summary sentences at intermediate points to help readers understand comparisons and analyses.

Writing the Literature Review Conclusion

In the conclusion of the literature review, you should:

1. Summarize the major contributions of significant studies and articles to the body of knowledge under review, maintaining the focus established in the introduction.
2. Evaluate the current “state of the art” for the subject matter, identifying major methodological flaws, gaps in research, inconsistencies in theory and findings, and areas or issues that require further investigation.
3. Conclude by providing insights into the relationship between the central topic of the literature review and a broader area of study, such as a discipline, scientific field, or profession.

This guidance on how to write a literature review should help you structure and compose a thorough and effective nursing literature review for your research or academic purposes.