Writing Nursing Literature Reviews

Writing Nursing Literature Reviews

A nursing literature review involves discussing published information within a specific subject area and sometimes within a particular time frame.

It can be a simple summary of sources or more structured, combining both summary and synthesis. Summary means recapping the essential information from the source, while synthesis involves reorganizing or reshuffling that information. This could lead to a fresh interpretation of existing material or merging new and old interpretations. It might also track the intellectual evolution of the field, including significant debates. Depending on the context, the literature review might assess the sources and offer advice on the most relevant ones.

Distinguishing Nursing Literature Reviews from Academic Research Papers

In academic research papers, the primary focus is to develop a new argument. Such papers often include a literature review as part of their content. In this context, the literature functions as a foundation and support for new insights contributed by the author. However, in a literature review, the primary goal is to summarize and synthesize existing arguments and ideas, without introducing new contributions.

The Purpose of Writing Literature Reviews

Literature reviews serve as valuable guides to specific topics. They provide an overview and can serve as stepping stones when time is limited for research. For professionals, they offer updates on current developments in their field. Scholars benefit from the comprehensive knowledge of the literature, which enhances their credibility in their respective disciplines. Additionally, literature reviews lay a solid foundation for further research.

Who Creates Literature Reviews?

While literature reviews are occasionally written in the humanities, they are more common in the sciences and social sciences. In experimental and lab reports, they often constitute a section of the paper. Sometimes, literature reviews are standalone papers.

First Steps in Writing a Nursing Literature Review

1. Clarification: If your assignment lacks specificity, seek clarification from your instructor regarding the number of sources, types of sources, summarization, synthesis, critique, and whether subheadings and background information are needed.

2. Find Models: Search for literature reviews related to your area of interest or discipline. Reading these reviews can provide insights into themes to explore in your research and organizational strategies. Utilize search engines and reference sections of previously read sources to find relevant literature reviews.

3. Narrow Your Topic: Given the vast volume of available material, narrowing your topic makes it easier to manage your research. Consult with your professor or experts in the field to identify seminal works.

4. Consider Currency: Some fields require the use of the most up-to-date information, especially in rapidly changing areas like the sciences. In contrast, humanities, history, and social sciences may emphasize changes in perspectives over time. Examine current bibliographies and literature reviews to align with your discipline’s expectations.

Strategies for Writing the Literature Review

1. Find a Focus: Organize your literature review around central ideas, not merely listing sources. Identify themes, solutions, missing aspects, theoretical perspectives, trends, or debates that connect your sources.

2. Convey Expectations: Though a literature review may not have a traditional thesis statement, it should inform readers about the main organizing principle. Provide a clear statement of what to expect from your review.

3. Consider Organization: Develop a global and local organization for your review. Include an introduction (providing an overview), the body (containing source discussions, organized chronologically, thematically, or methodologically), and a conclusion/recommendations section to summarize findings and suggest future directions.

Organizing the Body

After establishing the primary categories, it’s crucial to think about how to arrange the sources within the main part of your paper. Create a clear organizational method to further refine this section.

Consider the following scenario to help you develop an overall structure for your literature review:

Let’s say you’ve chosen to focus on literature related to sperm whales. This decision stems from your recent reading of “Moby Dick,” prompting you to question the accuracy of the whale’s portrayal. You begin by examining articles from biology journals in the 1980s that discuss the physiology of sperm whales. These articles reference British biological studies from the early 18th century, which you also investigate. You then explore a book published in 1968 that delves into how sperm whales have been depicted in various art forms, such as Alaskan poetry, French painting, and whale bone sculptures from the late 19th century. This leads you to wonder about American whaling practices during the period portrayed in “Moby Dick.” You search for academic articles published in the last five years to evaluate Herman Melville’s accuracy in depicting the whaling scene in his novel.

Now, let’s examine common methods of organizing sources in a literature review:

1. Chronological: If you choose a chronological approach, you would discuss the materials in the order of their publication. For instance, you might begin with the British biological studies from the 18th century, followed by “Moby Dick” (published in 1851), the book on sperm whales in other art (1968), and finally, the biology articles from the 1980s and the recent articles on American whaling in the 19th century. However, this approach may lack continuity among subjects, and newer sources may be about older subjects, disrupting the chronological focus.

2. By Publication: Order your sources chronologically only if this order highlights a significant trend. For example, if your literature review explores the evolution of dissection practices in biological studies of sperm whales, you could arrange the sources based on publication dates.

3. By Trend: A more effective way to organize sources chronologically is to group them under a broader trend, such as the history of whaling. In this case, your review would have subsections corresponding to eras within this period, like pre-1600-1699, 1700-1799, and 1800-1899. This approach allows you to combine recent studies on American whaling in the 19th century with “Moby Dick” from the 1800-1899 category, despite the century-spanning gap between their creation.

4. Thematic: Thematic reviews focus on a specific topic or issue rather than chronological progression. However, the passage of time may still be relevant. For instance, if your review concentrates on the development of harpoons for whale hunting, you can maintain a chronological structure. But authentic thematic reviews might deviate from chronological order. For example, a thematic review on sperm whales could explore how they are portrayed as “evil” in cultural documents, with subsections addressing personification, exaggerated proportions, and misunderstood behaviors, shifting between time periods within each section as needed.

Nursing Literature Review Writing; A Comprehensive Guide

5. Methodological: A methodological approach centers on the “methods” used by researchers or writers, not the content. For your sperm whale project, a methodological approach could examine cultural differences in the portrayal of whales in American, British, and French artwork. Alternatively, you might investigate the economic impact of whaling on a community. A methodological focus will influence either the types of documents included in the review or the way you discuss these documents.

Once you’ve chosen the organizational method for your review’s body, determining the necessary sections for your paper should become clear, emerging from your organizational strategy. In essence, a chronological review will have subsections for each significant time period, while a thematic review will include subtopics related to the theme or issue.

However, you might occasionally need to add additional sections required for your study but not fitting the organizational strategy. The decision on additional sections in the body is at your discretion. Include only what is essential. Here are some other sections you might consider:

– Current Situation: Information necessary for understanding the literature review’s topic or focus.
– History: The chronological progression of the field, literature, or an idea, essential for comprehending the literature review if the body isn’t already chronological.
– Methods and/or Standards: Explanation of the criteria used for source selection or the way information is presented. For example, you might clarify that your review exclusively includes peer-reviewed articles and journals.
– Questions for Further Research: What questions about the field does the review raise? How will you extend your research based on the review’s findings?

Composing Nursing Literature Review

Once you’ve settled on an organizational pattern, you can begin writing each section. During the writing process, adhere to several guidelines. Here’s a sample paragraph from a literature review on sexism and language to illustrate the discussion:

“However, other studies have shown that even gender-neutral antecedents are more likely to produce masculine images than feminine ones (Gastil, 1990). Hamilton (1988) asked students to complete sentences that required them to fill in pronouns that agreed with gender-neutral antecedents such as ‘writer,’ ‘pedestrian,’ and ‘persons.’ The students were asked to describe any image they had when writing the sentence.

Hamilton found that people imagined 3.3 men to each woman in the masculine ‘generic’ condition and 1.5 men per woman in the unbiased condition. 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 Language 19:2).”

Using Evidence

In the example above, the authors reference several other sources to support their point. A literature review, in this sense, is similar to any other academic research paper. Your interpretation of the available sources must be backed up with evidence to demonstrate the validity of your statements.

Be Selective

Highlight only the most critical points from each source in your review. The information you choose to mention should directly relate to the review’s focus, whether it’s thematic, methodological, or chronological.

Use Quotes Sparingly

The authors Falk and Mills don’t include direct quotes. The nature of a literature review doesn’t usually permit in-depth discussion or extensive quoting from the text. However, it’s acceptable to use brief quotes sparingly to emphasize a point or when the author’s words cannot be effectively paraphrased. Ensure that any quoted terms are either specific to the author, not common knowledge, or taken directly from the study. If you find yourself wanting to include more quotes, consult your instructor.

Summarize and Synthesize Nursing Literature Review

Remember to summarize and synthesize your sources within each paragraph and throughout the review. Falk and Mills, in this case, recap key aspects of Hamilton’s study and then synthesize the information by rephrasing the study’s significance and linking it to their own work.

Maintain Your Own Voice

While a literature review presents others’ ideas, your voice as the writer should remain prominent. Observe that Falk and Mills integrate references to other sources into their text but maintain their own voice by introducing and concluding the paragraph with their own ideas and words. While the sources support their points, Falk and Mills express their perspective.

Paraphrasing Nursing Literature Review

When paraphrasing a source that isn’t your own, ensure that you accurately represent the author’s information or opinions in your own words. In the example, Falk and Mills either directly mention the author of their source, such as Hamilton, or provide clear citations in the text when discussing ideas not originating from them, such as Gastil’s.

Revise Nursing Literature Review

With your draft in hand, it’s time to revise. Spending sufficient time on revision is crucial, as your primary aim is to present the material, not the argument. Review your literature review to ensure it aligns with the assignment and your outline. Then, as with most academic writing, refine or rephrase your review for conciseness. Use language familiar to your audience, eliminating unnecessary jargon or slang. Finally, double-check your source documentation and formatting, ensuring your review adheres to the conventions of your discipline. Writing Nursing Literature Reviews.