Conducting a literature review

Basics on writing a literature review in the health and medical sciences

What we will cover

What is a literature review? Why do a literature review? How to structure a literature review How to get started Tips for writing a literature review Places to get further help

What is a literature review? A literature review is a survey of

research articles, books and other information resources related to a particular topic.

A thorough literature review can be a process to identify gaps in research. This can be a justification for a research proposal for more in-depth investigation.

Why do a literature review?

To demonstrate your ability to seek, retrieve, evaluate and summarize the scholarly and research literature on a particular topic

To familiarize yourself on a given topic and become better informed on the discussions

To identify any gaps in the research

How to structure a literature review

Introduction Overview and objectives

Methods Search strategy and rational for article inclusion

Discussion Broken into themes that appear in the papers

Conclusion Reference List

How to get started

Define a topic Conduct a literature search Evaluate the articles you retrieve,

otherwise known as critically appraising your articles

Analyze the articles Look for common themes,

agreements/oppositions

Tips for writing a literature review

Structure review with headings to make it easier for the reader to follow

Identify any points of discussion where there are overriding agreements or disagreements

Identify if further research is required on the topic

Biggest tip on writing a literature review

A literature review is different than a book review. Do not just report what the articles say, but discuss an article’s content in relation to other articles chosen for the review. Revolve this discussion over the comparison of findings and similarities and/or differences.

Places to go for further help

Librarians and course supervisors Aveyard, H. (2014). Doing a literature

review in health and social care: A practical guide (3rd ed.). Maidenhead: Open University Press.