Literature Reviews can be short and concise, or they can be comprehensive and extremely detailed.
INTRODUCTION:
Set up a framework for your reader, so everyone is starting from the same point as you begin your topic discussion and review. Set the stage.
- Identify the problem.
- Define special terms & clarify acronyms.
- Briefly explain theories.
- Justify the relevancy or importance of the topic, issue, condition.
- Provide background information: geography, dates, names, events, etc.
- Give a short history of the topic to place it in historical context.
STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVE:
- State your purpose. Why review the literature?
- Tell the reader what to expect from the review.
- Make a claim.
- State the question.
METHOD:
- Identify a time frame to circumscribe the literature to be examined.
*last 10 years *2015-2020 *1982-2019
- Identify the language used in the literature to be examined.
*English only *English & Spanish
- Identify formats the literature can take.
*RCTs only *quantitative studies only *no editorials or social media, etc.
- Identify population characteristics necessary in research studies:
*Hispanics * > 65 yrs *female
- Identify the search tools to be employed.
*List databases *Google Scholar *Bibliographies, etc.
- Identify search TERMS.
*keywords *controlled vocabulary (MeSH, Subject Headings)
* synonyms -- plain language, formal terminology, technical terminology
- Develop the search strategy using Boolean Operators (AND, OR)
- Document each search (search terms, Boolean Operators, filters, number of results, date searched)
- Analyze search results as representative of the Review Objective (answers the question)
- Modify the search strategy if necessary. Document
- Describe final search results.
*surprises *unique findings *bothersome discoveries *amount of literature on the topic, etc.
DISCUSSION: (the heart of the Literature Review; spend the majority of time on this section)
- Analyze the search results -- one result at a time.
- Summarize main findings.
- Identify themes.
- Address points of disagreement.
- Note unexpected issues with the search or in the literature results themselves.
- Discuss the quantity of high-quality literature on the topic (scarce, plentiful).
- Assess the quality of the literature.
*unscientific *mostly opinion *rigorous research *biased, etc.
CONCLUSION:
- Summarize the main points in your findings.
- Explain what the findings mean. Put the findings in context. How do the findings fit with previous knowledge?
- Address implications of what was discovered (for practice, for the future, etc.)
- Forecast future trends or new areas of exploration.
- Make recommendations.
(Do not bring new information into your conclusion. This section is the ultimate take-away message ... bottom line.)
