How to write a literature review

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How to write a literature review
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What is a review article?

• A review article is a type of secondary
  literature that talks about previously published
  work.
• Review articles give an overview of existing
  literature in a field, often identifying specific
  problems or issues and analysing information from
  available published work on the topic with a
  balanced perspective.
• 6 Article types that journals publish A guide
  for early career researchers
• - Kakoli Majumder -

Available at
http//www.editage.com/insights/6-article-types-th
at-journals-publish-a-guide-for-early-career-resea
rchers
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Types of review articles
Systematic reviews
Literature reviews
Meta-analyses

• Today, well understand how to write a literature
  review.

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What is a literature review?
A literature review is a critical summary of all
the published works on a particular topic.

• It analyzes specific issues.

It identifies trends in research.
It points out research gaps in existing
literature.
How a literature review helps scientists and
readers

• Scientists are able to
• Learn about developments in the field
• Find gaps in research
• Identify new topics of research

• Readers are able to
• Form an idea about the current state of
  understanding on a topic
• Decide whether to read each article individually

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How to write a literature review
You can write your literature review using one of
the following approaches
Chronological
Thematic
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The chronological approach
Describe each work in succession, starting with
the earliest available information.
TIPS
for using the chronological approach

• Use this structure when you want to focus on how
  ideas or methodology have progressed over time.
• Group and discuss your sources in order of their
  publication date.
• Record the research and developments in each
  group.
• Check how the field has developed over the years.
  Do all studies discuss a common topic?
• Example how models for treatment methods for
  skin cancer in children have developed over a
  specific period

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The thematic approach
Organize and discuss existing literature based on
themes or theoretical concepts you feel are
important to understanding the topic.
TIPS
for using the thematic approach

• Remember that you need to do much more than
  summarizing each study.
• Analyze existing knowledge on the topic with
  regard to certain important issues.
• Draw the readers attention to new angles or
  perspectives.
• Start listing citations you may include in your
  paper.

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Structure of a literature review

• A literature review typically has five sections

Introduction
Methods
Body
Discussion Conclusion
Reference list
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What you should include in each section (1/5)
Set some context provide information about the
field of study, the relevance of the chosen topic
within the field, and the focus of the literature
review.
Introduction
Introduction
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What you should include in each section (2/5)

• Set some context provide information about the
  field of study, the relevance of the chosen topic
  within the field, and the focus of the literature
  review.

Introduction
Help readers understand your approach, describe
the criteria used to select the sources or the
way in which you have presented information.
Methods
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What you should include in each section (3/5)

• Set some context provide information about the
  field of study, the relevance of the chosen topic
  within the field, and the focus of the literature
  review.

Introduction
Help readers understand your approach, describe
the criteria used to select the sources or the
way in which you have presented information.
Methods
A chronological model has different paragraphs
for different time periods a thematic model has
subtopics based on the different themes.
Body
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What you should include in each section (4/5)

• Set some context provide information about the
  field of study, the relevance of the chosen topic
  within the field, and the focus of the literature
  review.

Introduction
Help readers understand your approach, describe
the criteria used to select the sources or the
way in which you have presented information.
Methods
A chronological model has different paragraphs
for different time periods a thematic model has
subtopics based on the different themes.
Body
Summarize the main contributions of significant
studies, raise and discuss questions about the
topic and field, clearly mention gaps in
research, if any, and possible suggestions for
further study.
Discussion Conclusion
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What you should include in each section (5/5)

• Set some context provide information about the
  field of study, the relevance of the chosen topic
  within the field, and the focus of the literature
  review.

Introduction
Help readers understand your approach, describe
the criteria used to select the sources or the
way in which you have presented information.
Methods
A chronological model has different paragraphs
for different time periods a thematic model has
subtopics based on the different themes.
Body
Summarize the main contributions of significant
studies, raise and discuss questions about the
topic and field, clearly mention gaps in
research, if any, and possible suggestions for
further study.
Discussion Conclusion
Prepare a complete reference list that includes
every important detail of all the sources you
have referred to.
Reference list
Source A young researcher's guide to writing a
literature review, Available from
http//www.editage.com/insights/a-young-researche
rs-guide-to-writing-a-literature-review
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Final checklist (1/2)
The topic must be interesting to you it should
also be well-defined and important to the field.
Choose the right topic
Check the literature you have chosen
Monitor the papers you have chosen to review,
make changes to your bibliography, if required
prepare a complete reference list.
Write interesting bits of information or ideas as
you read so that you dont miss important points
when writing the review.
Take notes while reading
Decide the format of your review
Decide whether you should use a thematic or
chronological approach, based on the amount and
type of material you have.
Keep the focus specific and interest general
While you focus on a specific topic, make sure
your review is also relevant to a broader
audience who may want to know more about the
field.
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Final checklist (2/2)
Cover the main findings in the reviewed field,
include topics that are most debated, add your
own thoughts instead of reporting what has been
said.
Analyze critically, dont summarize
Use a flowchart to map the flow of ideas in your
literature review, and ensure that readers get a
critical overview of research in the field.
Get the structure right
Seek feedback from colleagues and peers, and get
more perspectives from senior colleagues before
submitting your literature review for publication.
Rely on feedback
Avoid sounding as though you are overly critical
or in favor of previous research objectively
present the strengths and weaknesses of previous
studies.
Be objective
It is not necessary to only include the latest
studies in your review include older papers that
made a high impact or that discussed the topic
you are interested in.
Include older studies
Source Ten Simple Rules for Writing a Literature
Review, DOI 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1003149
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• We hope you found this useful.
• Good luck with your literature review!

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