Literature Review

Literature review
Page issues
A literature review or narrative review is

one of the two main types of review
articles, the other being the systematic
review. A literature review is a scholarly
paper, which includes the current
knowledge including substantive findings,
as well as theoretical and methodological
contributions to a particular topic.
Literature reviews are secondary sources,
and do not report new or original
experimental work. Most often associated
with academic-oriented literature, such
reviews are found in academic journals,
and are not to be confused with book
reviews that may also appear in the same
publication. Literature reviews are a basis
for research in nearly every academic
field.[1] A narrow-scope literature review
may be included as part of a peer-reviewed
journal article presenting new research,
serving to situate the current study within
the body of the relevant literature and to
provide context for the reader. In such a
case, the review usually precedes the
methodology and results sections of the
work.
Producing a literature review may also be

part of graduate and post-graduate
student work, including in the preparation
of a thesis, dissertation, or a journal
article. Literature reviews are also
common in a research proposal or
prospectus (the document that is
approved before a student formally begins
a dissertation or thesis).[2]
Types
The main types of literature reviews are:
evaluative, exploratory, and instrumental.[3]
A fourth type, the systematic review, is
often classified separately, but is
essentially a literature review focused on a
research question, trying to identify,
appraise, select and synthesize all high-
quality research evidence and arguments
relevant to that question. A meta-analysis
is typically a systematic review using
statistical methods to effectively combine
the data used on all selected studies to
produce a more reliable result.[4]
Process and product

Shields and Rangarajan (2013) distinguish
between the process of reviewing the
literature and a finished work or product
known as a literature review.[5]:193–229 The
process of reviewing the literature is often
ongoing and informs many aspects of the
empirical research project. All of the latest
literature should inform a research project.
Scholars need to be scanning the literature
long after a formal literature review
product appears to be completed.
A careful literature review is usually 15 to

30 pages and could be longer. The process
of reviewing the literature requires
different kinds of activities and ways of
thinking.[6] Shields and Rangarajan (2013)
and Granello (2001) link the activities of
doing a literature review with Benjamin
Bloom’s revised taxonomy of the cognitive
domain (ways of thinking: remembering,
understanding, applying, analyzing,
evaluating, and creating).[5][7]
The first category in Bloom's taxonomy is

remembering. For a person doing a
literature review this would include tasks
such as recognition, retrieval and
recollection of the relevant literature.
During this stage relevant books, articles,
monographs, dissertations, etc. are
identified and read. Bloom’s second
category understanding occurs as the
scholar comprehends the material they
have collected and read. This step is
critical because no one can write clearly
about something they do not understand.
Understanding may be challenging
because the literature could introduce the
scholar to new terminology, conceptual
framework and methodology.
Comprehension (particularly for new
scholars) is often improved by taking
careful notes. In Bloom’s third category
applying the scholar is able to make
connections between the literature and his
or her larger research project. This is
particularly true if the literature review is to
be a chapter in a future empirical study.
The literature review begins to inform the
research question, and methodological
approaches. When scholars analyze
(fourth category in Bloom's taxonomy)
they are able to separate material into
parts and figure out how the parts fit
together. Analysis of the literature allows
the scholar to develop frameworks for
analysis and the ability to see the big
picture and know how details from the
literature fit within the big picture. Analysis
facilitates the development of an outline
(list). The books, articles and monographs
read will be of different quality and value.
When scholars use Bloom’s fifth category
evaluating they are able to see the
strengths and weaknesses of the theories,
arguments, methodology and findings of
the literature they have collected and
read.[7] When scholars engage in creating
the final category in Bloom's taxonomy,
they bring creativity to the process of
doing a literature review. In other words,
they draw new and original insights from
the literature. They may be able to find a
fresh and original research question,
identify a heretofore, unknown gap in the
literature or make surprising connections.
By understanding how ways of thinking
connect to tasks of a literature review, a
scholar is able to be self-reflective and
bring metacognition to the process of
reviewing the literature.[5]
Most of these tasks occur before the
writing even begins. The process of
reviewing the literature and writing a
literature review can be complicated and
lengthy. It is helpful to bring a system of
organization and planning to the task.
When an orderly system can be designed,
it is easier to keep track of the articles,
books, materials read, notes, outlines and
drafts.[8]
See also
Wikiversity has learning resources about
Literature review
Empirical study of literature
Living review
Review journal
References
1. Lamb, David. "The Uses of Analysis:
Rhetorical Analysis, Article Analysis, and the
Literature Review" . Academic Writing Tutor.
Archived from the original on 23 May 2014.
Retrieved 26 February 2016.
2. Baglione, L. (2012). Writing a Research
Paper in Political Science. Thousand Oaks,
California: CQ Press.
3. Adams, John; Khan, Hafiz T A; Raeside,
Robert (2007). Research methods for
graduate business and social science
students. New Delhi: SAGE Publications.
p. 56. ISBN 9780761935896.
4. Bolderston, Amanda (June 2008).
"Writing an Effective Literature Review".
Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation
Sciences. 39 (2): 86–92.
doi:10.1016/j.jmir.2008.04.009 .
5. Shields, Patricia; Rangarjan, Nandhini
(2013). A Playbook for Research Methods:
Integrating Conceptual Frameworks and
Project Management . Stillwater, Oklahoma:
New Forums Press. ISBN 1-58107-247-3.
6. Baker, P. (2000). "Writing a Literature
Review". The Marketing Review. 1 (2): 219–
247.
7. Granello, D. H. (2001). "Promoting
cognitive complexity in graduate written
work: Using Bloom's taxonomy as a
pedagogical tool to improve Literature
Reviews". Counselor Education &
Supervision. 40: 292–307.
8. Shields, Patricia (2000). Step by Step:
Building a Research Project . Stillwater,
Oklahoma: New Forums Press.
Further reading
General
Cooper, Harris M. (1998). Synthesizing

Research: A Guide for Literature Reviews.
Applied Social Research Methods (3rd
ed.). Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE
Publications. ISBN 978-0761913481.
Creswell, John W. (2013). "Review of the
Literature". Research Design. Qualitative,
Quantitative, and Mixed Method
Approaches (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks,
California: SAGE Publications.
ISBN 9781452226101.
Dellinger, Amy B. (2005). "Validity and
the Review of Literature". Research in the
Schools. 12 (2): 41–54.
Dellinger, Amy B.; Leech, Nancy L.
(2007). "Toward a Unified Validation
Framework in Mixed Methods
Research". Journal of Mixed Methods
Research. 1 (4): 309–332.
Galvan, José L. (2015). Writing Literature
Reviews: A Guide for Students of the
Social and Behavioral Sciences (6th ed.).
Pyrczak Publishing. ISBN 978-
1936523375.
Green, Bart N.; Johnson, Claire D.;
Adams, Alan (2006). "Writing Narrative
Literature Reviews for Peer-Reviewed
Journals: Secrets of the Trade". Journal
of Chiropractic Medicine. 5 (3): 101–114.
Hart, Chris (2008). "Literature Reviewing
and Argumentation". In Hall, Gerard;
Longman, Jo. The Postgraduate's
Companion. Thousand Oaks, California:
SAGE Publications. ISBN 978-1-4129-
3026-0.
Various fields
Hart, Chris (1998). Doing a Literature

Review: Releasing the Social Science
Research Imagination. SAGE Study
Skills. London: SAGE Publications.
ISBN 9780761959755.
Hart, Chris (2001). Doing a Literature
Search: A Guide for the Social Sciences.
SAGE Study Skills. Thousand Oaks,
California: SAGE Publications. ISBN 978-
0761968108.
Retrieved from
"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?
title=Literature_review&oldid=843440454"
Last edited 1 month ago by Whatam…
Content is available under CC BY-SA 3.0 unless

otherwise noted.

Literature Review - Wikipedia

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Literature Review - Wikipedia

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Literature Review - Wikipedia

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

What are the main types of literature reviews?

What is the difference between the process of reviewing literature and the finished product of a literature review?

A literature review or narrative review is

Producing a literature review may also be

Process and product

A careful literature review is usually 15 to

The ﬁrst category in Bloom's taxonomy is

Cooper, Harris M. (1998). Synthesizing

Hart, Chris (1998). Doing a Literature

Last edited 1 month ago by Whatam…

Content is available under CC BY-SA 3.0 unless

You might also like