· A literature review is a comprehensive summary of previous research on a topic. The literature review surveys scholarly articles, books, and other sources relevant to a particular area of research. The review should enumerate, describe, summarize, objectively evaluate and clarify this previous blogger.com: Michael Coffta · Usually, a literature review can be described as an objective, concise, and critical summary of published research literature pertinent to the subject being researched in an article. A literature can be an end in itself (an analysis of what is known about a topic) or a prologue to and rationale for engaging in primary research · ing. A literature review differs from a systematic review, which addresses a specific clinical question by combining the results of multiple clinical trials (an article on this topic will follow as part of this series of publications). A formal literature review is
The Literature Review | A Complete Step-by-Step Guide
Try out PMC Labs and tell us what you think. Learn More. Researchers should check with their librarian to determine their access rights. Despite a surge in published scholarship in medical education 1 and rapid growth in journals that publish educational research, manuscript acceptance rates continue to fall. By understanding the goals of a literature review and following a few basic processes, authors can enhance both the literature review in article of their educational research and the likelihood of publication in the Journal of Graduate Medical Education JGME and in other journals.
In medical education, no organization has articulated a formal definition of a literature review for a research paper; thus, a literature review can take a number of forms, literature review in article. Depending on the type of article, literature review in article, target journal, and specific topic, these forms will vary in methodology, rigor, and depth.
Several organizations have published guidelines for conducting an intensive literature search intended for formal systematic reviews, both broadly eg, PRISMA 5 and within medical literature review in article, 6 and there are excellent commentaries to guide authors of systematic reviews.
A literature review forms the basis for high-quality medical education research and helps maximize relevance, originality, generalizability, and impact. A literature review provides context, informs methodology, maximizes innovation, avoids duplicative research, and ensures that professional standards are met.
Literature reviews take time, are iterative, and should continue throughout the research process. Such work is outside the scope of this article, which focuses on literature reviews to inform reports of original medical education research. We define such a literature review as a synthetic review and summary of what is known and unknown regarding the topic of a scholarly body of work, including the current work's place within the existing knowledge. While this type of literature review may not require the intensive search processes mandated by systematic reviews, it merits a thoughtful and rigorous approach.
An understanding of the current literature is critical for all phases of a research study. After you hang about eavesdropping to get the literature review in article of what's being said the conversational equivalent of the literature reviewyou join the conversation with a contribution that signals your shared interest in the topic, your knowledge of what's already been said, and your intention.
Understanding the current literature also promotes scholarship, as proposed by Boyer, 10 by contributing to 5 of the 6 standards by which scholarly work should be literature review in article. Failure to conduct a high-quality literature review is associated with several problems identified in the medical education literature, including studies that are literature review in article, not grounded in theory, literature review in article, methodologically weak, and fail to expand knowledge beyond a single setting.
Likewise, studies that lack theoretical grounding or a conceptual framework make study design and interpretation difficult. As Norman 14 noted, when theory is used appropriately, it helps articulate variables that might be linked together and why, and it allows the researcher to make hypotheses and define a study's context and scope.
Ultimately, a proper literature review is a first critical step toward identifying relevant conceptual frameworks, literature review in article. Another problem is that many medical education studies are methodologically weak. Conducting a proper literature review helps both novice and experienced researchers select rigorous research methodologies.
Such studies frequently are not oriented toward progressive knowledge building and generalization to other settings.
A firm grasp of the literature can encourage a programmatic approach to research. Considering these issues, journals have a responsibility to demand from authors a thoughtful synthesis of their study's position within the field, and it is the authors' responsibility to provide literature review in article a synthesis, based on a literature review. The aforementioned purposes of the literature review mandate that the review occurs throughout all phases of a study, literature review in article, from conception and design, to implementation and analysis, to manuscript preparation and submission.
Planning the literature review requires understanding of journal requirements, which vary greatly by journal table 1. Authors are advised to take note of common problems with reporting results of the literature review. Table 2 lists the most common problems that we have encountered as authors, reviewers, and editors. Sample of Journals' Author Instructions for Literature Reviews Conducted as Part of Original Research Article a. Common Problem Areas for Reporting Literature Reviews in the Context of Scholarly Articles.
Three resources may facilitate identifying relevant literature: human resources, search tools, and related literature, literature review in article. As the process requires time, it is important to begin searching for literature early in the process ie, the study design phase.
Identifying and understanding relevant studies will increase the likelihood of designing a relevant, adaptable, generalizable, and novel study literature review in article is based on educational or learning theory and can maximize impact. A medical librarian can help translate research interests into an effective search strategy, familiarize researchers with available information resources, provide information on organizing information, and introduce strategies for keeping current with emerging research.
Often, librarians are also aware of research across their institutions and may be able to connect researchers with similar interests. Reaching out to colleagues for suggestions may help researchers quickly locate resources that would not otherwise be on their radar. During this process, literature review in article, researchers will likely identify other researchers writing on aspects of their topic, literature review in article.
Researchers should consider searching for the publications of these relevant literature review in article see table 3 for search strategies. Additionally, literature review in article, institutional websites literature review in article include curriculum vitae of such relevant faculty with access to their entire publication record, including difficult to locate publications, such as book chapters, dissertations, and technical literature review in article. Strategies for Finding Related Researcher Publications in Databases and Search Engines.
Researchers will locate the majority of needed information using databases and search engines. Excellent resources are available to guide researchers in the mechanics of literature searches. Because medical education research draws on a variety of disciplines, researchers should include search tools with coverage beyond medicine eg, psychology, nursing, education, and anthropology and that cover several publication types, such as reports, standards, conference abstracts, and book chapters see the box for several information resources.
Many search tools include options for viewing citations of selected articles. Examining cited references provides additional articles for review and a sense of the influence of the selected article on its field. Once relevant articles are located, it is useful to mine those articles for additional citations. One strategy is to examine references of key articles, especially review articles, for relevant citations. As the aforementioned resources will likely provide a tremendous amount of information, organization is crucial.
Researchers should determine which details are most important to their study eg, participants, setting, methods, and outcomes and generate a strategy for keeping those details organized and accessible.
Increasingly, researchers utilize digital tools, such as Evernote, to capture such information, which enables accessibility across digital workspaces and search capabilities. Use of citation managers can also be helpful as they store citations and, in some cases, can generate bibliographies table 4. Researchers often ask how to know when they have located enough citations. Unfortunately, there is no magic or ideal number of citations literature review in article collect.
One strategy for checking coverage of the literature is to inspect references of relevant articles. As researchers review references they will start noticing a repetition of the same articles with few new articles appearing. This can indicate that the researcher has covered the literature base on a particular topic.
In preparing to write a research paper, it is important to consider which citations to include and how they will inform the introduction and discussion sections. Reviewing articles of literature review in article type published in the targeted journal can also provide guidance regarding structure and average lengths of the introduction and discussion sections. When selecting references for the introduction consider those that illustrate core background theoretical and methodological concepts, as well as recent relevant studies.
The literature review in article should be brief and present references not as a laundry list or narrative of available literature, but rather as a synthesized summary to provide context for the current study and to identify the gap in the literature that the study intends to fill. For the discussion, citations should be thoughtfully selected to compare and contrast the present study's findings with the current literature and to indicate how the present study moves the field forward.
To facilitate writing a literature review, journals are increasingly providing helpful features to guide authors. For example, the resources available through JGME include several articles on writing. Additionally, many institutions have writing centers that provide web-based materials on writing a literature review, and some even have writing coaches. The literature review is a vital part of medical education research and should occur throughout the research process to help researchers design a strong study and effectively communicate study results and importance.
To achieve these goals, researchers are advised to plan and execute the literature review carefully. The guidance in this editorial provides considerations and recommendations that may improve the quality of literature reviews. National Center for Biotechnology InformationU. National Library of Medicine Rockville PikeBethesda MDUSA. NCBI Skip to main content Skip to navigation Resources How To About NCBI Accesskeys My NCBI Sign in to NCBI Sign Out.
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Journal List J Grad Med Educ v. J Grad Med Educ. doi: PMCID: PMC Lauren A. MaggioPhD, MS LISJustin L. SewellMD, MPH, and Anthony R. Artino, JrPhD, literature review in article. Author information Copyright and License information Disclaimer. Maggio, PhD, MS LISis Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences; Justin L.
Sewell, MD, MPH, is Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco; and Anthony R, literature review in article. Artino Jr, PhD, is Professor and Deputy Director for Graduate Programs in Health Professions Education, Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services Literature review in article of the Health Sciences.
Corresponding author: Lauren A. Maggio, PhD, MS LISUniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, literature review in article, MD shusu oiggam. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, the Department of the Navy, the Department of Literature review in article, or the US government.
Copyright Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. This article has been cited by other articles in PMC. The Literature Review Defined In medical education, no organization has articulated a formal definition of a literature review for a research paper; thus, a literature review can take a number of forms.
Keeping organized is critical. Purpose and Importance of the Literature Review An understanding of the current literature is critical for all phases of a research study. Approaching the Literature Review Considering these issues, journals have a responsibility to demand from authors a thoughtful synthesis of their study's position within the field, and it is the authors' responsibility to provide such a synthesis, based on a literature review.
Table 1 Sample of Journals' Author Instructions for Literature Reviews Conducted as Part of Original Research Article a. Open in a separate window. Table 2 Common Problem Areas for Reporting Literature Reviews in the Context of Scholarly Articles.
How To Write A Literature Review In 3 Simple Steps (FREE Template With Examples)
, time: 40:13The Literature Review: A Foundation for High-Quality Medical Education Research
· A literature review is a comprehensive summary of previous research on a topic. The literature review surveys scholarly articles, books, and other sources relevant to a particular area of research. The review should enumerate, describe, summarize, objectively evaluate and clarify this previous blogger.com: Michael Coffta · Usually, a literature review can be described as an objective, concise, and critical summary of published research literature pertinent to the subject being researched in an article. A literature can be an end in itself (an analysis of what is known about a topic) or a prologue to and rationale for engaging in primary research Lastly, a literature review should combine a summary with a synthesis of the documents it uses. A summary is a brief overview of the important information in the publication; a synthesis is a re-organization of the information that gives the writing a new and unique meaning
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