What is a literature review in research?

What is a literature review in research?

A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources that provides an overview of statement or the study’s goals or purpose. *This sample paper was adapted by the Writing Center from Key, K.L., Rich, C., DeCristofaro, C., Collins, S. (2010). Use of P ropofol and emergence agitation in children: A literature review . AANA Journal, 78(6).

How do you write a good introduction for a literature review?

The introduction should clearly establish the focus and purpose of the literature review. If you are writing the literature review as part of your dissertation or thesis, reiterate your central problem or research question and give a brief summary of the scholarly context.

How do I reference another writer’s ideas in a literature review?

When you reference another writer’s ideas in your literature review, you need to either quote or paraphrase and correctly cite the source. The format of the source reference depends on which citation style you are using – you can find lots of examples in our guides to APA , MLA and Chicago style .

What is the first step in the literature review?

Step 1: Search for relevant literature Before you begin searching for literature, you need a clearly defined topic. If you are writing the literature review section of a dissertation or research paper, you will search for literature related to your research problem and questions.

What is a traditional (narrative) literature review?

A traditional (narrative) literature review provides a quick overview of current studies. It helps explain why your study is important in the context of the literature, and can also help you identify areas that need further research. The rest of this guide will cover some basic steps to consider when conducting a traditional literature review.

What is a meta-analysis in literature review?

The rest of this guide will cover some basic steps to consider when conducting a traditional literature review. Click on the right thumbnail to see an excerpt from this type of literature review. Meta-analyses are “the statistical integration of separate studies” ( Egger & Smith, 1997 ).

What is wrong with traditional literature reviews?

Traditional literature reviews often lack thoroughness and rigor and are conducted ad hoc, rather than following a specific methodology. Therefore, questions can be raised about the quality and trustworthiness of these types of reviews.

How do I cite my sources in a literature review?

In a literature review you should cite your sources the same as you would in any other paper or assignment. This usually includes an in-text citation and a reference list entry, but the exact format depends on which citation style you’re following. You can learn more in our guide to citing sources.

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