Nursing Research

A literature review discusses published information in a particular subject area, and sometimes information in a particular subject area within a certain time period.

A literature review can be just a simple summary of the sources, but it usually has an organizational pattern and combines both summary and synthesis. A summary is a recap of the important information of the source, but a synthesis is a re-organization, or a reshuffling, of that information. It might give a new interpretation of old material or combine new with old interpretations. Or it might trace the intellectual progression of the field, including major debates. 

But how is a literature review different from an academic research paper?

The main focus of an academic research paper is to develop a new argument, and a research paper is likely to contain a literature review as one of its parts. In a research paper, you use the literature as a foundation and as support for a new insight that you contribute. The focus of a literature review, however, is to summarize and synthesize the arguments and ideas of others without adding new contributions.

Why do we write literature reviews?

Literature reviews provide you with a handy guide to a particular topic. If you have limited time to conduct research, literature reviews can give you an overview or act as a stepping stone. For professionals, they are useful reports that keep them up to date with what is current in the field. For scholars, the depth and breadth of the literature review emphasizes the credibility of the writer in his or her field. 

A literature review should try to answer questions such as:

1. Who are the key researchers on this topic?
2. What has been the focus of the research efforts so far and what is the current status?
3. How have certain studies built on prior studies? Where are the connections? Are there new interpretations of the research?
4. Have there been any controversies or debate about the research? Is there consensus? Are there any contradictions?
5. Which areas have been identified as needing further research? Have any pathways been suggested?
6. How will your topic uniquely contribute to this body of knowledge?
7. Which methodologies have researchers used and which appear to be the most productive?
8. What sources of information or data were identified that might be useful to you?
9. How does your particular topic fit into the larger context of what has already been done?
10. How has the research that has already been done help frame your current investigation?

There are many types of literature reviews, but all should follow a similar search process.  Below are a few types of literature reviews, as well as definitions and examples. Much of this information can be found in the article A Typology of Reviews: An Analysis of 14 Review Types and Associated Methodologies.

Literature Review: This is a generic term that can cover a wide range of subjects, and varies in completeness and comprehensiveness. They are typically narrative, and analysis may be chronological, conceptual, thematic, or however the author decides to organize the material. Anesthesia Personnel's Experiences With Digital Anesthesia Information Management Systems: A Literature Review.

Systematic Review: Seeks to systematically search, appraise, and synthesize research evidence. Requires exhaustive, comprehensive searching, including searching of grey literature. Factors related to readiness for practice among undergraduate nursing students: A systematic review

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: Includes all of systematic review, but requires quantitative analysis for the meta-analysis piece. Effect of Pain Education Interventions on Registered Nurses’ Pain Management: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Scoping Review: A preliminary assessment of the size and scope of available published literature. A scoping review is intended to identify current research and the extent of such research, and determine if a more comprehensive review is viable. Can include research in progress, and the completeness of searching is determined by time/scope. Experiences of Nursing Students in Observer Roles During Simulation-Based Learning and the Impact on Patient Safety: A Scoping Review

Integrative Review: Combines empirical and theoretical research to examine research on a given area. Includes non-experimental research, and can include case studies, observational studies, theories, guidelines, etc., and is generally used to inform healthcare policy and practice. Perioperative Nursing Role in Robotic Surgery: An Integrative Review

When you look for areas where your sources agree or disagree and try to draw broader conclusions about your topic based on what your sources say, you are engaging in synthesis. Note that synthesizing is not the same as summarizing. 

For more information see the Purdue Owl page.

Synthesizing can be one of the most difficult parts of conducting a literature review. Using a synthesis matrix or table can help to organize and understand sources. Below are a couple examples of tables that you can use to synthesize sources. 

The first example is from the textbook Understanding Nursing Research: Building an Evidence-Based Practice 7th ed. by Susan K. Grove & Jennifer R. Gray.  See the below table to replicate. 

The second example is from the book Health Sciences Literature Review Made Easy by Judith Garrard that is available at RSU Libraries. Below are templates that can be downloaded.