This document provides an overview of literature reviews, including their definition, importance, purpose, types, sources, and steps. A literature review aims to critically evaluate previous research on a topic. It is important as it helps identify gaps and orient the reader. The main purposes are to focus on past research, show how a new study fills gaps, and set boundaries. Types include traditional narratives, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and meta-syntheses. Sources are primary, secondary, and tertiary. The steps are to identify key terms, locate literature, evaluate and select sources, organize findings, and write the review. Elements to address in the review are an introduction, body, and conclusion.

1. MRS. S.KAMALI KIRUBA
MSC (N),MEDICAL SURGICAL NURSING
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
GANGA COLLEGE OF NURSING
COIMBATORE

3. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• Introduction
• Definition
• Importance
• Purpose
• Types
• Source
• Steps

4. DEFINITION
A literature review is a body of text that aims to review the
critical points of knowledge on a particular topic of research.
(ANA,2000)
A literature review is an account of what has been already
established or published on a particular research topic by
accredited scholars and researchers.
(University of Toronta,2002)

5. IMPORTANCE OF REVIEW OF
LITERATURE
Identification of a research problem and
development or refinement of research
question.
Generation of useful research question or
projects/ activities for the discipline.
Orientation to what is known and not
known about an area of inquiry.
Discovery of unanswered question about
subjects, concepts, or problems.

6. IMPORTANCE OF REVIEW OF
LITERATURE
Identification of relevant theoretical or
conceptual framework for research
problem.
Helps in planning methodology and
development of research instruments.
identification of suitable design and
data collection methods.

7. PURPOSE OF A LITERATURE REVIEW
THERE ARE FOUR MAIN PURPOSE FOR
REVIEW THE LITERATURE
1.Focus on previous research
2.Show how your study fills the ‘gap’
3.The necessity and rationale of you study.
4.Set boundaries of your study

8. PURPOSE OF A LITERATURE
REVIEW
Focus on previous research
-provide overview and
critical appraisal of past
and current thinking, ideas,
policies and practices.
1

9. Cont…
Show how your study fills the ‘gap’
Provide a basis upon
which to make critical
decision regarding the
direction of a research.
2

10. Cont…
The necessity and rationale of you study.
Does it make sense?
Why it is important?
How it is different?
How it is novel?
Is it justifiable?
3

11. Cont….
Set boundaries of your study
Determine the scope
and specific objectives.
4

12. OTHER PURPOSE OF REVIEW
THE LITERATURE
Place each work in the context of its contribution to
understanding the research problem being studied.
Relating ideas and theory to application.
Increase understanding of theoretical background.
Identify data sources that other researchers have used.
Locate your own research within the context of existing
literature.

13. TYPES OF LITERATURE
REVIEW
4. Meta -synthesis
1.
Traditional
or
Narrative
literature
review
3. Meta-
analysis
2. Systemic
literature
review

14. TYPES OF LITERATURE REVIEW
1.Traditional or Narrative literature review
Selective review of the literature that broadly covers a
specific topic.
Does not follow strict systemic methods to locate and
synthesize articles
Four common types of narrative reviews:
 General literature review
 Theoretical literature review
 Methodological literature review
 Historical literature review

15. TYPES OF LITERATURE REVIEW
2. Systemic literature Review
Utilizes exacting search strategies make certain that the maximum
extent of relevant research has been considered.
Original articles are methodologically appraised and synthesized.
Pittway (2008) outlines seven key principles behind systematic
literature reviews
• Transparency
• Clarity
• Integration
• Focus
• Equality
• Accessibility
• Coverage

16. TYPES OF LITERATURE REVIEW
3. Meta analysis
Quantitatively combines the results of studies that
are the result of a systemic literature review.
Capable of performing a statistical analysis of the
pooled results of relevant studies.

17. TYPES OF LITERATURE REVIEW
Meta- synthesis or qualitative meta analysis
Systematic review of the finding of qualitative
studies.
Use of secondary analysis to research new
conceptualizations.

18. SOURCES OF LITERATURE REVIEW
1.PRIMARY SOURCES
2.SECONDARY SOURCES
3.TERTIARY SOURCES

19. PRIMARY SOURCES
DEFNITION
Raw data: original sources of
information before it has been analyzed.
CHARACTERISTICS
First hand observation, contemporary
accounts of events, view points at the time.

20. PRIMARY SOURCES
EXAMPLES
Diaries
SpeechesInterview
News paper articles
Journals

21. SECONDARY SOURCES
DEFINITION
Sources that analyze or interpret primary
data they do not offer new evidence.
CHARACTERTICS
Interpretation of information written
after the event offer review or critique.

22. SECONDARY SOURCES
Commentaries
EXAMPLES

23. TERTIARY SOURCES
DEFINITION
Sources that compile data on a particular
topic
CHARACTERISTICS
Collections or lists of primary and secondary
sources, reference works, finding tool’s for sources.

24. TERTIARY SOURCES
EXAMPLES

25. STEPS OF LITERATURE
REVIEW
1. Identify
the
Key terms
2. Locate
literature
3. Evaluate
and select
literature
4. Organize
literature
5.Write
literature
review
STEPS OF LITERATURE
REVIEW

26. Identify the Key terms
The key is.. Be selective in what you read – or else you’ll get
drown in too much information.
• Brainstorm on paper or have a discussion around your topic
with someone else.
• Identify what you already know and what you need to find
out.
• List some key words and synonyms related to your topic.
• Unpacking definition and word etymologies are great ways of
beginning your research – this will familiarize you with your
topic and help refine your argument.

27. Locate literature
• Use your key words from step-1 when
searching.
• Use variety of sources: books, journals,
internet, lectures, seminar, discussion, and
questionnaires.
• Decide how recent your sources should be –
specifying years will help refine searches.

28. Evaluate and select literature
Read
strategically:
Begin with the
abstract and then
identify each section
to focus your reading.
Read critically:
Identify and evaluate
strengths and
weakness key
elements such as
research question,
hypothesis, methods,
findings and main
arguments or
interpretation.
Record:
Be sure to record all
important points as
well as your own
reflections during
your reading
process and store
these in an organized
way so that you can
access this
information easily
later without having to
search again.

29. Organize literature
Take some time to process what you have read(e:g
free write)
Organize notes, sources, important points and
potential quotes into an outline with an introduction,
main body, and conclusion.
The main body should be organized by topics/themes,
not by sources reviewed.
Be specific as possible with your outline so that when
you write, you can focus on your writing style.

30. Write literature review
• Begin writing – you may wish to organize your main
body using subheading.
• Use your introduction to set out the structure for your
writing.
• Regularly proofread your section to be sure that you
are connecting the main points and not repeating
yourself.
• Have someone read your essay for you or book an
appointment with an LDS tutor to get feedback.
• Use your referencing style guide of student handbook.!

31. ELEMENTS OF WRITING A
LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
Body
Conclusion

32. Introduction
The introduction should clearly establish the focus and purpose of the
literature review.
• Define your topic and provide an appropriate context for reviewing
the literature;
• Establish your reasons – (Point of view – for Reviewing the
literature)
• Explain the organization – (Sequence of the review)
• State the scope of the review – What is included and what isn’t
included.
• For example, if you were reviewing the literature on obesity in
children you might say something like: there are a large number of
studies of obesity trends in the general population. However, since
the focus of this research is on obesity in children, these will not be
reviewed in detail and will only be referred to as appropriate.

33. Body
Depending on the length of your literature review, you might want to
divide the body into subsections. You can use a subheading for each
theme, time period, or methodological approach.
As you write, you can follow these tips:
• Summarize and synthesize: give an overview of the main points of
each source and combine them into a coherent whole
• Analyze and interpret: don’t just paraphrase other researchers—
add your own interpretations where possible, discussing the
significance of findings in relation to the literature as a whole
• Critically evaluate: mention the strengths and weaknesses of your
sources
• Write in well-structured paragraphs: use transition
words and topic sentences to draw connections, comparisons and
contrasts

34. Conclusion
• The conclusion should:
• summarize the important aspects of the existing
body of literature;
• evaluate the current state of the literature
reviewed;
• identify significant flaws or gaps in existing
knowledge;
• outline areas for future study;
• link your research to existing knowledge.

35. POINTS TO BE CONSIDER
FOR LITERATURE REVIEW
• Be specific
• Be selective
• Focus on current topic
• Ensure evidence for claims
• Focus on sources of evidences
• Account of contrary evidence
• Reference citation
• Organization of literature review
• Referring original source
• Write in own language
• Simple and accurate sentence structure
• Group the ideas
• Effective use of transition words
• Avoid abbreviation.