A literature review is a study of the existing literature, journal articles, books, reports and other information and evidence published on a given topic. It is a critical and evaluative account of any published work around a research field, including a description and analysis of existing knowledge of the topic, the identification of any gaps in the existing body of knowledge, and - where appropriate - an explanation of how your research might further develop current understanding of the subject.
A literature review is not simply a description or summary of each individual paper. It should instead be structured around the findings of the articles considered, and is therefore an opportunity to identify common themes and issues as well as highlighting opposing arguments.
When you are given an assignment questions make sure you fully understand what is being asked of you. Refer to the guidance in your module handbook or lecture slides for further information, or discuss it with your tutors.
1. Identify the 'question' word(s)
You could use the 'Analysing the question' section of the Skills for Learning website to help you.
2. Identify core concepts/keywords
What is the main focus of the question?
3. Identify synonyms or related terms
Example:
With reference to the literature, compare group treatment opposed to individual treatment of primary school children with articulation disorders
'Compare' is the question word - it's what you have to do
On the next tab you will find tips and tricks to help you develop your search strategy and make your searching more efficient.
| Topic 1: Primary school children | Topic 2: Articulation Disorders | Topic 3: Group treatment | Topic 4: Individual treatment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior school children | Apraxia | Group intervention | Individual pull-out treatment |
| Kindergarten | Dysarthria | Group therapy | Individual therapy |
Once you have identifying your keywords, synonyms and related terms you can start to construct a search strategy.
4. Use search tools:
Phrase searching uses speech marks to help you search for phrases e.g. "speech and language pathology"
Truncation uses the asterisk to help you search for terms with variant endings e.g. therap* = therapy, therapeutic, therapist
5. Combine terms using AND, OR and NOT
AND - for combining different concepts
OR - for identifying research that use synonyms or related terms. You need to put the similar terms in brackets.
NOT - use when you want to exclude a term (use with caution as it can eliminate useful results too)
(elderly OR aged) AND ("speech language therapy" OR "speech language pathology" OR "Speech therapy") AND (stroke OR "cerebrovascular accident" OR stroke OR CVA)
Some resources have an 'advanced search' feature which can help you to combine your searches.
Remember!! Keep a record of your searches
Conducting a literature review involves a LOT of searching and reading. It is therefore important to keep a record of what searching you have done and where. It is recommended that you keep a searching log. Keep a notebook and record:
You may wish to keep a record using a document such as the Search Log here. Check with your tutor whether this would be suitable to include in your Appendix. Think of it as a paper trail of your searching or even as a set of instructions for whoever is marking your work.
The PRISMA flow diagram may also be useful to guide you through the searching process as it can be used to highlight the number of records identified, included and excluded, and the reasons for exclusions.
6. Identify appropriate resources to search.
a. Reading lists - are there any core textbooks that your tutors recommend on your topic?
Check your modules in MyBeckett
b. Use Discover to find additional books and e-books
c. Use Discover to search our e-journals and other subscriptions
d. Use databases to help you focus your results - available on the 'Databases' page of this guide
You can search most databases in exactly the same way, the search screen may just look a bit different.
To help you refine your results and make them more manageable look for limiters such as 'Publication date' or 'Resource type'
It's important that you think critically about the sources you want to use in your assignments. Evaluate what you find and make a judgment about whether it is appropriate to be used or if any flaws need identifying in your discussions.
The majority of Health and Social Sciences articles are written following the IMRAD format, Introduction, Method, Research, And Discussion. Here are a series of points to consider for each section of such articles when appraising them:
Introduction: Why has the research been undertaken? What was the purpose of the research? The aims of the research should be clearly outlined in the introduction and should also contain any evidence of a literature review along with any keywords used by the author when searching.
Method: When, where and how was the study conducted? Who or what was the subject of the study? Are any ethical issues outlined? Was a pilot study conducted to identify any potential problems with the methodology? Is the information provided detailed enough for others to replicate the research? Has the researcher chosen a qualitative or a quantitative approach to data collection? If so, what are the strengths and weaknesses of each approach for this specific research? Is there any evidence of triangulation - of data being obtained by more than one method? Was data gathered from a large and diverse enough sample size? And how effective was the response rate or other collection method? Have any potential biases or issues been acknowledged? Have any interventions been made to eliminate any potential biases or issues which might have affected the research's reliability?
Results: Are the results comprehensibly presented? How do they relate to the original research question? Have the results - and the research's interpretation of them - been assessed by a peer-reviewer, or other form of critical friend beyond the original researcher(s)?
Discussion: What are the practical, academic, professional and broader implications of the research? Is any of it applicable to your research, daily role, or professional practice? Has the researcher included discussion of how their study might be improved, and suggestions for further study? What is your interpretation of this information?
Not all of the above points will apply to every paper, but at least some of them should help you assess the strengths, weaknesses and relevance of information which you are considering.
For more information about referencing, including the full Leeds Beckett Harvard guide — please click on the Referencing tab or visit our Referencing & Plagiarism pages.
