How to Write a Literature Review for MSN

Understanding Literature Reviews

In academic writing, you’ll often encounter the term ‘literature review’. But what exactly is it, and why is it important? In this section, we will explore the purpose and principles of literature reviews, providing a foundation for how to write a literature review.

Purpose of Literature Reviews

A literature review serves as a comprehensive exploration of the existing research on a specific topic or question. It is a written explanation by the author of the research already conducted on a particular topic, question, or issue, disclosing what is known or unknown about the subject. It provides an overview of the current knowledge in a particular field, identifies gaps in the research, and establishes the need for further study (USC Upstate Library, Boatwright Memorial Library).

Think of it this way: a literature review is a survey of scholarly sources on a specific topic, allowing you to identify relevant theories, methods, and gaps in the existing research that can be applied to your paper, thesis, or dissertation (Scribbr).

In other words, a literature review gives you a chance to create a broad picture of the knowledge and ideas that have been established on a topic, and to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses. It’s an important part of the introduction to an essay, research report, or thesis (University of Toronto).

Principles of Literature Reviews

A literature review is more than just a summary of different sources. It involves analyzing, interpreting, and critically assessing these sources in order to create a coherent, structured, and balanced argument. One of the key principles of a literature review is synthesis, which involves discussing the sources in conversation with each other, rather than merely summarizing each one in isolation.

This means that in a literature review, you’ll need to identify commonalities, relationships, patterns, and trends among the sources. You’ll also need to critically analyze each source, assessing its credibility, reliability, and relevance to your research question.

To effectively write a literature review, you’ll need to be familiar with the specific conventions and rules in your discipline. This includes understanding the terminology, methodologies, theories, and debates that are commonly discussed in the literature on your topic.

In the next sections, we will delve into the structure, components, and organization of a literature review, providing you with practical guidelines and strategies for conducting and writing your own review. For more guidance, you can also check out our literature review examples, literature review template, and information on literature review format.

Writing a Literature Review

In your nursing courses, you’ll often be required to conduct and write literature reviews. Understanding the structure and components of a literature review is crucial in producing a comprehensive, coherent, and valuable review. Let’s dive into the specifics of how to write a literature review.

Structure of a Literature Review

A literature review typically follows a clear, logical structure with an introduction, body, and conclusion. The introduction should introduce the purpose and layout of the chapter, the body should present, analyze, evaluate, and synthesize the existing research, and the conclusion should present the key findings and justify your own research (Grad Coach).

When part of a larger paper, the introduction and conclusion may be concise, while standalone literature reviews allocate more space to discuss goals, research methods, and conclusions separately from the literature review itself (Purdue OWL).

Here is a basic outline of a literature review structure:

1. Introduction

• Purpose of the literature review
• Scope of the review content

1. Body

• Subsections based on themes or methods
• Analysis and synthesis of the literature

1. Conclusion

• Summary of key findings
• Significance of the findings

For more guidance on the structure of a literature review, refer to our literature review template and literature review format.

Components of a Literature Review

Writing a literature review involves more than simply summarizing the existing body of knowledge on a particular topic. It requires you to break the literature into conceptual categories or themes, making it easier for the reader to grasp the key arguments underlying the study.

Rather than creating a descriptive list of available material, you should synthesize and evaluate the literature according to the guiding concept of the thesis or research question. The review should be a piece of discursive prose rather than a list of summaries of literature.

The key components of a literature review include:

1. Clear categorization of literature into themes or concepts
2. Critical evaluation of each piece of literature
3. Identification of gaps in the existing literature
4. Synthesis of literature into a coherent narrative
5. Connection of the literature to your own research question or thesis

Remember, writing a literature review is a skill that develops with practice. As you work on your literature review, refer back to our literature review examples and use them as a benchmark for your own work.

Organizing a Literature Review

Organizing your literature review is a critical stage in the review process. The structure you choose will depend on the nature of the literature available and the goals of your review. Three common structures are chronological, thematic, and methodological. All these methods can effectively present your findings and make it easier for your readers to understand your review.

Chronological Structure

A chronological structure organizes the literature based on the publication dates, starting with the earliest work and ending with the most recent. This structure is useful for understanding how a topic has evolved over time. It highlights the progression of research, allowing you to show how ideas and theories have developed. In a chronological review, you might discuss how the understanding of a specific medical procedure has changed over the years.

Here’s a simple illustration of what a chronological literature review might look like:

Year	Study	Findings
2000	Smith et al.	Initial understanding of the procedure
2005	Jones and Brown	Revised technique
2010	Lee	Improved patient outcomes
2015	Davis	New technology introduced
2020	Johnson	Current best practices

Thematic Structure

In a thematic structure, you organize the literature by themes or categories that have emerged from your reading. This structure is useful when you want to highlight patterns or themes that cut across different studies. For example, you might identify common themes in patient experiences or recurring challenges in implementing a particular nursing intervention.

A thematic structure might look something like this:

Theme	Studies	Key Findings
Patient Experience	Smith et al., Jones and Brown	Patients report feeling empowered
Implementation Challenges	Lee, Davis	Staff training is a significant hurdle
Technology Integration	Johnson	Technology use improves treatment effectiveness

Methodological Structure

A methodological structure organizes the literature by the research methodologies used in the studies (Grad Coach). This structure is useful when you want to critique the methodologies used by other researchers. For instance, you might compare the results of quantitative studies with those of qualitative studies.

Methodological structure might be represented in this way:

Methodology	Studies	Key Findings
Quantitative	Smith et al., Jones	Medication A is more effective than B
Qualitative	Lee, Davis	Patients prefer Medication A
Mixed Methods	Johnson	Medication A improves both patient outcomes and satisfaction

Remember, your literature review should not merely describe groups of literature but should synthesize prior research related to the problem being investigated. For more detailed guides about how to write a literature review, refer to our literature review examples, literature review template, and literature review format.

Conducting a Literature Review

After understanding the purpose and structure of a literature review, the next step is to conduct the review itself. This process involves searching for relevant literature and evaluating and selecting the most pertinent sources.

Searching for Literature

When conducting a literature review for a thesis, dissertation, or research paper, it is essential to search for literature related to the research problem and questions. This involves creating a list of keywords, searching for relevant sources in databases, and using boolean operators to narrow down the search.

Start by brainstorming a list of keywords related to your research topic. These keywords can be derived from your research questions, objectives or hypothesis. Use these terms to search for relevant sources in academic databases. Boolean operators such as ‘AND’, ‘OR’ and ‘NOT’ can be used to refine your search and obtain more specific results.

Remember, the goal is to find high-quality, relevant sources that will provide a solid foundation for your research. The sources you select should directly address your research question and provide insight into your topic. If you’re unsure of how to go about this, our literature review template can provide a useful guide.

Evaluating and Selecting Sources

The next step is to evaluate and select sources for your literature review. This involves considering the relevance of each publication to your research question. Aspects to consider include the credibility of the source, the methodologies employed, and the conclusions reached.

You should assess the credibility of each source by looking at the author’s credentials, the journal in which the article is published, and the citation count. Reading landmark studies and major theories in your research field will also help you understand the context of your research.

Summarize and evaluate each source using a structured approach. This can involve noting the purpose of the study, the methods used, the key findings, and the implications of the results. Our literature review format guide can provide a useful structure for this process.

Remember, the literature review should demonstrate that your research study utilizes and builds upon past studies (Pressbooks). It’s important to not only consider the methods employed by other researchers in similar studies but also to consider what methods have not been employed but could be.

Finally, avoid plagiarism at all costs. Make sure to cite all sources properly within the text and in the literature cited section of your paper. Over-reliance on quotations could result in your paper being sent back for revision (NEOMED Library).

Conducting a literature review is a key part of any research project. By carefully searching for literature and rigorously evaluating your sources, you can create a literature review that shines. For examples of well-conducted literature reviews, you can check out our literature review examples.