The Literature Review

The Literature review process can be confusing for students. This library module is intended to guide students through some of the basics of conducting research for a review and keeping track of the results.

There are four main types of literature reviews: traditional or narrative, systematic, meta-analysis and meta-synthesis.

• The traditional narrative form analyzes and summarizes all known literature on a topic, providing a comprehensive overview. 
• Systematic and synthesis reviews answer specific questions based on current evidence-based literature. 

Ensure you are clear on what kind of review your program of study requires. 

• Talk to your instructor or advisor to establish expectations for the type of content expected in the review (e.g. original studies, systematic reviews, meta-analyses) and the kind of review to research and write (e.g. narrative review, evidence synthesis). 

• In the health sciences, it has become common for students to synthesize current evidence-based literature that draws on systematic reviews and meta-analyses based on the original research.