Broadly defined, a literature review is an analysis of the scholarly writings (the literature) which are relevant to your research topic. It usually forms the foundation of a research project (whether this is a research proposal, thesis, dissertation or a journal article) as it provides the context for your research.
The overall purpose of a literature review is to:
A literature review analyses relevant sources critically. It does not simply summarise different sources. It also needs to evaluate the literature. As such, a literature review differs from an annotated bibliography as it does not constitute a list of summaries of relevant sources.
Evidence synthesis refers to any method of identifying, selecting, and combining results from multiple studies. Types of evidence synthesis include:
A broad term referring to reviews with a wide scope and non-standardized methodology.
Applies systematic review methodology within a time-constrained setting.
Systematically and transparently collects and categorizes existing evidence on a broad topic or set of research questions.
Reviews other systematic reviews on a topic.
A methodical and comprehensive literature synthesis focused on a well-formulated research question.
A statistical technique for combining the findings from disparate quantitative studies.
"What type of review is right for you?" by Cornell University Library is licensed under CC BY 4.0
Grant, M. J., & Booth, A. (2009). A typology of reviews: an analysis of 14 review types and associated methodologies. Health Information & Libraries Journal, 26(2), 91-108. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-1842.2009.00848.x
Cornell University Library has developed a decision tree that assists in identifying the types of reviews.
Image: "What type of review is right for you?" by Cornell University Library is licensed under CC BY 4.0
Do you want to gather all the evidence on a particular research topic?
No: Do a Literature (Narrative) Review.
Yes: Do you have 3 or more people to work on the review?
No: More intensive reviews usually require a multi-person team for unbiased article screening.
Yes: Do you have 12–18 months to complete a review?
No: Do a Rapid Review.
Yes: Do you have a broad topic or multiple research questions?
Yes: Do a Scoping Review.
No: Do you want to review other published systematic reviews on your topic?
Yes: Do an Umbrella Review.
No: Do you have a well-formulated research question?
No: Systematic reviews are conducted in an unbiased, reproducible way to provide evidence for practice and policy-making and to identify gaps in research. They require a well-formulated research question.
Yes: Do a Systematic Review.
Will you use statistical methods to objectively evaluate, synthesize, and summarize results?
No: A meta-analysis will not be needed.
Yes: Do a Meta-Analysis.
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