Writing a critical literature review
Note taking
is about summarising main points included in article, such definitions, development of theory etc. This is important to develop your understanding of a particular topic. For example, when you read an article it is important to identify the main argument, the methodology used to examine the topic, the evidence presented and the conclusions drawn.
Note-making
is when you start developing your evaluation of the points mentioned above. Here you start, for instance, by assessing differing pieces of evidence used. You try to apply what you read to your context or disagree with a certain conclusion based on the evidence provided. You can also ask questions about the writer, their bias and how this may impact on the findings.
Read the following extract from ‘How to do (or not to do) a critical literature review’ by Jill Jesson and Fiona Lacey (2006), and take notes to identify the key arguments presented.
What is a literature review?
Hart (2001) defines an academic literature review as: the selection of available documents (both published and unpublished) on the topic, which contain information, ideas, data and evidence written from a particular standpoint to fulfil certain aims or express certain views on the nature of the topic and how it is to be investigated, and the effective evaluation of these documents in relation to the research being proposed (Hart, 2001, p. 13). So, a literature review is a narrative account of information that is already currently available, accessible and published, which may be written from a number of differing paradigms or perspectives, depending on the standpoint of the writer. What you add is an effective, analytical, original assessment of previously published information.
Why undertake a literature review? The aim of doing a literature review is to find out what is already known about a specific topic. Why is this important? Knowledge doesn’t exist in a vacuum and your work only has value in relation to other people. Your work and your findings will be significant only to the extent that they’re the same as, or different from, other people’s work and findings (Jankowitz, 1995, pp. 128–9). The objectives of a literature review may therefore be:
- To summarise current knowledge
- To generate and refine your own research ideas
- To provide a critical review which demonstrates:
- awareness of the current state of knowledge in the subject area (description skills)
- a synthesis of resources showing the strengths and limitations, omissions and bias (critical skills)
- how the research fits into this wider context (analytical skills). When undertaking a literature review you should always be clear about why you are doing the review, and what outcomes you expect from the completed work. This will help you plan how best to undertake the task.
Jesson, J. and Lacey, F. (2006) ‘How to do (or not to do) a critical literature review’, Pharmacy Education, 6(2), pp.193-148
Where you have been
Where you are now
Related links
Did you find this page useful?