Examples of Literature Reviews

Writing a literature review is a critical part of any research paper, providing a foundation that situates the study within the existing body of knowledge. In this article, we will highlight various methods used across disciplines, showcasing the diversity in approach and application.

A good literature review summarizes journal articles and other relevant articles while critically evaluating them to give a comprehensive overview of the research area. This process involves scrutinizing the work of other researchers to ensure the review effectively addresses the research questions.

The examples below include standalone literature reviews of existing research; however, many literature reviews are done for academic writing or included at the beginning of a longer research project. All reviews must identify gaps and research questions, even if they are not standalone literature reviews.

Examples of systematic reviews

Systematic reviews are essential components of evidence-based practice, meticulously gathering and synthesizing research findings to offer high-quality, comprehensive insights into specific topics. These reviews are characterized by their structured methods. These literature reviews reveal patterns, highlight gaps, and provide robust conclusions that inform policy, practice, and future research directions.

Healthcare

The review titled "Barriers and Facilitators to the Implementation of Lay Health Worker Programmes to Improve Access to Maternal and Child Health: Qualitative Evidence Synthesis" systematically examines qualitative studies to identify factors influencing the success and sustainability of lay health worker programs. Glenton et al., (2013) conducted a comprehensive search across multiple databases, including MEDLINE and CINAHL, using explicit criteria to select studies that employed qualitative methods to explore stakeholders' experiences and attitudes towards lay health workers programs in primary or community healthcare settings.

Two reviewers independently assessed the quality of the selected studies using a standardized tool. They then employed thematic synthesis to systematically extract and identify barriers and facilitators to the implementation of lay health workers programs. The findings were integrated with outcome measures from a Cochrane review on lay health workers' effectiveness, using a logic model to propose how specific program components influence outcomes.

The review utilized the CerQual approach to assess the certainty of the findings, ensuring robust conclusions about the factors affecting lay health workers' program implementation. The review highlights the importance of trust, respect, and support from health systems and community leaders, and identifies key motivators and challenges faced by lay health workers. The systematic approach provides valuable insights into optimizing lay health workers programs, emphasizing the need for relevant services, adequate training, and supportive supervision to enhance program success and sustainability.

Mental Health

In the review "Correlates and consequences of internalized stigma for people living with mental illness: A systematic review and meta-analysis," Livingston and Boyd review and analyze extensive research on the negative effects of internalized stigma on people with mental illness. The article examines studies on the relationships between internalized stigma and various factors like demographics, psychosocial aspects, and psychiatric symptoms. Out of 127 reviewed studies, data from 45 were used for meta-analyses.
The study found that demographics were not strongly linked to internalized stigma, but it negatively impacted hope, self-esteem, and empowerment, and was associated with worse psychiatric symptoms and treatment adherence. It highlights the need for more long-term studies to better understand these relationships.

Examples of narrative reviews

A narrative review is a type of literature review that provides a comprehensive, qualitative summary of research on a particular topic. It synthesizes information from various studies to give an overview of current knowledge, often highlighting important themes, trends, and gaps in the literature.

Medicine

The narrative literature review "Narrative Review of Infection Control Knowledge and Attitude among Healthcare Workers" by Aljohani et al. (2020) examines the knowledge and attitudes of healthcare workers (HCWs) toward infection control, focusing on blood-borne pathogens like HBV, HCV, and HIV. Using Proquest, Medline, and Up To Date databases, 28 articles published between 2000 and 2018 were analyzed.

The review found that HCWs generally possess a high knowledge of precautionary measures and exhibit above-average compliance with needle safety protocols. There was a weak positive correlation between staff attitudes and precautionary measures and a moderate positive correlation between precautionary measures and needle safety compliance. Crucially, the study identified that stronger precautionary measures significantly improve compliance with needle safety precautions, emphasizing the need for robust infection control practices to mitigate the risks HCWs face.

Psychology

The narrative literature review by Popat and Tarrant (2023) "Exploring adolescents' perspectives on social media and mental health and well-being - A qualitative literature review" explored adolescents' perspectives on social media's impact on their mental health and well-being. Focusing on adolescents aged 13 to 17, the review examined qualitative studies published from January 2014 to December 2020, sourced from APA Psychinfo, Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar, yielding 24 research papers.

The review identified five main themes: self-expression and validation, appearance comparison and body ideals, pressure to stay connected, social engagement and peer support, and exposure to bullying and harmful content. It found that social media can contribute to poor mental health through validation-seeking, fear of judgement, body comparison, addiction, and cyberbullying.
However, it also highlighted the positive aspects, such as connection, support, and discussion forums for those with similar diagnoses. Future research should consider adolescents' suggestions for social media improvements, study younger participants, and assess the impact of COVID-19 on social media use and mental health.

Examples of realist reviews

A realist review is a type of literature review that focuses on understanding how and why complex interventions work (or do not work) in particular contexts. It aims to uncover the mechanisms behind observed outcomes by examining the interaction between the intervention, the context, and the effects. This approach helps identify which aspects of an intervention are effective, for whom, and under what circumstances.

Psychology

The realist literature review, titled "Workplace-Based Organizational Interventions Promoting Mental Health and Happiness among Healthcare Workers: A Realist Review," synthesizes evidence on organizational-level interventions to promote mental health and well-being among healthcare workers. Mental illness, accounting for 32% of global disability years, significantly impacts workplaces, particularly healthcare workers who face high rates of burnout, stress, and depression due to excessive workloads, workplace violence, and bullying, negatively affecting patient care and worker wellbeing (Gray et al., 2019).

A search of three premier health-related databases identified 1290 articles discussing healthcare workers, workplace interventions, and mental health. After further examination, 46 articles met the criteria for organizational-level interventions and were combined with similar studies from a Cochrane review, totalling 60 articles. These studies, mainly from high-income countries, were analyzed using a realist framework, focusing on skills and knowledge development, leadership development, communication, team building, stress management, and workload and time management.

Common themes highlight the importance of employee engagement in developing and implementing interventions. The review emphasizes the need for more research in low- and middle-income countries and the long-term effects of workplace mental health promotion. This provides insights into effective organizational-level interventions for enhancing healthcare workers' mental health and well-being.

Examples of scoping reviews

A scoping review is a type of literature review that aims to map the existing literature on a particular topic or research area. It identifies key concepts, theories, sources of evidence, and gaps in the research.

Medicine

This scoping review "Narrative Diaries in Pediatrics: A Scoping Review" by Sansone et al. (2021) investigates the use of health diaries with both clinical and narrative elements in pediatrics to study children's and families' experiences with illness and coping strategies. The objective is to synthesize the literature on narrative health diaries using the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews.

Sources were selected based on criteria including English language, narrative diaries, and focus on children/adolescents and/or their parents/caregivers. Searches are conducted in PubMed, Embase, and CINAHL without date restrictions, resulting in 36 included articles. Most diaries are implemented at home (61%), in hospitals (17%), and schools (14%). Children or adolescents are the primary diarists in 50% of cases. The diaries are mostly paper (53%), with video (19%), e-diaries (8%), and audio diaries (8%) also used. None of the studies examine the impact on patient outcomes.

Narrative health diaries are valuable for capturing the experiences of illness and daily life from children's perspectives. Their adaptability to different settings suggests broad applicability in pediatric care. However, more research is needed to assess their impact on health outcomes.

Example of umbrella reviews

An umbrella review, also known as an overview of reviews, is a comprehensive examination that synthesizes evidence from multiple systematic reviews and meta-analyses on a particular topic. It aims to provide a high-level summary of a wide range of research findings, often addressing broader questions than those explored in individual reviews.

Medicine

The umbrella review "Physical Activity and Exercise in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia: An Umbrella Review of Intervention and Observational Studies" by Demurtas et al. (2020) aimed to evaluate the impact of physical activity/exercise on cognitive and noncognitive outcomes in individuals with mild cognitive impairment and dementia. The review encompassed systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials and observational studies. Participants were diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment or dementia through validated assessments, and their outcomes were compared to those who did not engage in physical activity/exercise.

The literature search, registered in PROSPERO, included major databases until December 31, 2019. Evidence certainty was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach.
From 1160 initial articles, 27 systematic reviews involving 28,205 participants were included. For mild cognitive impairment, mind-body interventions and mixed physical activity showed small cognitive improvements, while resistance training had a large effect with very low certainty.

In dementia, physical activity/exercise improved cognition in Alzheimer's and all dementia types and reduced noncognitive issues like falls and neuropsychiatric symptoms. The review concluded that while physical activity/exercise shows positive effects on cognitive and noncognitive outcomes in mild cognitive impairment and dementia, further randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these findings.

Conclusion

Literature reviews play a crucial role in the research process. They offer valuable insights into the current state of knowledge on a topic. A well-executed literature review can be as impactful as original research by adhering to proper guidelines and maintaining high standards. It highlights the latest findings, provides a critical analysis of previous studies, and guides researchers in shaping their future investigations. Through comprehensive literature reviews, researchers gain a deeper understanding of their field, identify gaps in existing knowledge, and make informed decisions about their research direction.

References

Livingston JD, Boyd JE. Correlates and consequences of internalized stigma for people living with mental illness: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Soc Sci Med. 2010 Dec;71(12):2150-61. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2010.09.030. Epub 2010 Oct 12. PMID: 21051128.

Glenton C, Colvin CJ, Carlsen B, Swartz A, Lewin S, Noyes J, Rashidian A. Barriers and facilitators to the implementation of lay health worker programmes to improve access to maternal and child health: qualitative evidence synthesis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013 Oct 8;2013(10): CD010414. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD010414.pub2. PMID: 24101553; PMCID: PMC6396344.

AlJohani A, Karuppiah K, Al Mutairi A, Al Mutair A. Narrative Review of Infection Control Knowledge and Attitude among Healthcare Workers. J Epidemiol Glob Health. 2021 Mar;11(1):20-25. doi: 10.2991/jegh.k.201101.001. Epub 2020 Nov 9. PMID: 33605115; PMCID: PMC7958281.

Sansone V, Dall'Oglio I, Gesualdo F, Cancani F, Cecchetti C, Di Nardo M, Rossi A, De Ranieri C, Alvaro R, Tiozzo E, Gawronski O. Narrative Diaries in Pediatrics: A Scoping Review. J Pediatr Nurs. 2021 Jul-Aug;59:e93-e105. doi: 10.1016/j.pedn.2021.02.006. Epub 2021 Feb 20. PMID: 33622642.

Popat A, Tarrant C. Exploring adolescents' perspectives on social media and mental health and well-being - A qualitative literature review. Clin Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2023 Jan;28(1):323-337. doi: 10.1177/13591045221092884. Epub 2022 Jun 7. PMID: 35670473; PMCID: PMC9902994.

Demurtas J, Schoene D, Torbahn G, Marengoni A, Grande G, Zou L, Petrovic M, Maggi S, Cesari M, Lamb S, Soysal P, Kemmler W, Sieber C, Mueller C, Shenkin SD, Schwingshackl L, Smith L PhD, Veronese N; European Society of Geriatric Medicine Special Interest Group in Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, Frailty, Sarcopenia, and Dementia. Physical Activity and Exercise in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia: An Umbrella Review of Intervention and Observational Studies. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2020 Oct;21(10):1415-1422.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2020.08.031. PMID: 32981668.

Gray P, Senabe S, Naicker N, Kgalamono S, Yassi A, Spiegel JM. Workplace-Based Organizational Interventions Promoting Mental Health and Happiness among Healthcare Workers: A Realist Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Nov 11;16(22):4396. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16224396. PMID: 31717906; PMCID: PMC6888154.