A literature review is a systematic method for collecting and analyzing information about a particular topic. It helps us understand the main concepts and issues related to a topic. In addition, it helps with identifying gaps in our knowledge. Below is a look at the different types of reviews available.

Narrative Literature Review

A narrative literature review is a summary of the literature written in a narrative style. This review does not follow the guidelines for systematic reviews. For example, it does not include a search strategy and assesses validity or reliability. However, a narrative literature review does use systematic methods to find relevant literature:

  • The researcher will conduct an extensive search to find all potentially relevant articles.
  • The researcher will then select which articles are appropriate for inclusion based on specific criteria (for example, only articles published in peer-reviewed journals).
  • The researcher summarizes each article’s findings while discussing their pros and cons (e.g., if there were any limitations).

Scoping Literature Review

A scoping review is a brief review of the literature that offers a snapshot of the prevailing knowledge in the field. It features a design that identifies the knowledge gaps and suggests future research directions. This literature review helps researchers avoid reinventing the wheel, as they can see what has already been done. Also, where there is a need for more information or research.

Meta-Analysis Literature Review

A meta-analysis synthesizes the results of several studies to reach conclusions that may differ from those of a single study. A meta-analysis differs from a literature review in that the former combines data from multiple studies, while the latter summarizes findings from a single study.

Meta-analyses are useful when you wish to answer questions about all or most studies in your field of research. For example, “What is the effect of this treatment on patients?”). In contrast, if you want to know about only one particular topic. For example., “What are some strategies for reducing patient anxiety during hospitalization?” Then, a traditional literature review would be more appropriate than a meta-analysis.

The purpose of conducting a practical meta-analysis is not only to summarize results but moreover to increase our confidence in these estimates (in other words, our confidence interval).

Integrative Literature Review

An integrative literature review is a combination of various types of literature reviews. You will likely draw on multiple sources in this review. Also, use them to make points about how they relate.

For example, suppose you are writing an integrative review about the effects of advertising on children’s food preferences and nutrition. In that case, you might find studies comparing different advertising forms (television commercials vs. billboards). Afterward, synthesize these findings into one big-picture conclusion.

You can use an integrative literature review in two main ways:

1) To summarize findings from multiple sources;

2) To combine the findings from multiple studies into one overall picture. This picture shows how all those pieces fit together (like in a meta-analysis).

Mapping Literature Review

A mapping literature review is a review of the literature that focuses on the relationship between or among concepts, ideas, and theories. Mapping reviews help readers understand how concepts, ideas, and theories relate.

In mapping reviews, you might identify specific relationships between concepts (two different concepts are linked) or between ideas (one concept is related to another).

For example, the concept of intelligence has been described as “the ability to learn from experience” by an influential psychologist named Alfred Binet in 1905. This definition created a model for measuring intelligence that is still used today.

In 1922, psychologist John B. Watson proposed behaviorism as an alternative theory of learning from experience. He argued that people learned through conditioning rather than reason or memorization alone.

Content Analysis Literature Review

A content analysis literature review is a research method involving the systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of data from various sources. This method aims to identify different trends, themes, and patterns in text-based materials.

You can use a content analysis literature review in any field where data is gathered and analyzed, including psychology, sociology, and medicine. This method allows researchers to make inferences based on their findings instead of making assumptions regarding what they think will happen based on previous studies or personal experiences.

Why You Need a Literature Review Service

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