This document discusses the purposes and processes of conducting a literature review. It describes how literature reviews are used to identify research problems, gaps in knowledge, relevant studies, and appropriate methods. It also outlines the key steps in a literature review, including searching databases, abstracting and recording information, critiquing individual studies, analyzing themes, and preparing the written review.

1. Chapter 5
Finding and Critiquing Evidence:
Research Literature Reviews
Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

2. Purposes of a Literature Review
• Identification of a research problem
• Orientation to what is known/not known
• Determination of gaps or inconsistencies in a
body of research
• Determination of a need to replicate a study
• Identification of clinical interventions that need
to be tested
Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

3. Purposes of a Literature Review (cont’d)
• Identification of relevant conceptual
frameworks for a research problem
• Identification of suitable designs and data
collection methods
• Identification of experts who could be used as
consultants on a project
• Assistance in interpreting findings and
developing implications
Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

4. Sources of Information in a Research
Literature Review
• Principal reliance on primary sources
(research reports written by researchers
who conducted the study)
• Less reliance on secondary sources
(summaries of studies by others)
• Peripheral use of anecdotal reports,
opinion articles, case reports
Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

5. Types of Search in Electronic Databases
Subject search
Search for topics or keywords in the database
Textword search
Search for specific words in text fields of the
database record
Author search
Search for a specific researcher
Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

6. Key Electronic Databases for Nurse
Researchers
• CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing
and Allied Health Literature)
• MEDLINE® (Medical Literature on-Line)
• The Institute for Scientific
Information’s (ISI) Web of Knowledge
Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

7. Example of a Printout From a CINAHL
Search
Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

8. Example of a Printout From a
PubMed Search
Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

9. Abstracting and Recording Information
• Coding the studies
• Literature review protocols
• Literature review matrixes
Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

10. Codes for Results Matrix/Coding in
Margins
Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

11. Example of a Literature Review Protocol
Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

12. Critiquing Studies and Evaluating the
Evidence
• Research critiques of individual studies
• Evaluating a body of research
Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

13. Analyzing and Synthesizing Information
Theme Analysis:
• Substantive themes
• Theoretical themes
• Methodologic themes
• Generalizability/transferabilty themes
• Historical themes
• “Researcher” themes
Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

14. Preparing a Written Literature Review
• Organizing the review
• Writing a literature review
1. Content
2. Style
Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

15. Guidelines for Critiquing
Literature Reviews
Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins