Reviewing Literature

Prof Della Freeth: Pro-Director (Learning & Teaching)

Improving health worldwide

www.lshtm.ac.uk

• To know what has already been done or is already known

• To give you ideas• To learn how to do certain things• To focus your reading and your research

study• To identify ‘your’ gap in the literature• To examine you work in relation to

others’ work

Why search for and review literature?

• (normally Chapter 2)

• To identify the gap in knowledge your thesis addresses– Thus, it ends with your research question(s)

•

The role of the literature review chapter in the thesis

• Systematic Review– e.g. The Cochrane Library

www.thecochranelibrary.com/view/0/AboutCochraneSystematicReviews.html

• Realist Synthesis – Popular in policy work & improvement science e.g.

www.implementationscience.com/content/7/1/33 • Best-evidence review – e.g. ‘Best evidence medical education’ (BEME)

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20095769

• Narrative review – traditional, lots of sources, e.g.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2647067/

Some styles of literature review

• First thing you start ….

• … last thing you finish.

When?

• Sufficiently systematically for the task at hand• As efficiently as you can … learn to get more

efficient• Be prepared to present and defend your

search strategy • Update periodically and definitely at the end.

How?

• Learn to use bibliographic referencing software: it saves time in the end.

• Keep all the details you may need about every source you read every time: it saves time in the end.– Note female authors, so you don’t write about them

as ‘he’• Keep brief notes on the key points you think you

will use from a source: it saves time in the end• Briefly note why you think you will not make use

of some things you read: it saves time in the end

Keep excellent records:it saves time in the end

• Read-Think-Write [repeat]

What to do with what you have found

• Try to read one research paper or one book chapter every working day throughout your degree

• Don't forget to search & read between thesis submission & your viva

More advice!