Literature reviews: Getting started
All disciplines and types of theses require some kind of literature review. These may differ in format and type depending on your discipline and the nature of your project. It is here that you will contextualise and conceptualise your own project and justify the need for and purpose of your research.
Types of Literature Review
There are many different types of literature review that you may be required to write – different disciplines have different preferences here, and the choice will depend on the nature of the research question and the purpose of the review. At La Trobe, the most common are described briefly below.
| Name | General Approach |
| Narrative Review (Literature Review) | The terms narrative review and literature review are often used interchangeably. This type of review is very common in theses and is often used to provide a broad, general and evaluative overview of the literature on a given topic. Often used to describe gaps in literature and justify the need for specific research projects. It is usually limited to published, peer-reviewed material, and does not usually specify the search methodology used. |
| Scoping Review | A preliminary assessment of the size and scope of available research literature, often used to determine whether a future study is viable. Sometimes used as a precursor to a full systematic review. |
| Systematic Review | An exhaustive in-depth review of all the literature around a specifically defined and focussed question, often including grey literature. Aims to map out and categorize literature on an issue to identify gaps in research. Often leads to further reviews and research. Common in health disciplines and governmental studies, the methods are rigorous and transparently described and the review adheres to internationally prescribed standards, such as the PRISMA protocol. |
| Meta-Analysis | A statistical combination of results from previously published quantitative studies. Studies included need to be methodologically similar enough to draw valid comparisons. Can be included as part of a Systematic Review. |
Adapted from Grant and Booth (2009)
Literature Searches
The Library has a whole team of expert Senior Research Librarians who can help you get started on and refine literature searches, suggest appropriate databases and work on more complex projects, such as systematic reviews. Book an appointment.
You might also find this expert help guide on systematic reviews useful to help you start with literature searching.
Literature Mapping Applications
There are several new online apps that many are finding useful for tracking literature searches. These can map connections between articles for you, suggest further reading and set alerts. Have a look at these:
Critical Appraisal
You will need to establish the reliability and validity of the literature that you will use in your in your review. Peer-reviewed work is usually required in scholarly writing, but you may need to think a bit more deeply about what this means when selecting your readings. Some disciplines use specific tools for critical appraisal so be sure to establish if you need to use these.
Critique and Analysis
Once you are satisfied about the quality of the literature you have, you will also need to evaluate the claims, arguments and relevance of each text in ways that are relevant to your study. This requires high-level analysis and critique, and these are skills you will be continually developing the more you read. See the section on Critical Reading and Notetaking in the Getting Started section of this guide for a few prompts to help you focus your critique.
Dealing with Grey Literature
Grey Literature has not been peer-reviewed, but may provide you with important data for your research. It includes government reports, international policies, demographic statistics and the like. This type of literature is often important for disciplines related to health, public policy and a range of other social sciences.
The following have good advice on evaluating and dealing with Grey Literature.
References
Grant, M.J. and Booth, A. (2009). A typology of reviews: an analysis of 14 review types and associated methodologies. Health Information and Libraries Journal. 26(2). pp 91-108.