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Literature Review: Types of Literature Reviews

This guide will help you learn what a literature review is and how to write one for your class.

5 of the Most Popular Literature Reviews

Narrative

  • Critiques and summarizes body of literature,
  • Researched from relevant databases with selective materials.
  • Requires focused research question.
  • Gives comprehensive overview of topic and highlight significant areas of research.
  • Criteria for selection not always made open to reader.
  • Subject to bias that supports theses.

Systematic

  • Overview of existing evidence pertinent to research question.
  • Focuses on very specific empirical questions (cause-and-effect form)
  • Uses pre-specified /standardized methods to identify/critically appraise research.
  • Rigorous and well-defined approach to searching.
  • Details time frame of selection and methods of evaluation/synthesis.

Example of a Systematic Literature Review

Historical

  • Focuses on examining research throughout period of time and tracing its evolution.
  • Places research in a historical context to show familiarity and identify likely future directions.

Methodological

  • Focuses on methods of analysis in previous research.
  • Provides understanding of theory, research approaches, data collection, and analysis techniques.
  • Helps highlights ethical issues regarding conducting research.

Example of a Methodological Literature Review

Theoretical

  • Examines accumulated theories in regard to issues, concepts, or phenomena.
  • Establishes existing theories and relationships between theories; develops new hypotheses.
  • Reveals inadequacies of current theories and explains need for new/emerging research.

Example of a Theoretical Literature Review