Understanding Literature Reviews

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Questions and Answers

What is an essential step in organizing a literature review?

Reconsider keywords to categorize the literature (correct)

Only focus on recent studies

Limit your review to only one type of study

Avoid using headings for summaries

Which of the following is NOT mentioned as an important aspect of carrying out a literature review?

Identifying areas of consensus

Summarizing every article in detail (correct)

Keeping a search journal

Crafting your story based on the review

What do Fishbain et al. (2013) conclude regarding fatigue and pain?

Fatigue and pain coexist without interaction.

There is no relation between fatigue and pain.

Fatigue is consistently related to the presence of pain. (correct)

Fatigue etiology is independent of pain.

Which citation style is NOT mentioned as widely used?

APA Style Signup and view all the answers

What is a consideration when crafting your literature review story?

Refer to others' findings with specific details Signup and view all the answers

What was concluded regarding mobile phone use and neck pain?

Higher mobile phone usage is linked to increased neck pain frequency. Signup and view all the answers

Which aspect is essential to remember when writing a literature review?

Make sure your review aligns with your research question and approach. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of a literature review?

To provide an overview of existing knowledge. Signup and view all the answers

Which factor is specifically mentioned as influencing fatigue management in OA?

The tailoring of approaches based on functional mobility Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a literature review?

It summarizes every article published in the field. Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the steps involved in carrying out a literature review?

Performing a literature search. Signup and view all the answers

Which source is typically NOT included in the types of literature for a review?

Personal diaries. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following tools can be used to locate literature?

CD-Roms and databases. Signup and view all the answers

What should be done after summarizing the literature during a review?

Arrange findings by key themes. Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant benefit of conducting a literature review?

It prevents duplication of effort. Signup and view all the answers

When reviewing literature, which critique question is least relevant?

Is the article written in a certain format? Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

What is a literature review?

A literature review provides an overview of existing knowledge about major questions or themes within a topic area.
It presents the current state of knowledge in a meaningful way.
It is organized based on the research objective, question, or theme.
The structure of the review is tailored to the specific research goal.

What is a literature review not?

It is not an annotated bibliography or a historical listing of authors.
It is not an exhaustive list of every article and author in the field.
It is not a reference to every piece of literature or theory in a specific area.

Why is a literature review important?

It prevents duplication of research efforts.
It identifies gaps in existing knowledge.
It provides strong arguments for why proposed research is crucial.
It presents an objective perspective.
It highlights lessons learned from prior studies.
It refines the research problem statement.
It provides a basis for comparing your findings with previous studies.

Carrying out a literature review - Step one: Literature search

Develop concepts and keywords relevant to your research topic.
Select sources and perform your search.
Conduct an initial review of titles, followed by a review of abstracts to narrow down your search.
Refine your search concepts and repeat the search as needed.
Consider searching across multiple disciplines, as needed.

Types of literature

Journal articles, published papers, reports, and books
Conference papers
Dissertations
Research and program reports, both published and unpublished

Locating literature

Library holdings
Databases and CD-Roms (e.g., Medline, JSTOR)
Indexes
International agencies (e.g., WHO, UN, World Bank)
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
Government Departments
Internet

Carrying out a literature review - Step two: Review the literature

Be selective when choosing sources.
Review reference lists and bibliographies for additional relevant sources.
Summarize the development and rationale for your research topic.
Organize the literature by key themes or findings.

General critique questions

Is the author an expert in the field?
Is the discussion objective and balanced?
Is the article current and relevant to your research?
Are the findings supported by evidence ?
Does the author consider opposing views and alternative interpretations?

Methodological critique

What was the sample size?
Was the research design valid?
Can the findings be generalized to a wider population?
Were there any confounding variables that could have influenced the results?

Carrying out a literature review - Step three: Organizing the review

Categorize the literature based on your initial reading.
Reconsider your keywords to facilitate this process.
Use these categories as headings for organizing summaries of research.
Be open and flexible in this process.

Carrying out a literature review - Step four: Crafting your story

Identify areas of agreement among the sources.
Identify areas of disagreement among the sources.
Provide summaries throughout the review.
Reference other researchers' findings, including specific details like inclusion criteria, sample size, study type, and findings.
Cover seminal work and key concepts in the field.

Important things to remember

Use verbs carefully to avoid bias.
Avoid repetition in your writing.
Keep a search journal to track your progress.
You cannot cover every piece of literature in the field.
Ensure your review supports your research question and approach.

Citing your work

Provide accurate citations to give credit to the original authors.
Common reference styles include Harvard Style, Vancouver Style, and Turabian Style.
Check which reference style is required for your project in advance.

Mobile phone usage and pain

A study by Fishbain et al. (2013) found an association between fatigue and pain.
The study also suggests that fatigue is linked to the presence of pain.
A study by Murphy et al. (2013) investigated the relationship between fatigue in daily life and physical activity among individuals with knee and hip osteoarthritis.
The study found that daily fatigue negatively impacted physical activity levels, particularly in individuals with higher functional mobility.
This finding could be used to develop tailored approaches for fatigue management in osteoarthritis.
Khan et al. reported that prolonged mobile phone use is associated with a higher frequency of neck pain and a higher neck disability index score (NDI).
The study found a strong positive correlation between text neck syndrome and mobile phone use.

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Description

This quiz explores the concept of literature reviews, their significance, and their structure. It clarifies what a literature review includes and what it does not, emphasizing its importance in research. Test your knowledge on how literature reviews contribute to academic research.