Chapter 5 Literature Reviews: Finding and Critiquing Evidence

Question Tell whether the statement is true or false: A research literature review is a written summary of evidence on a research problem.

Answer True A research literature review is a written summary of evidence on a research problem.

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

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

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

Question Tell whether the statement is true or false: An ancestry approach uses pivotal studies to search forward to subsequent studies that cited it.

Answer False Ancestry Approach: tracking down earlier studies cited in a reference list of a report. Descendancy Approach: using a pivotal study to search forward to subsequent studies that cited it.

Finding Studies Ancestry Approach: tracking down earlier studies cited in a reference list of a report Descendancy Approach: using a pivotal study to search forward to subsequent studies that cited it

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

Key Electronic Databases for Nurse Researchers CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature) MEDLINE® (Medical Literature on-Line)

Example of a Printout From a CINAHL Search

Example of a Printout From a PubMed Search

Abstracting and Recording Information Coding the studies Literature review protocols Literature review matrixes

Question Matrices are a convenient means of abstracting and organizing information for a literature review. What is an evaluation matrix? Record methodologic features of a set of studies. Record research findings. Record quality assessment information. Record thematic analysis of the retrieved information.

Answer C A reviewer might use a Methodologic Matrix to record methodologic features of a set of studies; a set of Results Matrices to record research findings; and an Evaluation Matrix to record quality assessment information. The use of such matrices facilitates thematic analysis of the retrieved information.

Matrix Methodologic Results Evaluation

Codes for Results Matrix/Coding in Margins

Example of a Literature Review Protocol

Critiquing Studies and Evaluating the Evidence Research critiques of individual studies Evaluating a body of research

Analyzing and Synthesizing Information Theme Analysis: Substantive themes Theoretical themes Methodologic themes

Preparing a Written Literature Review Organizing the review Writing a literature review 1. Content 2. Style

Guidelines for Critiquing Literature Reviews