1. Chapter 5 Literature Reviews: Finding and Critiquing Evidence

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

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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

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

8. 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.

9. 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

10. 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

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

12. Example of a Printout From a CINAHL Search

13. Example of a Printout From a PubMed Search

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

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. Matrix
Methodologic
Results
Evaluation

18. Codes for Results Matrix/Coding in Margins

19. Example of a Literature Review Protocol

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

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

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

23. Guidelines for Critiquing Literature Reviews