And in this issue: of the CMEJ: Bahji A, Smith J, Danilewitz M, Crockford D, el-Guebaly N, Stuart H. Towards competency-based medical education in addictions psychiatry: a systematic review. . 2021; 12(3) 10.36834/cmej.69739
More recently, authors such as Greenhalgh 4 have drawn attention to the perceived hierarchy of systematic reviews over scoping and narrative reviews. Like Greenhalgh, 4 we argue that systematic reviews are not to be seen as the gold standard of all reviews. Instead, it is important to align the method of review to what the authors hope to achieve, and pursue the review rigorously, according to the tenets of the chosen review type. Sometimes it is helpful to read part of the literature on your topic before deciding on a methodology for organizing and assessing its usefulness. Importantly, whether you are conducting a review or reading reviews, appreciating the differences between different types of reviews can also help you weigh the author’s interpretation of their findings.
In the next section we summarize some general tips for conducting successful reviews.
In 2016 David Cook wrote an editorial for Medical Education on tips for a great review article. 13 These tips are excellent suggestions for all types of articles you are considering to submit to the CMEJ. First, start with a clear question: focused or more general depending on the type of review you are conducting. Systematic reviews tend to address very focused questions often summarizing the evidence of your topic. Other types of reviews tend to have broader questions and are more exploratory in nature.
Following your question, choose an approach and plan your methods to match your question…just like you would for a research study. Fortunately, there are guidelines for many types of reviews. As Cook points out the most important consideration is to be sure that the methods you follow lead to a defensible answer to your review question. To help you prepare for a defensible answer there are many guides available. For systematic reviews consult PRISMA guidelines ; 13 for scoping reviews PRISMA-ScR ; 14 and SANRA 15 for narrative reviews. It is also important to explain to readers why you have chosen to conduct a review. You may be introducing a new way for addressing an old problem, drawing links across literatures, filling in gaps in our knowledge about a phenomenon or educational practice. Cook refers to this as setting the stage. Linking back to the literature is important. In systematic reviews for example, you must be clear in explaining how your review builds on existing literature and previous reviews. This is your opportunity to be critical. What are the gaps and limitations of previous reviews? So, how will your systematic review resolve the shortcomings of previous work? In other types of reviews, such as narrative reviews, its less about filling a specific knowledge gap, and more about generating new research topic areas, exposing blind spots in our thinking, or making creative new links across issues. Whatever, type of review paper you are working on, the next steps are ones that can be applied to any scholarly writing. Be clear and offer insight. What is your main message? A review is more than just listing studies or referencing literature on your topic. Lead your readers to a convincing message. Provide commentary and interpretation for the studies in your review that will help you to inform your conclusions. For systematic reviews, Cook’s final tip is most likely the most important– report completely. You need to explain all your methods and report enough detail that readers can verify the main findings of each study you review. The most common reasons CMEJ reviewers recommend to decline a review article is because authors do not follow these last tips. In these instances authors do not provide the readers with enough detail to substantiate their interpretations or the message is not clear. Our recommendation for writing a great review is to ensure you have followed the previous tips and to have colleagues read over your paper to ensure you have provided a clear, detailed description and interpretation.
Finally, we leave you with some resources to guide your review writing. 3 , 7 , 8 , 10 , 11 , 16 , 17 We look forward to seeing your future work. One thing is certain, a better appreciation of what different reviews provide to the field will contribute to more purposeful exploration of the literature and better manuscript writing in general.
In this issue we present many interesting and worthwhile papers, two of which are, in fact, reviews.
A chance for reform: the environmental impact of travel for general surgery residency interviews by Fung et al. 18 estimated the CO 2 emissions associated with traveling for residency position interviews. Due to the high emissions levels (mean 1.82 tonnes per applicant), they called for the consideration of alternative options such as videoconference interviews.
Understanding community family medicine preceptors’ involvement in educational scholarship: perceptions, influencing factors and promising areas for action by Ward and team 19 identified barriers, enablers, and opportunities to grow educational scholarship at community-based teaching sites. They discovered a growing interest in educational scholarship among community-based family medicine preceptors and hope the identification of successful processes will be beneficial for other community-based Family Medicine preceptors.
Exploring the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical education: an international cross-sectional study of medical learners by Allison Brown and team 20 studied the impact of COVID-19 on medical learners around the world. There were different concerns depending on the levels of training, such as residents’ concerns with career timeline compared to trainees’ concerns with the quality of learning. Overall, the learners negatively perceived the disruption at all levels and geographic regions.
The impact of local health professions education grants: is it worth the investment? by Susan Humphrey-Murto and co-authors 21 considered factors that lead to the publication of studies supported by local medical education grants. They identified several factors associated with publication success, including previous oral or poster presentations. They hope their results will be valuable for Canadian centres with local grant programs.
Exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical learner wellness: a needs assessment for the development of learner wellness interventions by Stephana Cherak and team 22 studied learner-wellness in various training environments disrupted by the pandemic. They reported a negative impact on learner wellness at all stages of training. Their results can benefit the development of future wellness interventions.
Program directors’ reflections on national policy change in medical education: insights on decision-making, accreditation, and the CanMEDS framework by Dore, Bogie, et al. 23 invited program directors to reflect on the introduction of the CanMEDS framework into Canadian postgraduate medical education programs. Their survey revealed that while program directors (PDs) recognized the necessity of the accreditation process, they did not feel they had a voice when the change occurred. The authors concluded that collaborations with PDs would lead to more successful outcomes.
Experiential learning, collaboration and reflection: key ingredients in longitudinal faculty development by Laura Farrell and team 24 stressed several elements for effective longitudinal faculty development (LFD) initiatives. They found that participants benefited from a supportive and collaborative environment while trying to learn a new skill or concept.
The effect of COVID-19 on medical students’ education and wellbeing: a cross-sectional survey by Stephanie Thibaudeau and team 25 assessed the impact of COVID-19 on medical students. They reported an overall perceived negative impact, including increased depressive symptoms, increased anxiety, and reduced quality of education.
In Do PGY-1 residents in Emergency Medicine have enough experiences in resuscitations and other clinical procedures to meet the requirements of a Competence by Design curriculum? Meshkat and co-authors 26 recorded the number of adult medical resuscitations and clinical procedures completed by PGY1 Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in Emergency Medicine residents to compare them to the Competence by Design requirements. Their study underscored the importance of monitoring collection against pre-set targets. They concluded that residency program curricula should be regularly reviewed to allow for adequate clinical experiences.
Rehearsal simulation for antenatal consults by Anita Cheng and team 27 studied whether rehearsal simulation for antenatal consults helped residents prepare for difficult conversations with parents expecting complications with their baby before birth. They found that while rehearsal simulation improved residents’ confidence and communication techniques, it did not prepare them for unexpected parent responses.
Peer support programs in the fields of medicine and nursing: a systematic search and narrative review by Haykal and co-authors 28 described and evaluated peer support programs in the medical field published in the literature. They found numerous diverse programs and concluded that including a variety of delivery methods to meet the needs of all participants is a key aspect for future peer-support initiatives.
Towards competency-based medical education in addictions psychiatry: a systematic review by Bahji et al. 6 identified addiction interventions to build competency for psychiatry residents and fellows. They found that current psychiatry entrustable professional activities need to be better identified and evaluated to ensure sustained competence in addictions.
Six ways to get a grip on leveraging the expertise of Instructional Design and Technology professionals by Chen and Kleinheksel 29 provided ways to improve technology implementation by clarifying the role that Instructional Design and Technology professionals can play in technology initiatives and technology-enhanced learning. They concluded that a strong collaboration is to the benefit of both the learners and their future patients.
In his article, Seven ways to get a grip on running a successful promotions process, 30 Simon Field provided guidelines for maximizing opportunities for successful promotion experiences. His seven tips included creating a rubric for both self-assessment of likeliness of success and adjudication by the committee.
Six ways to get a grip on your first health education leadership role by Stasiuk and Scott 31 provided tips for considering a health education leadership position. They advised readers to be intentional and methodical in accepting or rejecting positions.
Re-examining the value proposition for Competency-Based Medical Education by Dagnone and team 32 described the excitement and controversy surrounding the implementation of competency-based medical education (CBME) by Canadian postgraduate training programs. They proposed observing which elements of CBME had a positive impact on various outcomes.
In their work, Interprofessional culinary education workshops at the University of Saskatchewan, Lieffers et al. 33 described the implementation of interprofessional culinary education workshops that were designed to provide health professions students with an experiential and cooperative learning experience while learning about important topics in nutrition. They reported an enthusiastic response and cooperation among students from different health professional programs.
In their article, Physiotherapist-led musculoskeletal education: an innovative approach to teach medical students musculoskeletal assessment techniques, Boulila and team 34 described the implementation of physiotherapist-led workshops, whether the workshops increased medical students’ musculoskeletal knowledge, and if they increased confidence in assessment techniques.
Instagram as a virtual art display for medical students by Karly Pippitt and team 35 used social media as a platform for showcasing artwork done by first-year medical students. They described this shift to online learning due to COVID-19. Using Instagram was cost-saving and widely accessible. They intend to continue with both online and in-person displays in the future.
Adapting clinical skills volunteer patient recruitment and retention during COVID-19 by Nazerali-Maitland et al. 36 proposed a SLIM-COVID framework as a solution to the problem of dwindling volunteer patients due to COVID-19. Their framework is intended to provide actionable solutions to recruit and engage volunteers in a challenging environment.
In Quick Response codes for virtual learner evaluation of teaching and attendance monitoring, Roxana Mo and co-authors 37 used Quick Response (QR) codes to monitor attendance and obtain evaluations for virtual teaching sessions. They found QR codes valuable for quick and simple feedback that could be used for many educational applications.
In Creation and implementation of the Ottawa Handbook of Emergency Medicine Kaitlin Endres and team 38 described the creation of a handbook they made as an academic resource for medical students as they shift to clerkship. It includes relevant content encountered in Emergency Medicine. While they intended it for medical students, they also see its value for nurses, paramedics, and other medical professionals.
The alarming situation of medical student mental health by D’Eon and team 39 appealed to medical education leaders to respond to the high numbers of mental health concerns among medical students. They urged leaders to address the underlying problems, such as the excessive demands of the curriculum.
In the shadows: medical student clinical observerships and career exploration in the face of COVID-19 by Law and co-authors 40 offered potential solutions to replace in-person shadowing that has been disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They hope the alternatives such as virtual shadowing will close the gap in learning caused by the pandemic.
Canadian Federation of Medical Students' response to “ The alarming situation of medical student mental health” King et al. 41 on behalf of the Canadian Federation of Medical Students (CFMS) responded to the commentary by D’Eon and team 39 on medical students' mental health. King called upon the medical education community to join the CFMS in its commitment to improving medical student wellbeing.
Re: “Development of a medical education podcast in obstetrics and gynecology” 42 was written by Kirubarajan in response to the article by Development of a medical education podcast in obstetrics and gynecology by Black and team. 43 Kirubarajan applauded the development of the podcast to meet a need in medical education, and suggested potential future topics such as interventions to prevent learner burnout.
Response to “First year medical student experiences with a clinical skills seminar emphasizing sexual and gender minority population complexity” by Kumar and Hassan 44 acknowledged the previously published article by Biro et al. 45 that explored limitations in medical training for the LGBTQ2S community. However, Kumar and Hassen advocated for further progress and reform for medical training to address the health requirements for sexual and gender minorities.
In her letter, Journey to the unknown: road closed!, 46 Rosemary Pawliuk responded to the article, Journey into the unknown: considering the international medical graduate perspective on the road to Canadian residency during the COVID-19 pandemic, by Gutman et al. 47 Pawliuk agreed that international medical students (IMGs) do not have adequate formal representation when it comes to residency training decisions. Therefore, Pawliuk challenged health organizations to make changes to give a voice in decision-making to the organizations representing IMGs.
In Connections, 48 Sara Guzman created a digital painting to portray her approach to learning. Her image of a hand touching a neuron showed her desire to physically see and touch an active neuron in order to further understand the brain and its connections.
Sample summaries, verbs to help you write the summary, how to read a scholarly article.
A critical review is an academic appraisal of an article that offers both a summary and critical comment. They are useful in evaluating the relevance of a source to your academic needs. They demonstrate that you have understood the text and that you can analyze the main arguments or findings. It is not just a summary; it is an evaluation of what the author has said on a topic. It’s critical in that you thoughtfully consider the validity and accuracy of the author’s claims and that you identify other valid points of view.
An effective critical review has three parts:
Steps to Write a Critical Review:
Q. What were the authors investigating? What is their thesis? Q. What did the authors hope to discover?
D. Pay close attention to the methods used by the authors to collection information.
Q. What are the characteristics of the participants? (e.g.) Age/gender/ethnicity
Q. What was the procedure or experimental method/surveys used?
Q. Are their any flaws in the design of their study?
E. Review the main findings in the “Discussion” or “Conclusion” section. This will help you to evaluate the validity of their evidence, and the credibility of the authors. Q. Are their conclusions convincing? Q. Were their results significant? If so, describe how they were significant. F. Evaluate the usefulness of the text to YOU in the context of your own research.
Q. How does this article assist you in your research?
Q. How does it enhance your understanding of this issue?
Q. What gaps in your research does it fill?
Good Summary:
Hock, S., & Rochford, R. A. (2010). A letter-writing campaign: linking academic success and civic engagement. Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship, 3 (2), 76-82.
Hock & Rochford (2010) describe how two classes of developmental writing students were engaged in a service-learning project to support the preservation of an on-campus historical site. The goal of the assignment was to help students to see how they have influence in their community by acting as engaged citizens, and to improve their scores on the ACT Writing Sample Assessment (WSA) exam. The authors report that students in developmental classes often feel disempowered, especially when English is not their first language. This assignment not only assisted them in elevating their written communication skills, but it also gave real-life significance to the assignment, and by extension made them feel like empowered members of the community. The advancement in student scores serves as evidence to support my research that when students are given assignments which permit local advocacy and active participation, their academic performance also improves.
Bad Summary:
Two ELL classes complete a service-learning project and improve their writing scores. This article was good because it provided me with lots of information I can use. The students learned a lot in their service-learning project and they passed the ACT exam.
Remember you're describing what someone else has said. Use verbal cues to make this clear to your reader. Here are some suggested verbs to use:
The article | The author |
The researchers |
* Adapted from: http://www.laspositascollege.edu/raw/summaries.php
Our guide on what it means to think critically when assessing a piece of writing for a student assignment or a workplace project.
When an academic assignment asks you to “critically review” or include a “critical analysis” of the work of other people, it generally means that you’ll need to “think critically”. This means analysing and assessing the work in terms of what the author was trying to achieve, the approach they took, how they conducted the research, and whether the outcomes were valid and acceptable.
A critical review evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of an item’s ideas and content. It provides description, analysis and interpretation that assess the item’s value. It’s an exercise that can be carried out on many different types of writing, but is most often carried out on a report, a book or a journal article.
Thousands of publications relevant to HR appear every year, via established journals, websites, management consultancy reports and universities all over the world. With so much information becoming available, many of which offer new ideas, new HR theories and approaches, it’s important that HR practitioners can evaluate whether what they read is valid, sound and unbiased. We can’t take everything we read at face value, and it’s an important skill, and a very important activity to conduct, if you’re going to base corporate change and your proposals to management on information from published sources.
Selecting an item to review, the critical review process, writing the critical review, useful contacts and books, view our other study guides.
For study purposes, it's likely that you'll be asked to carry out a critical review of one or more journal articles. You may be directed to a specific journal article, or asked to select one based on your own research on a particular topic, or on a topic of your choice.
If you're given options to make a choice, you're more likely to achieve the required outcome if you use well-known academic journals. These might be found in a library, on HR websites such as HR Focus, or via any online journal hosting service, such as EBSCO which is provided free to CIPD members.
An article will only be useful for a critical review assignment if the author has stated what the question was, how the research was done and the outcomes or conclusions based on the facts and evidence listed.
A journal (sometimes also called a “ periodical ” ) is a publication produced on a regular continuing basis – it may be weekly, monthly, quarterly (every three months) or annually.
The titles of journals (for example The Journal of Occupational Psychology ) indicate the main topic focus of the articles contained in it.
As they are published regularly, journals usually have volume and issue numbers, and sometimes months, to identify them.
A volume usually covers a specific year – so, for example, volume 45 may be all the issues published in 2013.
A n issue number refers to a specific instalment of the journal within that volume – they are often numbered issue or number 1, 2, 3, etc.
A s well as, or instead of, a volume and issue number, some journals use the month of publication. This information is often crucial in finding specific articles.
There are two main types of journal :
Academic journal (also called scholarly journals) – T hese often contain research articles written by subject experts; they contain academic commentary and critical evaluation of issues by experts. The articles will be written in an academic style and they may be “ refereed ” or “ peer-reviewed ” – that is they articles are assessed, often by members of an editorial board who are experts in the field, before they are accepted for publication. Articles from this type of journal are usually suitable for a critical review exercise. The International Journal of Human Resource Management and Harvard Business Review are examples.
Trade or professional journals – T hese usually contain news articles and comment on current issues. The articles often contain practical information and are written in everyday language. They also often have a “ jobs ” section and news of people in that profession. They are likely to be written by journalists rather than academics and don't usually have such rigorous publishing criteria. These articles may not be so suitable for a critical review exercise. People Management is an example.
Take time to:
Think about what content are you expecting, based on the title?
Read the abstract for a summary of the author's arguments.
Study the list of references to determine what research contributed to the author's arguments. Are the references recent? Do they represent important work in the field by accredited authors?
Find out more about the author to learn what authority they have to write about the subject. Have they published other works which have been peer-assessed by other experts?
Read the article carefully, but straight-through the first time to form an impression. You may find it useful to note down your initial reactions and questions. Then re-read it, either right-through or in sections, taking notes of the key ideas. Use these questions as a framework.
Who was the article written for?
Why has the author written the article? To survey and summarise research on a topic? Or to present an argument that builds on past research? Or to disagree with another writer’s stated argument?
Does the author define important terms?
Is the information in the article fact or opinion? Facts can be verified, while opinions arise from perceptions and interpretation.
Is the article well-structured? Is it organised logically and easy to follow?
Is the information well-researched, or is it largely unsupported?
What are the author’s central arguments or conclusions? Are they supported by evidence and analysis?
If the article reports on an experiment or study, does the author clearly outline methodology and the expected result?
Is the article lacking any information or arguments that you expected to find?
For more on effective reading and note-taking, see our guide on studying effectively.
A key part of a critical review is assessing the author's “argument”. In this context, the argument is the line of reasoning or the approach or point of view of the author. It may be the author is defending a particular idea. They may be trying to make a case for something, perhaps a new idea, in which case there would then need to be evidence, examples and a clear set of conclusions coming from the research, or investigation done. To be academically acceptable, any outcomes stated should not be just the author's ideas alone, they must be backed up with valid, appropriate evidence.
Questions to ask yourself about the item you're reviewing are:
Is there a logical progression through the argument?
Do you feel the argument is strong enough?
Is there enough valid evidence?
Does the author make any assumptions and, if so, are they reasonable?
Are any surveys valid – for example, is the sample size representative and large enough for any conclusions to be valid?
Would the findings and conclusions apply to other organisations, or are they too specific? Why?
Do you think the author was biased? Why? For example, it can be useful to think about who funded the research and whether could that have influenced the findings.
It's important to remember that you don't need to agree with the author's views – this would form part of your critical thinking.
A key skill when thinking critically is to be objective in what you are reading or thinking through. Look at both sides of the argument, think of some tests you could do to establish if the ideas are sound. You might apply them to your own organisation for instance.
The output from critical thinking in a professional context is usually a report – a critical review of the item(s) chosen for a given purpose (for example, as student assignment or, in a work setting, to a project team).
The steps are to:
Select your area for review, and the reason for choosing it.
Identify the different information sources reviewed, naming type, when accessed, and through which online database or source.
Explain why you chose these source(s) to review (unless they were given to you).
Highlight and comment on the different research approaches and methods used by the author(s).
Comment on the argument and conclusions, drawing where necessary on your wider research.
If required, make recommendations to named stakeholders for sustaining or improving practice, based on the findings in your sources.
Open University – critical reading techniques
Open University – critically processing what you read
Palgrave Study Skills – critical thinking
CAMERON, S. (2009) The business student's handbook: skills for study and employment . 5th ed. Harlow: Pearson Education.
COTTRELL, S. (2013) The study skills handbook . 4th ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
COTTRELL, S. (2011) Critical thinking skills . 2nd ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
HORN. R. (2009) The business skills handbook . London: CIPD.
NORTHEDGE, A. (2005) The good study guide . 2nd ed. Milton Keynes: Open University.
OPEN UNIVERSITY. (2007) Develop effective study strategies . Milton Keynes: Open University
Our guide to helping you compile bibliographies based on the Harvard system.
There are a number of key considerations when developing an approach to studying to suit you. These study tips will help ensure you study effectively.
Practical advice on the report-writing process, with key steps to improve the quality of business reports
An academic essay is a formal piece of writing which presents an argument to the reader. Learn how to write persuasive and robust academic essays.
A place to learn, debate and connect with other HR and L&D professionals
Interactive career tools, including career assessments, personal development planner, elevator pitch builder, and interview simulator.
Supporting CIPD members in successful job search
Listen to our webinar to hear how our new qualifications could give you the skills and knowledge you need to excel in the people profession.
This guide explains in-work poverty, its effects and what employers can do to help
Guidance for HR practitioners and employers to support their employees’ financial wellbeing
Practical advice on adopting and responsibly investing in technology to optimise job quality and business outcomes
Practical advice on how people professionals can tackle workplace bullying and conflict
Writing a critical review
During your studies, you may be asked to write a critical review of a book, a book chapter or a journal article. This form of assessment requires you to critically examine a piece of writing in the light of what you know about that field of research. Your critical review is written for a reader (your lecturer or tutor) who is knowledgeable in the discipline and is interested not just in the coverage and content of the writing being reviewed, but also in your critical assessment of the ideas and argument that are being presented by the author.
To begin the task, you need to read and critically analyse the article. When reading the text, have some questions in mind to guide your analysis and help you to focus on areas to critique. The following questions are some ideas on how to engage with the text and help you form your critical analysis:
When critically analysing the text, consider how it relates to your course materials, to the other articles or books that you have been reading and the lecture material. This can help you find supporting evidence or alternative theoretical models or interpretations of data.
The following is a suggested structure for your review.
Initially, identify the text (author, title, date of publication and other details that seem important), indicate the main points you will be discussing and state your overall message regarding the text.
Briefly summarise the range, contents, and argument of the text. Occasionally you may summarise the entire text, but in a short review (1000-1500 words) you usually pick up the main themes only. This section should not normally take up more than a third of the total review.
Critically discuss 2-3 key issues raised in the text. This section is the core of your review. Make clear the author's own argument before you criticise and evaluate it. Support your criticisms with evidence from the text or from other writings. You may also want to indicate gaps in the author's treatment of a topic, but it is seldom useful to criticise a writer for not doing something they never intended to do.
Evaluate the overall contribution that the text has made to your understanding of the topic (and maybe its importance to the development of knowledge in this particular area or discipline, setting it in the context of other writings in the field).
Sometimes you will be asked to compare and contrast two or more journal articles in a critical review. The process is the same as above, however you will need to think about the following questions:
Keep these questions in mind as you read your journal articles and start to compare and contrast them. They will also help guide you in structuring your critical/analytical response. Your structure might look like this:
Initially, identify both the texts (author, title, date of publication and other details that seem important), indicate your answer to the questions posed above (or any specific question you have been given by your lecturer) and the main points you will be discussing about the texts.
Briefly summarise the range, contents, and arguments of both the texts picking up the main themes only. This section should not normally take up more than a third of the total review.
Critically discuss 2-3 key issues raised in the texts. This section is the core of your review. As you are comparing and contrasting, at this point you need to show how the author's agree and/or disagree around your chosen issues. Use evidence from the texts to illustrate and support your views.
Evaluate the overall contribution that the texts have made to your understanding of the topic and how they agree or disagree with each other.
Writing a creative piece
Writing a policy brief
Writing an abstract
Writing an annotated bibliography
Writing in Law
Writing in Psychology
What is a Literature Review? A literature review is a critical analysis of existing research related to a specific topic or research question. Rather than simply summarizing the sources, a literature review evaluates, compares, and synthesizes the literature to highlight trends, gaps, and insights that inform your research.
Purpose and Importance: Literature reviews serve multiple key functions:
Difference Between a Literature Review and an Annotated Bibliography: While both a literature review and an annotated bibliography involve analyzing sources, they serve different purposes. An annotated bibliography focuses on summarizing and evaluating individual sources in isolation. In contrast, a literature review synthesizes multiple sources to form a cohesive narrative, identifying patterns, themes, and debates within the literature. The literature review also typically organizes the information thematically or methodologically rather than listing sources one by one.
Q: What is the main difference between a literature review and a systematic review? A: A literature review provides a broad overview of existing research on a topic, while a systematic review follows a structured methodology to identify, evaluate, and synthesize all relevant studies on a specific question.
Q: How do I choose the best type of literature review for my research? A: Consider your research question and objectives. A narrative review is suitable for broad overviews, while a systematic review is best for comprehensive analyses. A scoping review helps map out the existing literature, and a meta-analysis combines quantitative results from multiple studies.
Q: How many sources should I include in my literature review? A: The number of sources depends on your topic and the scope of your review. Generally, aim to include a comprehensive selection that represents the current state of research. Ensure sources are relevant and contribute to answering your research question.
Q: Can I include unpublished sources in my literature review? A: Yes, including unpublished sources such as dissertations, theses, or reports can provide valuable insights and fill gaps in the published literature. Ensure these sources are credible and relevant.
Q: How do I ensure my literature review is critical and not just descriptive? A: Focus on evaluating and synthesizing the sources rather than just summarizing them. Analyze the strengths, weaknesses, and contributions of each study. Highlight trends, debates, and gaps in the literature.
Gain valuable insights on how to write an impactful literature review with this comprehensive guide!
Explore practical tips and strategies for structuring a literature review in this detailed tutorial.
To illustrate how a literature review is structured and written, here's a simplified example based on a hypothetical research topic: The Impact of Social Media on Adolescent Mental Health.
Introduction: The introduction provides an overview of the research topic and its significance.
Social media has become an integral part of adolescents' lives, raising concerns about its impact on mental health. This literature review examines existing research on how social media use affects adolescent well-being, focusing on both positive and negative outcomes.
Body: The body of the review is organized thematically or methodologically.
Positive Impacts of Social Media:
Negative Impacts of Social Media:
Mixed Findings:
Discussion: The discussion synthesizes the findings, identifies trends, and highlights gaps:
The reviewed literature reveals a complex relationship between social media and adolescent mental health. While social media can offer support and educational benefits, its negative impacts—particularly related to mental health issues and cyberbullying—are significant. Further research is needed to understand how different variables affect these outcomes and to develop strategies for mitigating negative effects.
Conclusion: The conclusion summarizes the key findings and suggests areas for future research:
In summary, social media has both positive and negative effects on adolescent mental health. Addressing these impacts requires a nuanced understanding of the various factors involved and targeted interventions to support healthy social media use. Future research should focus on longitudinal studies to better assess the long-term effects of social media on mental health.
This example provides a framework for how a literature review should be structured and the type of content that should be included. It demonstrates the synthesis of various sources to present a cohesive narrative on the research topic.
A Literature Review Matrix is a powerful tool that helps you organize and evaluate the sources you've gathered for your literature review. Think of it as a structured table that allows you to visually track key details from each source, helping you compare and contrast research findings, methods, and relevance to your work.
The primary goal of a Literature Review Matrix is to provide a clear and organized way to view your sources side-by-side. This makes it easier to spot patterns, identify gaps in the literature, and see how different studies connect or diverge. By using this matrix, you can:
When crafting your literature review, the matrix becomes a valuable reference. It offers a concise summary of each source, facilitating the synthesis of information and revealing connections between works. This organized approach helps ensure you cover all important themes and insights.
A typical Literature Review Matrix includes:
A Literature Review Matrix establishes a solid foundation for a well-organized literature review, ensuring you capture all critical insights and connections between sources.
To make the most of your Literature Review Matrix, follow these steps to complete each category:
Author(s) & Date : Record the author(s) of the study and the publication date. This helps track contributions and the relevance of the research over time.
Theoretical/Conceptual Framework : Note the theories or concepts guiding the study. This provides insight into the foundation of the research and its theoretical background.
Research Question(s)/Hypotheses : Summarize the main research questions or hypotheses the study addresses. This clarifies the focus and objectives of the research.
Methodology : Describe the research design and methods used. This includes the type of study, data collection methods, and analysis techniques.
Analysis & Results : Outline the main findings and how the data was analyzed. This section highlights the key discoveries of the research.
Conclusions : Record the study’s conclusions and implications. This provides a summary of the research outcomes and their significance.
Implications for Future Research : Identify suggestions for further research proposed by the study. This helps in understanding how the research contributes to ongoing scholarly conversation.
Implications for Practice : Note any practical applications or recommendations made. This connects the research findings to real-world applications.
Accurately filling in each category of the Literature Review Matrix ensures a comprehensive and organized overview of your sources, making it easier to synthesize and integrate information into your literature review.
A Literature Review Matrix is not just a tool but a strategic aid in organizing and synthesizing your research. Here’s why it’s invaluable:
Enhanced Clarity : By laying out your sources in a matrix format, you gain a clear, visual representation of the key components of each study. This clarity helps in quickly identifying patterns, contradictions, and gaps in the literature.
Streamlined Synthesis : The matrix allows you to compare and contrast findings across multiple sources efficiently. This makes synthesizing information from different studies simpler, leading to a more cohesive and comprehensive literature review.
Efficient Writing : With all essential information organized in one place, writing your literature review becomes more straightforward. The matrix provides a structured reference that helps in drafting sections and ensuring that all relevant points are addressed.
Identification of Trends and Gaps : The matrix helps in spotting trends in research and identifying areas where further investigation is needed. This insight is crucial for framing your research questions and shaping your own study.
Improved Organization : It facilitates a systematic approach to managing your sources, reducing the risk of overlooking important details and ensuring that your review is well-organized and thorough.
Using a Literature Review Matrix enhances the efficiency and quality of your literature review process. It’s a powerful tool that supports clarity, synthesis, and effective writing, ultimately contributing to a more insightful and organized review.
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Critical appraisal is the careful analysis of a study to assess trustworthiness, relevance and results of published research. Here are some tools to guide you.
Appraising Grey Literature:
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Ricardo gutiérrez and rodolfo cuerno, phys. rev. research 6 , 033324 – published 23 september 2024.
The time-dependent process whereby one-dimensional systems of self-sustained oscillators synchronize is shown to display scale invariance in space and time, akin to that found in the dynamics of equilibrium critical phenomena. Remarkably, the process is largely independent of system details, sharing with a class of nonequilibrium surface kinetic roughening the universal scaling behavior of the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang equation with columnar noise, and featuring phase fluctuations that follow a Tracy-Widom probability distribution. This is revealed by a numerical exploration of rings of Stuart-Landau oscillators (the universal representation of an oscillating system close to a Hopf bifurcation) and rings of van der Pol oscillators, both paradigmatically supporting self-sustained oscillations. The critical behavior is very well-defined for limit-cycle oscillations near bifurcation, and still dominates comparatively far from it. In particular, the Tracy-Widom fluctuation distribution seems to be an extremely robust feature of the synchronization process. The nonequilibrium criticality here described appears to transcend the details of the coupled dynamical systems that synchronize, making plausible its experimental observation.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.6.033324
Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.
Published by the American Physical Society
Vol. 6, Iss. 3 — September - November 2024
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Phases ϕ j ( t ) extracted from the states of oscillators form an interface above an oscillator substrate, where the subindex j identifies an oscillator by its position along the lattice. The limit cycle shown is for a single vdP oscillator with μ = 1 , Eq. ( 7 ), K = 0 , and the green interface is a snapshot of simulations of the same equation for K ≠ 0 .
(a) Roughness normalized with respect to its value at t = 500 , W ( L , t ) / W ( L , 500 ) , as a function of time for different sizes L in rings of SL oscillators and rings of vdP oscillators. Two choices of the parameter μ are displayed (see legend). The dashed line represents a power-law growth t β . (b), (c) Structure factor S ( k , t ) at times as in the legend for rings of L = 1000 SL oscillators [(b), main panel] and of vdP oscillators [(c), main panel]. In both panels the insets show the rescaling of the S ( k , t ) data of the main panel following Eq. ( 4 ). Results are for μ = 0.5 , 1 , and 2.0, the last two values shown after an upward vertical displacement, so larger values of μ appear above, for visibility purposes. In all three panels, the exponent values used are α = 1.07 , z = 1.37 , and α s = 1.40 ( β = α / z ≈ 0.78 ). Results based on 1000 realizations.
Main panel: Histogram of phase fluctuations, Eq. ( 5 ), in rings of L = 1000 SL oscillators and vdP oscillators for μ = 0.5 , 1 , and 2, normalized to zero mean and unit variance. Top-left inset: Same data in linear scale, centered around the peak of the distribution. The dotted (solid) line represents a Gaussian (GOE-TW) PDF. Data for the histograms are based on 10000 realizations, for t = 300 , 500 , 700 , 1000 , 1500 , and 2000 ( t 0 = 100 , and Δ t = 200 , 400 , ... , 1900 ), in the growth regime. Bottom-center inset: Rescaled phase covariance, Eq. ( 6 ), for rings of SL and vdP oscillators with parameter values as in (a), for t = 500 , 550 , 600 , ... , 800 . The dotted (solid) line represents the covariance of the Airy 1 process (Larkin model). The exponent values are α = 1.07 and z = 1.37 ( β = α / z ≈ 0.78 ).
Two-point correlations for rings of (a) SL and (b) vdP oscillators with (inset) and without (main panel) rescaling as given by Eq. ( C2 ). Results shown for μ = 1 , L = 1000 , and 1000 realizations. Exponent values: α = 1.07 , z = 1.37 and α loc = 0.97 ( β = α / z ≈ 0.78 ).
Representative phase profiles across time for a ring of (a) SL and (b) vdP oscillators. Results shown for μ = 1 and L = 1000 . Color code as in Fig. 4 . An arbitrary vertical displacement has been applied for visibility purposes.
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Ev en better you might. consider doing an argument map (see Chapter 9, Critical thinking). Step 5: Put the article aside and think about what you have read. Good critical review. writing requires ...
To write a good critical review, you will have to engage in the mental processes of analyzing (taking apart) the work-deciding what its major components are and determining how these parts (i.e., paragraphs, sections, or chapters) contribute to the work as a whole. Analyzing the work will help you focus on how and why the author makes certain ...
A critical review of a journal article evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of an article's ideas and content. It provides description, analysis and interpretation that allow readers to assess the article's value. ... Study the list of references to determine what research contributed to the author's arguments. Are the references recent? Do ...
Critically reviewing the literature is an indispensible skill which is used throughout a research career. This article demystifies the processes involved in systematically and critically reviewing the literature to demonstrate knowledge, identify research ideas, position research and develop theory. Although aimed primarily at research students ...
What is a critical review? A critical review (sometimes called a critique, critical commentary, critical appraisal, critical analysis) is a detailed commentary on and critical evaluation of a text. You might carry out a critical review as a stand-alone exercise, or as part of your research and preparation for writing a literature review. The
Write a Critical Review of a Scientific Journal Article. Start Here; Analyzing the Text. 1. Identify how and why the research was carried out; 2. Establish the research context ... Read the article(s) carefully and use the questions below to help you identify how and why the research was carried out. Look at the following sections:
A critical review is a description and evaluation of a source, usually a journal article or book. It moves beyond a summary to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the source and to comment on the quality of the source as a whole. Do not be confused by the term "critical": it does not mean that you only look at the negative aspects of ...
A critical review is an assessment of an original research article. Writing a critical review of a journal article can help you improve your research skills. By assessing the work of others, you develop skills as a critical reader and become familiar with the types of evaluation criteria that will be applied to research in your field. ...
The critical review is a writing task that asks you to summarise and evaluate a text. The critical review can be of a book, a chapter, or a journal article. Writing the critical review usually requires you to read the selected text in detail and to read other related texts so you can present a fair and reasonable evaluation of the selected text.
Abstract. Critically reviewing the literature is an indispensible skill which is used throughout a research career. This demystifies the processes involved in systematically and critically reviewing the literature to demonstrate knowledge, identify research ideas and questions, position research and develop theory.
A literature review is a critical analysis and synthesis of existing research on a particular topic. It provides an overview of the current state of knowledge, identifies gaps, and highlights key findings in the literature. 1 The purpose of a literature review is to situate your own research within the context of existing scholarship, demonstrating your understanding of the topic and showing ...
"A critical review aims to demonstrate that the writer has extensively researched the literature and critically evaluated its quality. It goes beyond mere description of identified articles and includes a degree of analysis and conceptual innovation" and "an effective critical review presents, analyses and synthesizes material from diverse sources".
The critical review is a writing task that asks you to summarise and evaluate a text. The critical review can be of a book, a chapter, or a journal article. Writing the critical review usually requires you to read the ... research approach; theories or frameworks used can also be included in the critique section. Conclusion & References Conclusion
A critical review is a critical evaluation of a document (or book or chapter or article). It is not just a summary of the contents. You are expected to read, make judgments about the document and justify these judgments by using the criteria given to you by your lecturer or indicated in the theory. If you have been given criteria to undertake ...
(Critical) Narrative Review: Narrative reviews are expert interpretations and critiques of previously published studies. They are not intended to be exhaustive in their review of evidence, but rather synthetic and generative. Research questions can be narrow or broad and are often theoretically derived.
The ability to summarise is another skill that is essential to writing a critical review. To summarise means to express the main points of an idea or topic in fewer words and without including examples or details. Criteria For Evaluating Academic Texts . Critical evaluation necessitates understanding and analysing the text and then evaluating
It's critical in that you thoughtfully consider the validity and accuracy of the author's claims and that you identify other valid points of view. An effective critical review has three parts: APA citation of article; Clearly summarizes the purpose for the article and identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the research.
A critical review evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of an item's ideas and content. It provides description, analysis and interpretation that assess the item's value. It's an exercise that can be carried out on many different types of writing, but is most often carried out on a report, a book or a journal article.
A critical review is a narrative synthesis of literature that brings an interpretative lens: the review is shaped by a theory, a critical point of view, or perspectives from other domains to inform the literature analysis. Critical reviews involve an interpretative process that combines the reviewer's theoretical premise with existing theories ...
This section should not normally take up more than a third of the total review. Critically discuss 2-3 key issues raised in the text. This section is the core of your review. Make clear the author's own argument before you criticise and evaluate it. Support your criticisms with evidence from the text or from other writings.
In general, the conclusion of your critical review should include. A restatement of your overall opinion. A summary of the key strengths and weaknesses of the research that support your overall opinion of the source. An evaluation of the significance or success of the research. Use the following questions to guide you:
A Review of the Theoretical Literature" (Theoretical literature review about the development of economic migration theory from the 1950s to today.) Example literature review #2: "Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines" (Methodological literature review about interdisciplinary knowledge acquisition and ...
Literature Review. What is a Literature Review? A literature review is a critical analysis of existing research related to a specific topic or research question. Rather than simply summarizing the sources, a literature review evaluates, compares, and synthesizes the literature to highlight trends, gaps, and insights that inform your research.
However, the key feature that distinguishes a critical review from a literature review is that the former is more than just a summary of different topics or methodologies. It offers more of a reflection and critique of the concept in question, and is engaged by authors to more clearly contextualise their own research within the existing ...
Critical appraisal is the careful analysis of a study to assess trustworthiness, relevance and results of published research. Here are some tools to guide you.
To address this research gap, this study provides a state-of-the-art review of VR applications in OSC (VR-OSC) using the scientometric and systematic review methods.
Autistic social challenges have long been assumed to arise from a lack of social knowledge ("not knowing what to do"), which has undergirded theory and practice in assessment, treatment, and education. However, emerging evidence suggests these differences may be better accounted for by difficulties with social performance ("doing what they may know"). This distinction has important ...
The time-dependent process whereby one-dimensional systems of self-sustained oscillators synchronize is shown to display scale invariance in space and time, akin to that found in the dynamics of equilibrium critical phenomena. Remarkably, the process is largely independent of system details, sharing with a class of nonequilibrium surface kinetic roughening the universal scaling behavior of the ...
The identification of a broad range of ECs in various water bodies has accelerated research into their harmful effects and removal methods. The presence and durability of ECs, such as endocrine-disrupting substances, personal care products, pharmaceuticals, and their transformation products pose important environmental and health challenges.
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