How to write a review of related literature (RRL)

Writing a review of related literature (RRL) involves 

• deciding how to organize the review (chronological vs thematic)
• searching the literature for relevant studies
• Screening chosen studies by reading the title and abstract, then moving on to the full text
• creating detailed notes on each study, including methodology, population, key outcomes, etc.
• Organizing your notes into a draft (to form the literature review section of your paper or as a standalone literature review paper)

What is an RRL?

Is it worth spending time on a detailed literature review?

3 steps for an effective review of related literature

During the literature review process and the writing stage

What is an RRL?

Put simply, RRL is a thorough and in-depth analysis of existing literature related to the topic of your thesis or dissertation. In an RRL, you can include the concepts, methods, and results of the existing literature relevant to your topic; this will give you an overview of what has been done in your field of research, the methods adopted that lead to the conclusions mentioned in the existing literature, and if there is a gap or conflict in the existing literature. The gap or conflict is what you can address through your research question.

Is it worth spending time on a detailed literature review?

Yes! A detailed literature review has a three-fold purpose:

1. Enables you to showcase your understanding of the subject and the work done in your field till the time of your research. 

2. Helps you define the problem statement and the purpose of your own research by identifying and highlighting a gap or conflict in the existing literature.

3. Helps you set context for your research by summarizing everything that your readers—journal editors, referees, and other researchers—must know about your field of research to comprehend your work better.

3 steps for an effective review of related literature

1. Decide how you wish to organize your review

There are several approaches you may take to present your literature review. Through this table, you may understand the difference between two of the most used approaches and choose the best approach for your manuscript:

2. Understand the difference between a study background and a literature review

It is common to get confused between a study background and a literature review. But they are not the same. You can learn in detail about how the two differ from each other here.

3. Shortlist a good reference management software

It is also recommended that you shortlist a good reference management software like Zotero to manage your bibliographic data and related research materials.

During the literature review process and the writing stage

1. Identify relevant literature:

The first and foremost step to conduct an RRL is to identify relevant literature. You can do this through various sources, online and offline. When going through the resources, make notes and identify key concepts of each resource to describe in the review. Discovering relevant work is highly important. Targeted search, following the citations of any relevant manuscript, and using a reference manager are some of the things to remember. You may look for other useful tips here: Tips for effective literature searching and keeping up with new publications

2. Structure your literature review well as you write it:

Similar to other components of a manuscript like the Introduction and Method sections, literature review is an important part of your manuscript. A literature review, especially if it is a stand-alone paper would usually have these components:

What does the Introduction section of a literature review contain?

You may begin your RRL by setting some context for your readers by providing information about the field of study, the relevance of the chosen topic within the field, and the focus of the literature review.

How to write the Methods section of a literature review?

In this section, you may describe the criteria used to select the sources or the way in which the information has been presented. This makes it easier for the readers to understand your approach.

How to write the body of a literature review paper?

This section is where you list all the related literature and talk about their relevance with respect to your research. The structure of the list depends entirely upon the approach you wish to take—chronological or thematic o any other. A chronological model would probably have different paragraphs for different time periods, while a thematic model would have sub-topics based on the different themes.

What should be included in the Discussion and Conclusion sections of a literature review?

Structure your discussion and conclusion sections as follows:

1. A summary of the key findings/state of research on the topic
2. What are the existing gaps or contradictions in current research?
3. What are the methodological limitations of existing studies on the topic?
4. What should future studies on this topic try to do (use different methods, explore new aspects, etc.)

Reference list: The reference list is a very important part of a literature review as your article is based entirely on primary sources. The reference list should be comprehensive and page numbers and section details should be provided wherever necessary.

How to structure a literature review which is part of an original research paper?

If the literature review is part of the manuscript, then the way it is structured will depend on journal requirements. It can be written as a single paragraph or as multiple paragraphs, and is usually a part of the Introduction. It may or may not have a separate heading or subheadings. 

Conclusion

While a literature review can be published as an independent piece of writing or as part of a larger article, the basis for any kind of review of literature remains the same. It allows new researchers and busy scientists in the field to keep up to date with the latest happenings in the field and helps them to identify potential areas of research.

If you have any further doubts related to this topic, feel free to use the comments section to ask questions. Alternately, you can also post your question on our Q&A forum and our expert will be sure to provide the necessary guidance.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many databases should I cover in my review of related literature?

You should cover all major databases in your field and all popular multidisciplinary ones. The goal is to collect as much relevant literature as possible. For example, if you’re a nursing researcher, you should cover not just PubMed/MEDLINE but also CINAHL, Embase, and Cochrane Library.

What is MeSH and why should I use it in a literature search?

MeSH stands for Medical Subject Headings, and this term refers to a controlled vocabulary list that the US National Library of Medicine (NLM) uses to index and catalogue all medical and health-related literature. Using MeSH terms makes your searches on PubMed/MEDLINE much more accurate and faster. For detailed tutorials on how to use MeSH, visit the NLM website.

Is it more difficult to get a literature review published than an original research article?

Your paper won’t have a lower chance of publication just because it’s a literature review: you just have to be careful in selecting the right journal. Many journals specialize in publishing literature reviews, such as Systematic Reviews or Annual Review of Biochemistry. Some journals like those in the Nature Reviews series prefer to publish commissioned literature reviews rather than unsolicited ones, which means that you need to first submit a proposal to their editorial board and only after they approve it, proceed with your literature review.