{"id":4064,"date":"2023-01-06T09:21:07","date_gmt":"2023-01-06T09:21:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/a-quick-guide-to-conducting-an-effective-review-of-related-literature-rrl\/"},"modified":"2026-03-16T08:59:16","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T03:29:16","slug":"a-quick-guide-to-conducting-an-effective-review-of-related-literature-rrl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/a-quick-guide-to-conducting-an-effective-review-of-related-literature-rrl","title":{"rendered":"A quick guide to conducting an effective review of related literature (RRL)"},"content":{"rendered":"

A question<\/a> that we often get asked is how to review related literature. However, before we discuss that let\u2019s first understand what a review of related literature (RRL) is.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

What is an RRL?<\/a><\/p>\n

Is it worth spending time on a detailed literature review?<\/a><\/p>\n

3 steps for an effective review of related literature<\/a><\/p>\n

During the literature review process and the writing stage<\/a><\/p>\n

What is an RRL?<\/h2>\n

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.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Is it worth spending time on a detailed literature review?<\/h2>\n

Yes! A detailed literature review has a three-fold purpose: <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

1. Enables you to showcase your understanding of the subject and the work done in your field till the time of your research.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

2.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>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. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

3. Helps you set context for your research by summarizing everything that your readers\u2014journal editors, referees, and other researchers\u2014must know about your field of research to comprehend your work better.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

3 steps for an effective review of related literature<\/h2>\n

1. Decide how you wish to organize your review<\/h3>\n

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:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

Chronological<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Thematic<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Related work is listed as per their dates of publication, beginning from the earliest one.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Related work is listed as per their themes or theoretical concepts.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Highlights the development in a field of study over a period.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Highlights the existing knowledge about a topic with reference to important issues\/themes\/perspectives.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Example: An RRL focussing on skin cancer will entail examining the earliest methods of diagnosis and treatment, and gradually progressing to the latest models and treatment.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Example: An RRL focussing on skin cancer will list studies about melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer, tanning as a cause of skin cancer, teenager awareness and attitudes to skin cancer, and treatment models.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

2. Understand the difference between a study background and a literature review<\/h3>\n

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.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

3. Shortlist a good reference management software<\/h3>\n

It is also recommended that you shortlist a good reference management software like Zotero to manage your bibliographic data and related research materials.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

During the literature review process and the writing stage<\/h2>\n

1. Identify relevant literature: <\/b>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<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

2. Structure your literature review well as you write it:<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n