Structured Layout, Template, and Illustrative Example for Comprehensive Literature Reviews
A systematic literature review (SLR) is a structured and comprehensive approach to identify, evaluate, and synthesize existing research on a specific topic or research question. This method is essential for providing a comprehensive summary of available evidence and helping researchers avoid duplicating efforts.
An SLR typically consists of several sections, including an abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion, conclusion, references, and optional appendices.
The abstract provides a concise overview of the review, summarising what is known, the research gap, the review's aims, methods, main findings, and implications.
The introduction section sets the context for the review, explains the rationale and significance, and states the research question(s). It may also present the research questions before the contextual information.
The methods section is detailed and divided into two main parts: the search strategy and the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The search strategy outlines the databases and sources searched, the search terms or keywords used, and any additional methods like citation searching. The inclusion and exclusion criteria specify the criteria to select studies, such as the type of studies, population, language, publication date, and more.
The results section presents the outcomes of the search and screening process. This usually includes a PRISMA flow chart showing numbers of records identified, screened, included, and excluded, and a summary table detailing key characteristics of included studies.
The discussion section interprets the results, compares them with previous literature, explores the strengths and weaknesses of the review, and discusses the implications for the field. It also provides recommendations for future research.
The conclusion summarises the main findings and their significance without reiterating detailed results.
The references section includes complete citations of all included studies and sources referenced.
Optional appendices may contain additional materials such as detailed search strategies, data extraction forms, or extended tables.
The SLR process often begins with a protocol that outlines the review’s background, objectives/research questions, methods including selection criteria and search strategy, data collection and analysis plans. Using reporting guidelines like PRISMA and PRISMA-P ensures transparency and thoroughness.
Key research questions for SLRs aim to identify major studies, influential authors and journals, intellectual structures and themes in the field, and research gaps to inform future work.
The feasibility of answering research questions should be considered given available resources, time constraints, and scope of the review. Systematic reviews can help inform research priorities by identifying areas where further research is needed or where existing evidence is insufficient or conflicting.
The literature search strategy should be comprehensive and reproducible. It should include a description of the databases and sources searched, explanation of search terms or keywords used, description of any search filters or limits applied, explanation of any additional search methods used, statement of how the search strategy was developed and refined, discussion of challenges or limitations encountered during the search process, statement of how duplicates were managed and removed, overview of the search timeframe and any updates or modifications made, discussion of potential biases in the search strategy, and statement of adherence to established guidelines or standards.
Systematic reviews can synthesize evidence from diverse sources, including primary research studies, grey literature, and expert opinions. By following a systematic and structured approach, SLRs help identify gaps in current knowledge and provide a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners alike.
- To support researchers in their self-development, online education platforms could offer systematic literature review (SLR) courses for a comprehensive understanding of the process and available evidence on specific topics.
- In the field of education-and-self-development, systematic literature reviews (SLRs) play a significant role in online-education, as they help learners identify major studies, influential authors, and journals, promoting the development of in-depth understanding and addressing research gaps.
