How to conduct narrative literature reviews?

How to conduct narrative literature reviews?

There are different approaches to conducting a narrative literature review. Baumeister and Leary (1997) provide a detailed framework focusing on a systematic approach to reviewing and synthesizing literature. In contrast, Green, Johnson, and Adams (2006) emphasize defining the topic and scope as separate steps and integrate writing and revising more succinctly. Baumeister and Leary place greater emphasis on critical evaluation and synthesis, with a more detailed revision process.

Here’s an overview of the general recommended steps:

1. Identify the research question: To begin a narrative literature review, it is essential to formulate a clear research question. This question should be specific enough to allow for an in-depth analysis yet broad enough to encompass significant aspects of the topic. Defining a precise research question ensures that the review has a focused direction and purpose.
2. Conduct the literature search: The next step involves conducting a comprehensive literature search. This requires identifying relevant databases and sources, such as academic journals, books, and conference papers. Utilizing a wide range of keywords and search terms related to the research question is crucial for capturing all pertinent studies. Including both seminal works and recent studies ensures a thorough understanding of the topic’s development and current state.
3. Select relevant studies: Once the literature has been gathered, selecting the most relevant studies is critical. Applying inclusion and exclusion criteria helps filter out studies that are not directly related to the research question. Focus on high-quality, peer-reviewed journal articles and reputable sources. The selected studies should provide a balanced and comprehensive view of the topic.
4. Organize the literature: Organizing the literature involves grouping studies by themes, methodologies, or theoretical frameworks. Creating an outline that logically arranges the literature into sections or categories helps in structuring the review. Highlighting key findings, debates, and gaps in each section provides a clear and coherent narrative. This organization facilitates the synthesis of the literature, where the main findings of the selected studies are summarized and compared.
5. Synthesize the literature: This involves summarizing the main findings of the selected studies and comparing and contrasting them. Identifying common themes and discrepancies among studies helps integrate the findings into a coherent narrative that addresses the research question. Synthesizing the literature allows for a comprehensive understanding of the topic and helps highlight trends, relationships, and key insights from the body of research.
6. Evaluate: Assessing the strengths and weaknesses of each study, and discussing methodological limitations are essential. Highlighting the implications of the findings for the research question adds depth and insight to the review.

Conclusion

Narrative literature reviews are a versatile and valuable part of the research process, offering comprehensive and critical analyses of existing literature. Narrative reviews provide a thorough understanding of what is known, identify gaps in knowledge, and guide future research directions by integrating and synthesizing relevant studies. Although they have limitations, such as a lack of standardization, the strengths of narrative reviews make them indispensable for researchers, educators, and policymakers. By adhering to best practices and maintaining a critical and reflexive approach, narrative literature reviews can make significant contributions to advancing knowledge and informing practice.

References

1. Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (1997). Writing Narrative Literature Reviews. Review of General Psychology, 1(3), 311-320. doi:10.1037/1089-2680.1.3.311
2. Green, B. N., Johnson, C. D., & Adams, A. (2006). Writing narrative literature reviews for peer-reviewed journals: Secrets of the trade. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine, 5(3), 101-117. doi:10.1016/S0899-3467(07)60142-6