Reviewing the literature

Guidance on reviewing existing literature.

Having defined your research question, you now need to review the literature.

You’ll need to undertake a review of contemporary evidence to help:

• identify gaps in the evidence base
• identify the strengths of weakness of study designs already used in your topic area
• give credibility to your project findings by being able to discuss your findings in the context of previous research

A mind map may help to define and scope your topic by identifying key themes and search terms.

The following resources will help with the review process.

• Doing a literature review in health and social care: a practical guide provides real life examples of how to overcome practical challenges in undertaking a literature review.
• Systematic approaches to a successful literature review helps you choose an approach which is right for your research.
• A typology of reviews: an analysis of 14 review types and associated methodologies is a valuable resource for helping you to prepate to conduct a review in the health information and wider health care sector.
• Systematic searching: practical ideas for improving results includes case studies, practical examples and ideas for further research.
• Meeting the review family: exploring review types and associated information retrieval requirements will help you select a suitable approach for your research project.

Systematic reviews

If you plan to undertake a systematic review the following resources provide guidance on systematic review processes and reporting.

• Systematic reviews: CRD’s guidance for undertaking reviews in health care is the definitive guide on producing systematic reviews.
• The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyse (PRISMA): Transparent reporting of systematic reviews and meta-analyses provides a checklist and flowchart for reporting your review methodology.
• PROSPERO: International prospective register of systematic reviews helps to avoid duplication by providing a comprehensive list of prospectively registered review. If you don’t find a review in your area, consider registering your own.

Databases

Databases can be used to identify contemporary evidence in your subject area. This includes journal articles, conference proceeding and reports.

The following resources have content tailored to the library and knowledge service community.

• The Library and Information Science Abstracts (LISA) database provides bibliographic information about developments in librarianship, information science, online retrieval, publishing and information technology. This resource is available to Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) members as part of their annual subscription.
• Library, Information Science and Technology Abstracts (LISTA) is a freely available online database of library and information science research studies.
• The Library Science Database gives full-text access to over 150 top publications in library and information science. This resource is available to CILIP members as part of their annual subscription.

Your research subject may relate to a broader clinical area. The following databases provide access to research and references in the clinical and health management sectors.

• The Cochrane Library is a free collection of evidence-based medicine databases, including the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 
• The free Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) is an nternational bibliographic database on educational research and practice. Subjects covered include physical education, exercise, sport, nutrition and health. 
• PubMed is a free to use search engine which primarily accesses the MEDLINE biomedical database of references and abstracts on life sciences and biomedical topics.

Critical appraisal

You’ll want to assess the trustworthiness, value and relevance of any research to your context, a process called critical appraisal. 

• The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) is a research glossary and critical appraisal checklists for eight research designs. CASP also provides critical appraisal training. See also the Joanna Briggs Institute's Critical Appraisal Tools.

Knowledge and Library Service (KLS) journals

The following journals are key sources for KLS research.

• Evidence Based Library and Information Practice (EBLIP) is a quarterly peer-reviewed cross-sectoral open access journal.
• Health Information and Libraries Journal (HILJ) is a quarterly peer-reviewed international health library and knowledge services research journal based in the UK.
• Journal of Hospital Librarianship is a quarterly peer-reviewed journal on quality improvement, technological challenges and health care administration in hospital settings.
• Journal of the Medical Library Association (JMLA) is a quarterly peer-reviewed journal on health sciences librarianship based in the USA.
• Library and Information Research (LIR) is a peer-reviewed journal published by CILIP’s Library and Information Research Group.
• Library and Information Science Research is a quarterly peer-reviewed cross-disciplinary research journal.