The Purpose of a Literature Review
A literature review synthesizes existing knowledge, identifies gaps, establishes theoretical frameworks, and justifies your research question. It is not a list of summaries.
Types of Literature Reviews
- Narrative review: Flexible synthesis — common in introduction sections.
- Systematic review: Structured, reproducible search following PRISMA.
- Meta-analysis: Statistical synthesis from multiple studies.
Synthesis, Not Summary
Instead of "Smith found X. Jones found Y," write: "Studies consistently demonstrate X (Smith, 2021; Jones, 2022), although Y has been observed in Z populations." Group ideas, not papers.
Boss Statistics Literature Support
We assist with systematic search design, reference management, and literature review structuring.