A review article, often referred to as a literature review, serves as a comprehensive survey of previously published research on a particular topic. Its primary objective is to offer an overview of the current understanding and perspectives within the field. Unlike original research articles, review articles do not present new experimental findings.
The purpose of writing review of literature is to conduct a critical evaluation of existing data from prior studies. Through this process, review articles can help identify potential areas for future research exploration and may also offer new insights or conclusions derived from the existing body of literature.
Why is review article important?
Review articles serve several important purposes:
- To provide a comprehensive foundation on a topic.
- To explain the current state of knowledge within the field.
- To identify gaps in existing studies, thereby indicating potential areas for future research.
- To highlight the main methodologies and research techniques employed in the field.
Writing a review article
Here are 8 essential factors to keep in mind when initiating the writing process for your review article:
1. Assess the objectives and scope of the journal
Ensure that you thoroughly review the aims and scope of the journal you plan to submit to and adhere closely to their guidelines. Different journals have varying preferences regarding the types of articles they accept, and not all may accept review articles. Therefore, it’s crucial to verify this before starting the writing process.
2. Determine the scope of your review
Define the scope of your review article and specify the research question you aim to address. Ensure that your article introduces fresh insights or perspectives to the field. As award-winning author Angus Crake advises, it’s essential to define the scope in a manageable manner, avoiding topics that are overly broad or narrow. In cases where the field is well-established, focusing on recent advancements may be necessary.
3. Finding sources to assess
When searching for sources to evaluate, Angus Crake emphasizes the importance of utilizing multiple search engines and databases. This ensures thoroughness and helps avoid overlooking any significant sources.
4. Writing the keywords, abstract, and title for your review
Take the time to write a compelling title, abstract, and keywords for your article. Doing so will enhance its online visibility, ensuring that your research reaches the intended audience. Your title and abstract should be clear, concise, accurate, and informative, attracting the attention of readers who are searching for relevant content.
5. Introduction of the topic
A literature review should always include an introduction. Begin by providing an overview of the topic and offering context to explain why a review of the topic is essential.
Gather research to inform your introduction, ensuring it appeals to a broad audience of non-specialists to maximize its relevance and impact.
However, avoid making the introduction overly lengthy. Instead, divide the review into sections of appropriate length to facilitate easy identification of key points.
6. Include Discussions
Ensure that your review article includes a critical discussion rather than merely providing a descriptive summary of the topic. If there are conflicting research findings within your area of focus, incorporate an element of debate by presenting both sides of the argument. Additionally, use your review paper as an opportunity to resolve conflicts between contradictory studies.
Angus Crake, a researcher, advises: “Once you have written the core review section, take a step back and identify common trends. Highlight significant advancements and pinpoint areas where more targeted research could have a high impact. It is crucial to demonstrate the direction of the field and address any common challenges encountered.”
7. Conclusion
In your conclusion, be sure to include suggestions for future research on the topic. Focus on communicating your understanding of the subject matter and highlighting any remaining unknowns.
8. Seeking Feedback
Before submitting your article, always conduct a final spell and grammar check. Consider seeking feedback from a critical friend or colleague to ensure a thorough review.
Steps before submitting review article
Before submitting your review article, ensure you’ve completed the following steps:
- Check the journal’s aims and scope to ensure alignment with your article.
- Define the scope of your article clearly, outlining its focus and objectives.
- Utilize multiple search engines to gather relevant sources for evaluation.
- Write a descriptive title and abstract incorporating keywords.
- Start with an overview of the topic to provide context and background information.
- Present a critical discussion rather than merely summarizing the literature.
- Include suggestions for future research in your conclusion to guide further exploration.
- Have a friend or colleague perform a final spell and grammar check to ensure accuracy and clarity.
How review articles are different from Research Article?
Research articles and review articles serve distinct purposes in academic literature. While research articles primarily present the viewpoint and findings of the author’s original research, review articles critically evaluate the viewpoints expressed by other authors on a specific topic.
In terms of content, research articles contribute new knowledge to the field, whereas review articles assess and assess existing literature.
Moreover, the length of research articles is determined by the word limit specified by the journal, whereas review articles are typically shorter but are still required to adhere to word limits.
These differences highlight the unique roles each type of article plays in advancing scholarly discourse and understanding within various fields of study.
Other articles
Please read through some of our other articles with examples and explanations if you’d like to learn more about research methodology.
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- Review Article
- Thesis Statement
- Research Proposal
- Research Questions
- Research Problem
- Research Gap
- Types of Research Gaps
- Variables
- Operationalization of Variables
- Literature Review
- Research Hypothesis
- Questionnaire
- Abstract
- Validity
- Reliability
- Measurement of Scale
- Sampling Techniques
- Acknowledgements