- LITERATURE REVIEW
- Select publications that you can relate to your AIM.
- Analyze—how does a study relate to your topic and what components don’t—service area, geography, age bands, ethnicity or how the variables studied are aligned with your aim. Don’t try to make your studies fit. Do read the articles carefully for content, applicability and strength—population size, inclusion criteria, control of variables, etc.
- Synthesize—several pubs will tell you the same thing—summarize those; cite each behind the statement and identify which ones said something different. Don’t be linear about the lit review.
- No meta-analysis
- At least 25 current references—unless you are citing a seminal publication, i.e.—NIH, NAM, CDC, etc.
- No dot coms and very few select dot orgs—gov ok—and if dot orgs are representing scholarly work, such as professional orgs which employ double-blinded peer review. Think how these organizations might perpetuate their mission? —it helps to identify bias.
Expert Solution Preview
In conducting a literature review for a medical college assignment, the first step is to select publications that are relevant to the aim of the assignment. This means identifying studies or articles that directly address the topic or question at hand. It is important to carefully analyze each selected publication to determine how it relates to the assigned topic. Consider factors such as the service area, geography, age bands, and ethnicity that were included in the study. Also, evaluate how the variables studied align with the aim of the assignment. Identify any components that do not relate to the topic or aim, as it is important to stay focused on the specific requirements of the assignment.
When synthesizing the selected publications, it is crucial to identify common themes or findings among the studies. If multiple publications are saying the same thing, summarize those findings and cite each publication behind the statement. Additionally, highlight any publications that provide different or contradictory findings. This will help provide a comprehensive understanding of the topic and demonstrate a scholarly approach to the literature review. Avoid presenting the literature review in a linear manner and avoid performing meta-analyses.
Ensure that the literature review includes a sufficient number of current references. Unless citing a seminal publication from authoritative sources like the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Academy of Medicine (NAM), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is recommended to include at least 25 current references. It is also important to be cautious about sources, avoiding websites with “.com” domains and limiting the use of “.org” sources unless they are representing scholarly work from professional organizations that employ double-blinded peer review. This critical evaluation of sources helps identify potential bias and strengthens the literature review’s credibility.
Introduce the Introduction:
The purpose of the literature review is to provide a comprehensive analysis of current research and knowledge on a specific topic and its relevance to the assigned aim. By carefully selecting and analyzing relevant publications, synthesizing their findings, and critically evaluating the credibility of sources, the literature review will serve as a foundation for understanding the current state of knowledge in the field.
