STEM: Lit Reviews

A literature review is "a systematic, explicit, and reproducible method for identifying, evaluating, and synthesizing the existing body of completed and recorded work produced by researchers, scholars, and practitioners."

 - From Conducting Research Literature Reviews: From Internet to Paper, by Arlene Fink, 2nd ed. Sage Publications: Thousand Oaks, 2020.

A Literature review is the FIRST STEP in conducting STEM research.  A properly conducted review "helps the researcher gain familiarity with the existing work in the chosen area of research and subsequently allows for the expansion of knowledge based on this background" (p 311).

Literature reviews are "a prerequisite to get familiarized with the known content of the research topic of interest to:

• build new hypotheses;
• design new experiments; and,
• interpret new findings in the context of known facts" (p 311).

Proficiency in conducting and dissecting literature reviews leads to the following student learning outcomes (p 312):

1. Broaden their perspectives by learning the evolution of the research topic and identifying unanswered questions. 
2. Connect to the core scientific process by making evidence-based claims followed up through a literature review.
3. Gain experiential learning that research is collaborative in nature across disciplinary boundaries.
4. Develop skills in retrieving information through effective reading and analysis.
5. Hone skills in effective writing and communication to share knowledge.

Hati, S., & Bhattacharyya, S. (2024). Writing a literature review as a class project in an upper‐level undergraduate biochemistry course. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, 52(3), 311-316.

Purpose & Scope:

1. Background or Mini-review - short reviews focusing on the last few years, with a limit on the number of words and citations. Usually serve as background for an empirical study. Generally, these reviews: 
   1. justify research design decisions
   2. provide theoretical context, or
   3. identify a gap in the literature
       
2. Standalone or Full-review - advantage of more freedom to cover in detail the complexities of a particular scientific development. Generally, these reviews attempt to make sense of a body entire of of existing literature through:
   1. aggregation
   2. interpretation
   3. explanation, and/or
   4. integration

Types (excludes Quantitative or Experiential Reviews):

1. Traditional reviews 
   1. Critical Review - extensive & critical analysis of articles' quality; goes beyond simple description typically resulting in a hypothesis or model.
   2. Narrative Review - persuasive presentation of literature to support overall conclusions;  lacks a formal data extraction process
   3. State of the Art Review - address more current matters in contrast with other retrospective & current approaches; may offer new perspectives or point out research gaps
       
2. Review of Reviews
   1. Umbrella Reviews - compiles evidence from multiple reviews into one accessible and usable document
       
3. Systematic Reviews
   1. Systematic Review - systematically search for, appraise and synthesize research evidence often adhering to a highly specific methodology. 
   2. Meta-analysis - statistically combines the results of quantitative studies to provide a more precise effect of the results.
       
4. Rapid Reviews
   1. Umbrella Reviews - compiles evidence from multiple reviews into one accessible & working document
       
5. Purpose Specific Reviews
   1. Scoping Review - preliminary assessment of potential size & scope of available research literature; aims to identify the nature & extent of research evidence
   2. Methodological Review - examines & investigates current research methods and potentially their impact on research quality.

Pautasso M.(2013). Ten simple rules for writing a literature review. PLoS Comput Biol., 9(7):e1003149. doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1003149.

Sutton, A., Clowes, M., Preston, L., & Booth, A. (2019). Meeting the review family: exploring review types and associated information retrieval requirements. Health Information & Libraries Journal, 36(3), 202-222., and

Xiao, Y., & Watson, M. (2019). Guidance on conducting a systematic literature review. Journal of Planning Education and Research, 39(1), 93-112. https://doi.org/10.1177/0739456X17723971

1. Topic selection 
2. Extracting relevant information
3. Discussion & feedback
4. Compilation of results