Literature Reviewing

1
Literature Reviewing

• Finding the evidence in the first place !
• Bob Brown (University of Ulster / Newry and
  Mourne HSST)

2
Before we go looking we need to

• Define the nature of evidence
• Understand the process for selecting a
  researchable problem
• identify the major sources of a researchable
  problem - experience, policy, literature, theory
• specify criteria to evaluate a research problem -
  is it interesting, researchable, significant and
  ethical?
• Understand the purpose of a literature review -
  what has been done? what needs to be done? to
  help us reveal research strategies
• identify potential sources of research literature
• define key terms

3
Researchers almost never conduct a study in an
intellectual vacuum their studies are
undertaken within the context of an already
existing knowledge base. Researchers generally
undertake a literature review to familiarise
themselves with that knowledge base. (Polit
and Hungler, 2000)
4
Sources of literature

• Own Books or Journals
• Library Books
• Library Journals
• e.g.
• - Jour. Of Adv.. Nursing, Advances in Nursing
  Science, Applied Nursing Research,
  Clinical Nursing Research, IMAGE Journal of
  Nursing Scholarship
• - Nursing Times Research, Quality in Health Care
• - Nurse Researcher, Nurse Education Today
• - Nursing Standard
• Abstracts from other disciplines
• Search sources
• e.g. MEDLINE and CINAHL, CancerLit, PsychInfo

5
Identifying potential sources of research with
key terms and search opportunities

• Your starting point - www.ulst.ac.uk/library or
  www.qub.ac.uk/lib
• www.ulst.ac.uk/library/electronic (databases)
• www.nursing-standard.co.uk (Searchable archive)
• www.rcn.org.uk (BNI and Full-text journals)

6
On-line literature search key sites

• www.windsor.igs.net/nhodgins/literature_searches.
  html (Online Literature Search Workshop)
• www1.york.ac.uk/inst/crd/welcome.htm (NHS Centre
  for Reviews and Dissemination)
• www.update-software.com/cochrane/ (The Cochrane
  Library)
• www.sign.ac.uk (Scottish Intercollegiate
  Guidelines Network)

7
How do researchers identify researchable problems
?

• Consider an area of practice that interests you
• why have you picked this area ?
• is this a matter of concern for you ?
• Outline a possible research question that could
  be undertaken in your practice setting ?
• Remember your question should have a problem
  (venous leg ulceration), an intervention (four
  layer compression bandaging) and an outcome
  (improved healing rates).

8
What are the sources of researchable problems ?

• The researchers own professional background,
  personal interests and experiences
• social and political issues
• the literature
• theory

9
How do researchers evaluate a problem ?

• Is the topic interesting ?
• Is the problem researchable ?
• Is it practical to conduct research on this
  problem ?
• Is the problem significant enough to warrant
  being researched ?
• Is it ethical to conduct research on this problem
  ?

10

• The Literature review serves a number of
  important
• functions in the research process, Polit and
  Hungler
• describe these as
• Source for research ideas
• Orientation to what is already known
• Provision of conceptual context
• Information on the research approach
• Others have suggested the following as reasons
  for carrying
• out a literature review..

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Functions of a Literature Review

• How much is known about the topic?
• What issues are relevant to the topic?
• What possible gaps in knowledge can be
  identified?
• (Dont re-invent the wheel)
• Are there areas which need further investigation?
• Can you build on existing theory?
• Can you do a comparative study?
• Can you replicate a previous study to make it
  relevant to your area of practice?
• Helps you avoid unintentional duplication
• Shows previous methods and designs

12
Points for discussion

• Do you read journal papers regularly and if so
  which ones do you find useful ?
• Is there a designated person that you work with
  who has responsibility for providing
  evidence-based literature relevant to your
  practice ?
• Have you ever attended a journal club or research
  interest group ?
• What sources of evidence do you find most helpful
  ?

13
Organising your material

• Use index cards, and make accurate entries
• Book Author, date, title, edition, publisher,
  place of publishing, ISBN No.
• Journal Title, Vol.No, Edition No., Page Nos
• Summarise the relevant points

14
Hints for recording library materials

• The complete bibliographic reference
• a summary of the reference listing its essential
  points and noting the important or unusual
  aspects of the article that will contribute to
  your study
• note whether the reference is a primary or
  secondary source
• use a critical appraisal checklist.