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NUR 5523 - Master's Projects

So You Need to Write a Literature Review?

Literature review assignments ask you to identify a definable topic, examine research that has previously been published on that topic, and then synthesize the information you discover. Literature reviews are easily identifiable from other research articles because they do not include original research and identify themselves, almost always in the title or abstract, as a review or analysis of previous research or information. 

Published literature reviews vary in scope and detail, but generally they include sections that explain the purpose of the review and the importance of the topic, the methods involved in searching the literature and selecting research for inclusion, the most important information that was learned from the review and analysis of information, how that information should be applied by practitioners, and a bibliography of all examined research. 

The University of Washington has a great web page on what lit reviews are, how to structure a lit review and other important aspects of writing a lit review. 

Advice from the Literature

Articles that explain the steps of the research process and how to go about scholarly research and writing in nursing. Are you having trouble accessing articles? Consult the “Accessing Articles” tab under “Conducting Research” on the left side of this guide for information on how to access articles.

Lit Review Resources