Purpose of conducting a literature review
Sample Solution
Presentation Title: Conducting a Literature Review for Nursing Research
Introduction
A literature review is a critical analysis of the existing research on a particular topic. It is an essential part of the nursing research process, as it allows researchers to identify the current state of knowledge on a topic and identify gaps in the research.
Purpose of a Literature Review
The purpose of a literature review is to:
- Provide a comprehensive overview of the existing research on a particular topic
- Identify the strengths and weaknesses of previous research
- Identify gaps in the research
Full Answer Section
Steps to Conducting a Literature Review
The following are the steps involved in conducting a literature review:
- Identify your research topic or problem of interest. What question do you want to answer with your research?
- Develop a search strategy. What keywords and databases will you use to search for literature?
- Locate relevant sources. Conduct a literature search using the databases and keywords you identified in step 2.
- Evaluate the sources. Once you have located relevant sources, evaluate them to determine their quality and relevance to your research topic.
- Summarize and synthesize the findings. Once you have evaluated the sources, summarize and synthesize the findings. Identify the key themes and trends in the research.
- Draw conclusions and develop recommendations. Based on your findings, draw conclusions and develop recommendations for future research.
Primary and Secondary Questions
When conducting a literature review, it is important to develop primary and secondary questions. Primary questions are the main questions that you want to answer with your research. Secondary questions are more specific questions that will help you to answer your primary questions.
For example, if your primary research question is "What is the most effective way to reduce the risk of falls in older adults?", your secondary questions might include:
- What are the most common risk factors for falls in older adults?
- What interventions have been shown to be effective in reducing the risk of falls in older adults?
- What are the barriers to implementing these interventions?
Importance of Including Sources with a Variety of Results
When identifying sources for your literature review, it is important to include sources with a variety of results. This will help you to get a more balanced view of the research and identify any areas of controversy.
For example, if you are conducting a literature review on the effectiveness of a new drug, you should include sources that report both positive and negative results. This will help you to make an informed decision about the drug's effectiveness and safety.
Audience
The audience for your literature review will depend on the purpose of your review. If you are writing a thesis or dissertation, your audience will be your academic advisors and other members of your dissertation committee. If you are writing a research article for publication, your audience will be other researchers in your field.
What I Want My Audience to Know
I want my audience to know that a literature review is an essential part of the nursing research process. It allows researchers to identify the current state of knowledge on a topic and identify gaps in the research. This information can then be used to develop new research questions and design new studies.
I also want my audience to know that it is important to conduct a thorough and systematic literature review. This includes identifying relevant sources, evaluating the quality of those sources, and summarizing and synthesizing the findings. By following these steps, researchers can ensure that their literature reviews are comprehensive and informative.
Conclusion
A literature review is a valuable tool for nursing researchers. It allows researchers to identify the current state of knowledge on a topic and identify gaps in the research. This information can then be used to develop new research questions and design new studies.
When conducting a literature review, it is important to be systematic and thorough. This includes identifying relevant sources, evaluating the quality of those sources, and summarizing and synthesizing the findings. By