Traditional or Narrative literature Review
- Critiques and summarizes a body of literature
- Draws conclusions about the topic
- Identifies gaps or inconsistencies in a body of knowledge
- Requires a sufficiently focused research question
Weaknesses:
- A large number of studies may make it difficult to draw conclusions
- The process is subject to bias that supports the researcher's own work.
Systematic Literature Review
- More rigorous and well-defined approach
- Comprehensive
- Published and unpublished studies relating to a particular subject area
- Details the time frame within which the literature was selected
- Details the methods used to evaluate and synthesize findings of the studies in question
Example of systematic review
Meta-analysis
- A form of systematic review (reductive)
- Takes findings from several studies on the same subject and analyzes them using standardized statistical procedures
- Integrates findings from a large body of quantitative findings to enhance under-standing (study=unit of analysis)
- Draws conclusions and detect patterns and relationships
Example of meta-analysis
Meta-synthesis
- Non-statistical technique
- Integrates, evaluates and interprets findings of multiple qualitative research studies
- Identifies common core elements and themes
- May use findings from phenomenological, grounded theory or ethnographic studies
- Involves analyzing and synthesizing key elements
- Goal: transform individual findings into new conceptualizations and interpretations
Example of meta-synthesis
