Review Literature WOMAN AND CHILD HEALTH RESEARCH UNIT, FERNANDEZ HOSPITAL, HYDERABAD, INDIA 1

Moving Forward  We have worked on a hypothesis and a research question (or maybe more than one hypothesis and question), and the aims/objectives of the research  We can move forward in different ways from here  We can focus on the design  We can focus on the variables to study  We can focus on the review of literature 2

Review of literature  Personally, I prefer starting with a review of the literature (If it has been done already, I still prefer revisiting it at this stage)  This is a personal preference and maybe I will share some of the reasons to start here  The review of literature sets out what is already known, the gaps in current knowledge and provides information on what may be useful to study (as a value addition to existing knowledge) 3

What Should You Review? Sounds simple, we should review the literature ! This is a good place to state what we are NOT reviewing. We are NOT reviewing or limiting the review to a) The journal or medium in which the study is published b) the authors c) the institution d) the funders or grant agency or e) the number of citations a paper has This is an important point that we will revisit later 4

Where do I find the literature? The easiest is to search in available databases and repositories However, our aim is to review literature that is pertinent to our research question and that can help expand our understanding of our area of interest It helps to NOT LIMIT the search to only indexed databases 5

What do we review? There will be many papers and material to review and to hope that one can review all the available material is a bit too much. It is thus easier to start with indexed material. What should the review focus on? To recap, the review should focus ON the CONTENT of the material or papers 6

What do we review?-1  The stated hypothesis and research question- How similar is that to our hypothesis/question? Does it add value to our hypothesis/question  The design of the study- was an appropriate design used?  The variables they have studied-how do they relate to the question, how do they relate to each other 7

What do we review?-2  The methods used- ascertaining measures, statistical tests, outcomes- Are the mthods appropriate for the research question?  The results of the study- Do the results flow logically from the methods mentioned and pertinent to the research question?  The interpretation and discussion- Are limitations discussed? Are areas for further study discussed? Do YOU agree with the interpretation?  The references that give a good clue to review the literature 8

The Abstract?  Well, what about the abstract?  Ideally, use the abstract only as a snapshot to determine if the broad areas are in sync with your research ideas  DO NOT use the abstract to form any judgments on the validity of the research  DO NOT just accept the abstract as TRUE- Review the contents of the paper to form an opinion 9

A good review A good review helps to  Determine if our research question is worth studying  To identify/confirm variables and outcome measures to study  To design an appropriate study with an appropriate sample size  To confirm methods of ascertainment  To understand the limitations including potential bias, confounders and address those 10

A good review A good review comes from  Practice 11

A good review REMEMBER-  Do not get diverted by extraneous factors- the journal, the authors, the institute, the fundors, the citations etc  Focus on the content  A Review is to understand your topic better and not to just accept the authors conclusions  A good review, used appropriately, adds great value to the conceptual strength of your research 12