how to do a narrative literature review

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How to Write a Narrative Review: A Step-by-Step Guide

Are you tasked with writing a narrative review but don't know where to start? Look no further. This step-by-step guide will walk you through the process of preparing, writing, and presenting a thorough and informative narrative review. Understanding what a narrative review is, how it differs from other reviews, and its importance are the starting points for a successful review.

Understanding Narrative Reviews

What is a narrative review.

A narrative review is a type of literature review that summarizes and synthesizes existing research on a specific topic, resulting in a cohesive narrative of the state of knowledge on the subject. Narrative reviews are often used to provide a broad overview of a topic and to identify areas where additional research is needed.

For example, a narrative review of the literature on the effects of exercise on mental health might summarize studies that have investigated the relationship between physical activity and depression, anxiety, and stress. The review might also identify gaps in the literature, such as a lack of research on the effects of exercise on specific mental health disorders or on the long-term effects of exercise on mental health.

Purpose and Importance of Narrative Reviews

The purpose of a narrative review is to provide an overview of existing literature on a particular topic, to identify gaps in research, and to outline directions for future research. Narrative reviews are important because they provide a comprehensive summary of research and identify areas where additional research is needed, making them a vital tool for researchers and practitioners alike.

For example, a narrative review of the literature on the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for treating anxiety disorders might identify gaps in the literature, such as a lack of research on the effectiveness of CBT for specific subtypes of anxiety disorders or on the long-term effects of CBT.

Narrative reviews are also useful for identifying areas where conflicting results have been reported in the literature. By synthesizing the results of multiple studies, a narrative review can help to clarify the state of knowledge on a particular topic and identify areas where additional research is needed to resolve conflicting findings.

Differences Between Narrative, Systematic, and Scoping Reviews

While narrative reviews are the most common type of review, it can be helpful to understand how they differ from other types of reviews. Systematic reviews involve a rigorous process of identifying, evaluating, and synthesizing research evidence and are often used to provide evidence for clinical decision-making. Scoping reviews provide an overview of research in a field and identify gaps in knowledge, while narrative reviews take a broader, less structured approach to summarizing the state of knowledge on a particular topic.

For example, a systematic review of the literature on the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions for treating depression might involve a comprehensive search of multiple databases, a detailed evaluation of study quality, and a statistical synthesis of the results of multiple studies. A scoping review of the literature on the use of technology in mental health treatment might involve a broad search of multiple databases and grey literature sources, followed by a qualitative analysis of the results to identify trends and gaps in the literature.

Overall, narrative reviews are a valuable tool for summarizing and synthesizing existing research on a particular topic, and for identifying areas where additional research is needed. By providing a broad overview of the state of knowledge on a topic, narrative reviews can help to guide future research and inform clinical practice.

Preparing to Write a Narrative Review

Define your research question.

The first step in writing a narrative review is to define your research question. The research question should be specific, clear, and focused on the topic you wish to review. Consider what is already known about the topic and what could be added or improved through further research.

Conduct a Literature Search

The next step is to conduct a thorough literature search. Begin by selecting appropriate databases, such as PubMed or Scopus, and identifying key terms related to your research question. Be sure to include both published and unpublished studies, such as conference proceedings or grey literature.

Select Relevant Studies

Review each study identified in your search and select those that are relevant to your research question. Ensure that the studies meet your inclusion criteria and exclude those that are irrelevant or of poor quality.

Organize and Evaluate the Literature

Once you have gathered the relevant studies, it is time to organize and evaluate them. Begin by creating an outline of the major themes and ideas in the literature. Evaluate each study's methodology, results, and limitations, and explore areas of agreement and disagreement among the findings.

Writing the Narrative Review

Introduction, establish the context.

Begin your review with a brief introduction that establishes the context and importance of the topic you are reviewing. This could include historical background, current debates or controversies, or implications for practice or policy.

State the Research Question

Briefly state your research question and explain how you plan to address it through your review.

Explain the Relevance of the Review

Highlight the significance of your review by explaining how it fills a gap in the existing literature, contributes to current knowledge, or identifies areas for future research.

Describe the Literature Search Process

Provide a detailed description of your literature search process. This could include the databases and search terms used, the dates of the search, and any limitations or exclusions.

Explain the Study Selection Criteria

Describe your study selection criteria and provide a rationale for why you included or excluded particular studies.

Discuss the Data Extraction and Synthesis Methods

Describe how you extracted data from each study and how you synthesized the findings into a cohesive narrative. This could include a summary of the major themes or patterns found in the literature.

Summarize the Main Findings

Provide a summary of the main findings identified in the literature. This could include an overview of the major themes or patterns, areas of agreement and disagreement among the studies, and any significant findings or conclusions.

Identify Patterns and Trends

Dig deeper into the literature to identify patterns and trends among the studies. These could include consistent findings or contradictory results.

Address the Research Question

Finally, address your research question by summarizing how the literature supports or refutes your hypothesis or research question.

Interpret the Results

Interpret the results of your review and explain their significance. This could include discussing their implications for future research, practice, or policy.

Compare and Contrast Findings

Compare and contrast the findings of your review with those of other studies or reviews, and identify areas of agreement or disagreement.

Address Limitations and Future Research

Discuss any limitations of your review and suggest areas for future research that could address these limitations.

ChatGPT Prompt for Writing a Narrative Review

Chatgpt prompt.

Please compose a detailed and comprehensive account or analysis of a particular subject or topic in the form of a narrative review. This should involve a critical evaluation of the existing literature and research on the subject, as well as your own insights and perspectives. Your review should be written in a clear and engaging style that effectively communicates your findings and conclusions to your audience.

[ADD ADDITIONAL CONTEXT. CAN USE BULLET POINTS.]

Recap the Main Points

In your conclusion, recap the main points of your review and reiterate its significance.

Offer Recommendations and Implications

Finally, offer recommendations for future research and implications for practice or policy. Consider how your review could inform decision-making in your field, and suggest avenues for further investigation.

With this step-by-step guide, you should be well-equipped to write a thorough and informative narrative review. Remember to define your research question, conduct a thorough literature search, and critically evaluate the literature, and to vary your structure and writing style to keep the reader engaged. Happy writing!

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Writing a Literature Review

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A literature review is a document or section of a document that collects key sources on a topic and discusses those sources in conversation with each other (also called synthesis ). The lit review is an important genre in many disciplines, not just literature (i.e., the study of works of literature such as novels and plays). When we say “literature review” or refer to “the literature,” we are talking about the research ( scholarship ) in a given field. You will often see the terms “the research,” “the scholarship,” and “the literature” used mostly interchangeably.

Where, when, and why would I write a lit review?

There are a number of different situations where you might write a literature review, each with slightly different expectations; different disciplines, too, have field-specific expectations for what a literature review is and does. For instance, in the humanities, authors might include more overt argumentation and interpretation of source material in their literature reviews, whereas in the sciences, authors are more likely to report study designs and results in their literature reviews; these differences reflect these disciplines’ purposes and conventions in scholarship. You should always look at examples from your own discipline and talk to professors or mentors in your field to be sure you understand your discipline’s conventions, for literature reviews as well as for any other genre.

A literature review can be a part of a research paper or scholarly article, usually falling after the introduction and before the research methods sections. In these cases, the lit review just needs to cover scholarship that is important to the issue you are writing about; sometimes it will also cover key sources that informed your research methodology.

Lit reviews can also be standalone pieces, either as assignments in a class or as publications. In a class, a lit review may be assigned to help students familiarize themselves with a topic and with scholarship in their field, get an idea of the other researchers working on the topic they’re interested in, find gaps in existing research in order to propose new projects, and/or develop a theoretical framework and methodology for later research. As a publication, a lit review usually is meant to help make other scholars’ lives easier by collecting and summarizing, synthesizing, and analyzing existing research on a topic. This can be especially helpful for students or scholars getting into a new research area, or for directing an entire community of scholars toward questions that have not yet been answered.

What are the parts of a lit review?

Most lit reviews use a basic introduction-body-conclusion structure; if your lit review is part of a larger paper, the introduction and conclusion pieces may be just a few sentences while you focus most of your attention on the body. If your lit review is a standalone piece, the introduction and conclusion take up more space and give you a place to discuss your goals, research methods, and conclusions separately from where you discuss the literature itself.

Introduction:

An introductory paragraph that explains what your working topic and thesis is
A forecast of key topics or texts that will appear in the review
Potentially, a description of how you found sources and how you analyzed them for inclusion and discussion in the review (more often found in published, standalone literature reviews than in lit review sections in an article or research paper)
Summarize and synthesize: Give an overview of the main points of each source and combine them into a coherent whole
Analyze and interpret: Don’t just paraphrase other researchers – add your own interpretations where possible, discussing the significance of findings in relation to the literature as a whole
Critically Evaluate: Mention the strengths and weaknesses of your sources
Write in well-structured paragraphs: Use transition words and topic sentence to draw connections, comparisons, and contrasts.

Conclusion:

Summarize the key findings you have taken from the literature and emphasize their significance
Connect it back to your primary research question

How should I organize my lit review?

Lit reviews can take many different organizational patterns depending on what you are trying to accomplish with the review. Here are some examples:

Chronological : The simplest approach is to trace the development of the topic over time, which helps familiarize the audience with the topic (for instance if you are introducing something that is not commonly known in your field). If you choose this strategy, be careful to avoid simply listing and summarizing sources in order. Try to analyze the patterns, turning points, and key debates that have shaped the direction of the field. Give your interpretation of how and why certain developments occurred (as mentioned previously, this may not be appropriate in your discipline — check with a teacher or mentor if you’re unsure).
Thematic : If you have found some recurring central themes that you will continue working with throughout your piece, you can organize your literature review into subsections that address different aspects of the topic. For example, if you are reviewing literature about women and religion, key themes can include the role of women in churches and the religious attitude towards women.
Qualitative versus quantitative research
Empirical versus theoretical scholarship
Divide the research by sociological, historical, or cultural sources
Theoretical : In many humanities articles, the literature review is the foundation for the theoretical framework. You can use it to discuss various theories, models, and definitions of key concepts. You can argue for the relevance of a specific theoretical approach or combine various theorical concepts to create a framework for your research.

What are some strategies or tips I can use while writing my lit review?

Any lit review is only as good as the research it discusses; make sure your sources are well-chosen and your research is thorough. Don’t be afraid to do more research if you discover a new thread as you’re writing. More info on the research process is available in our "Conducting Research" resources .

As you’re doing your research, create an annotated bibliography ( see our page on the this type of document ). Much of the information used in an annotated bibliography can be used also in a literature review, so you’ll be not only partially drafting your lit review as you research, but also developing your sense of the larger conversation going on among scholars, professionals, and any other stakeholders in your topic.

Usually you will need to synthesize research rather than just summarizing it. This means drawing connections between sources to create a picture of the scholarly conversation on a topic over time. Many student writers struggle to synthesize because they feel they don’t have anything to add to the scholars they are citing; here are some strategies to help you:

It often helps to remember that the point of these kinds of syntheses is to show your readers how you understand your research, to help them read the rest of your paper.
Writing teachers often say synthesis is like hosting a dinner party: imagine all your sources are together in a room, discussing your topic. What are they saying to each other?
Look at the in-text citations in each paragraph. Are you citing just one source for each paragraph? This usually indicates summary only. When you have multiple sources cited in a paragraph, you are more likely to be synthesizing them (not always, but often
Read more about synthesis here.

The most interesting literature reviews are often written as arguments (again, as mentioned at the beginning of the page, this is discipline-specific and doesn’t work for all situations). Often, the literature review is where you can establish your research as filling a particular gap or as relevant in a particular way. You have some chance to do this in your introduction in an article, but the literature review section gives a more extended opportunity to establish the conversation in the way you would like your readers to see it. You can choose the intellectual lineage you would like to be part of and whose definitions matter most to your thinking (mostly humanities-specific, but this goes for sciences as well). In addressing these points, you argue for your place in the conversation, which tends to make the lit review more compelling than a simple reporting of other sources.