NURS 998 - Nursing Advanced 'W'

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.
• Methodological: If you draw your sources from different disciplines or fields that use a variety of research methods, you can compare the results and conclusions that emerge from different approaches. For example:
  • 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 theoretical concepts to create a framework for your research.

Source: Purdue's OWL (Online Writing Lab) on Literature Reviews

Writing is a process. This means that it is often not linear, but recursive. Writing new paragraphs and information often prompts writers to go back and revise and edit previous paragraphs to fit the evolving ideas still taking shape.

While it is tempting to finish the entire rough draft before seeking feedback, this is not always the best approach. This may work for short papers like a 5-paragraph essay, but your writing may benefit from more routine check-ins throughout the creation of a large paper. Discovering a major flaw when you thought you were finished would be incredibly frustrating! Better to know early, so that you can change course and redo and revise as little as possible and continue the work with more clarity and better direction.

Consider what good timing looks like for you. Checking-in every couple of pages, or every major section (Background, Literature Review, Implications, etc.) is a good option. If you would prefer to check-in earlier, consider writing-up the literature review section for the first article for feedback before writing more. For additional consideration, if the peer reviewer is only focused on a shorter section, they have more time and energy to focus, instead of a 1-hour appointment for the full paper, which is too much to do in one sitting. More frequent writing check-ins with shorter passages will be more productive and meaningful.

Visit The Writing and Tutoring Center to receive feedback on your writing.