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Literature review.

• Introduction to Literature Reviews
• Purpose and Scope
• Types of Lit Reviews
• Finding Published Literature Reviews
• Writing the Lit Review
• Books and Websites

The literature review analyzes relationships and connections among different works. This differs from an annotated bibliography which provides a list and brief description of articles, books, theses, and other documents. The literature review should not merely list and summarize one piece of research after another. 

Through analysis of major works and subsequent scholarship the lit review lays out the evolution of scholarship on a topic and establishes a context for further research. This will help you to establish why the topic is important and place your research in a theoretical context.

A literature review will help you to avoid redundancy in your own research and to identify new problems, possibilities for further research, and to expand upon or ask new questions. The literature review allows you as a researcher to enter into an ongoing conversation with other scholars and researchers.

A literature review may be comprehensive or selective but should examine seminal or principal works and works that have been consequential in the field. The scope of a literature review will vary by assignment and discipline. The literature review may be part of a larger work or a stand-alone article, meaning that it is the entirety of a paper. The literature review may be part of the introduction, or a separate section to a thesis, dissertation, or research report setting up the context for the author's original research.   The literature review:

• Compares and contrasts
• Identifies areas of consensus and dissent
• Reveals gaps or oversights
• Indicates areas needing further research
• Points out trends, themes, approaches, methodologies, theories, and frames of analysis
• Discusses major debates in the field
• Examines methodological or theoretical strengths and weaknesses

The importance of currency (timeliness of information) will vary by discipline and the purpose of the assignment. The sciences are typically more concerned with current research, practice, and findings. For example, in fields like health or medicine the lit review may only draw on recent literature which has been published within 5-10 years. However, inclusion of much older works is often relevant in fields such as the arts, humanities, philosophy, or history.

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Literature Review: Introduction and Notes

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Writing a literature review.

• Definitions

Determine the scope of your review

A review of what, planning your literature review.

• Finding sources
• Annotating sources
• Organizing the review
• Writing the review
• Practical Tips

The length of the review depends on your objective. 

• Are you writing a research paper as the final project in a specific course?
• Are you writing a senior or honor's capstone project or thesis? 
• Are you writing for an undergraduate or graduate course? 
• Are you writing a master's thesis? 
• Are you writing a dissertation?

The majority of these projects will require a selective examination of the literature.  Discuss the length of your review with your instructor or paper advisor.

• You must have a precise question to study. For example, your question cannot be too broad, nor too narrow. 
• You must understand the limitations of your research. Limiting by time, geographic area, gender, age, and/or nationality are all good ways to develop a more focused topic.
• what will you cover?
• will your coverage be selective or exhaustive?
• are you focusing on a specific theory or methodology; a specific type of research?
• will you include information published in other languages?
• will you include information from related disciplines?

It will take time to locate and review the literature relevant to your research question.  Starting early will allow you sufficient time to gather and review your sources.  The process of writing a literature review normally includes the following elements:

1. Defining your research question

2. Planning the approach to your review and research

3. Searching the literature

4. Analyzing the material you find

5. Organizing the review

6. Writing the review

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Writing a Literature Review

• Getting Started

Defining the Topic

Limiting the scope.

• Finding the Literature
• Managing Your Research
• Writing the Review
• Assignment Planner: Literature Review Tips and strategies for conducting a literature review, plus a timeline to help you meet your deadline.
• Ask a Librarian In the library or by email, phone, or chat.
• Academic Success Centre Get help with writing and organizing your review, in person or online.

Identifying a well-defined research topic is the first step for writing a literature review. The topic should cover something from the research field that needs to be explored. This will ensure that your contribution will be valuable, that you are providing readers with a different angle or perspective on an issue or problem.

Ideally, your topic should tackle or explore a problem that is just the right size. A topic like “mothers and postpartum depression” is too broad; there will be too much information out there to write a concise literature review. However, a topic such as “maternal postpartum self-criticism and anger” looks at a problem faced by women who are experiencing the so-called baby blues. This gives you a niche within the research field to focus on and explore.

Often a broad topic can be narrowed by adding one or more criteria, which can include:

• population group
• culture/ethnicity
• theoretical framework
• methodology (e.g., qualitative or quantitative, fieldwork/ethnography)
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• Research guides

Writing a Literature Review

Phase 1: scope of review, it's a literature review of what, precisely.

Need to Have a Precise Topic It is essential that one defines a research topic very carefully. For example, it should not be too far-reaching. The following is much too broad:

"Life and Times of Sigmund Freud"

However, this is more focused and specific and, accordingly, a more appropriate topic:

"An Analysis of the Relationship of Freud and Jung in the International Psychoanalytic Association, 1910-1914"

Limitations of Study In specifying precisely one's research topic, one is also specifying appropriate limitations on the research. Limiting, for example, by time, personnel, gender, age, location, nationality, etc. results in a more focused and meaningful topic.  

Scope of the Literature Review It is also important to determine the precise scope of the literature review. For example,

• What exactly will you cover in your review?
• How comprehensive will it be?
• How long? About how many citations will you use?
• How detailed? Will it be a review of ALL relevant material or will the scope be limited to more recent material, e.g., the last five years.
• Are you focusing on methodological approaches; on theoretical issues; on qualitative or quantitative research?
• Will you broaden your search to seek literature in related disciplines?
• Will you confine your reviewed material to English language only or will you include research in other languages too?

In evaluating studies, timeliness is more significant for some subjects than others. Scientists generally need more recent material. However, currency is often less of a factor for scholars in arts/humanities. Research published in 1920 about Plato's philosophy might be more relevant than recent studies.

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Research Methods

• Getting Started
• Literature Review Research
• Research Design
• Research Design By Discipline
• SAGE Research Methods
• Teaching with SAGE Research Methods

Literature Review

• What is a Literature Review?
• What is NOT a Literature Review?
• Purposes of a Literature Review
• Types of Literature Reviews
• Literature Reviews vs. Systematic Reviews
• Systematic vs. Meta-Analysis

Literature Review  is a comprehensive survey of the works published in a particular field of study or line of research, usually over a specific period of time, in the form of an in-depth, critical bibliographic essay or annotated list in which attention is drawn to the most significant works.

Also, we can define a literature review as the collected body of scholarly works related to a topic:

• Summarizes and analyzes previous research relevant to a topic
• Includes scholarly books and articles published in academic journals
• Can be an specific scholarly paper or a section in a research paper

The objective of a Literature Review is to find previous published scholarly works relevant to an specific topic

• Help gather ideas or information
• Keep up to date in current trends and findings
• Help develop new questions

A literature review is important because it:

• Explains the background of research on a topic.
• Demonstrates why a topic is significant to a subject area.
• Helps focus your own research questions or problems
• Discovers relationships between research studies/ideas.
• Suggests unexplored ideas or populations
• Identifies major themes, concepts, and researchers on a topic.
• Tests assumptions; may help counter preconceived ideas and remove unconscious bias.
• Identifies critical gaps, points of disagreement, or potentially flawed methodology or theoretical approaches.
• Indicates potential directions for future research.

All content in this section is from Literature Review Research from Old Dominion University 

Keep in mind the following, a literature review is NOT:

Not an essay 

Not an annotated bibliography  in which you summarize each article that you have reviewed.  A literature review goes beyond basic summarizing to focus on the critical analysis of the reviewed works and their relationship to your research question.

Not a research paper   where you select resources to support one side of an issue versus another.  A lit review should explain and consider all sides of an argument in order to avoid bias, and areas of agreement and disagreement should be highlighted.

A literature review serves several purposes. For example, it

• provides thorough knowledge of previous studies; introduces seminal works.
• helps focus one’s own research topic.
• identifies a conceptual framework for one’s own research questions or problems; indicates potential directions for future research.
• suggests previously unused or underused methodologies, designs, quantitative and qualitative strategies.
• identifies gaps in previous studies; identifies flawed methodologies and/or theoretical approaches; avoids replication of mistakes.
• helps the researcher avoid repetition of earlier research.
• suggests unexplored populations.
• determines whether past studies agree or disagree; identifies controversy in the literature.
• tests assumptions; may help counter preconceived ideas and remove unconscious bias.

As Kennedy (2007) notes*, it is important to think of knowledge in a given field as consisting of three layers. First, there are the primary studies that researchers conduct and publish. Second are the reviews of those studies that summarize and offer new interpretations built from and often extending beyond the original studies. Third, there are the perceptions, conclusions, opinion, and interpretations that are shared informally that become part of the lore of field. In composing a literature review, it is important to note that it is often this third layer of knowledge that is cited as "true" even though it often has only a loose relationship to the primary studies and secondary literature reviews.

Given this, while literature reviews are designed to provide an overview and synthesis of pertinent sources you have explored, there are several approaches to how they can be done, depending upon the type of analysis underpinning your study. Listed below are definitions of types of literature reviews:

Argumentative Review      This form examines literature selectively in order to support or refute an argument, deeply imbedded assumption, or philosophical problem already established in the literature. The purpose is to develop a body of literature that establishes a contrarian viewpoint. Given the value-laden nature of some social science research [e.g., educational reform; immigration control], argumentative approaches to analyzing the literature can be a legitimate and important form of discourse. However, note that they can also introduce problems of bias when they are used to to make summary claims of the sort found in systematic reviews.

Integrative Review      Considered a form of research that reviews, critiques, and synthesizes representative literature on a topic in an integrated way such that new frameworks and perspectives on the topic are generated. The body of literature includes all studies that address related or identical hypotheses. A well-done integrative review meets the same standards as primary research in regard to clarity, rigor, and replication.

Historical Review      Few things rest in isolation from historical precedent. Historical reviews are focused on examining research throughout a period of time, often starting with the first time an issue, concept, theory, phenomena emerged in the literature, then tracing its evolution within the scholarship of a discipline. The purpose is to place research in a historical context to show familiarity with state-of-the-art developments and to identify the likely directions for future research.

Methodological Review      A review does not always focus on what someone said [content], but how they said it [method of analysis]. This approach provides a framework of understanding at different levels (i.e. those of theory, substantive fields, research approaches and data collection and analysis techniques), enables researchers to draw on a wide variety of knowledge ranging from the conceptual level to practical documents for use in fieldwork in the areas of ontological and epistemological consideration, quantitative and qualitative integration, sampling, interviewing, data collection and data analysis, and helps highlight many ethical issues which we should be aware of and consider as we go through our study.

Systematic Review      This form consists of an overview of existing evidence pertinent to a clearly formulated research question, which uses pre-specified and standardized methods to identify and critically appraise relevant research, and to collect, report, and analyse data from the studies that are included in the review. Typically it focuses on a very specific empirical question, often posed in a cause-and-effect form, such as "To what extent does A contribute to B?"

Theoretical Review      The purpose of this form is to concretely examine the corpus of theory that has accumulated in regard to an issue, concept, theory, phenomena. The theoretical literature review help establish what theories already exist, the relationships between them, to what degree the existing theories have been investigated, and to develop new hypotheses to be tested. Often this form is used to help establish a lack of appropriate theories or reveal that current theories are inadequate for explaining new or emerging research problems. The unit of analysis can focus on a theoretical concept or a whole theory or framework.

* Kennedy, Mary M. "Defining a Literature."  Educational Researcher  36 (April 2007): 139-147.

All content in this section is from The Literature Review created by Dr. Robert Larabee USC

Robinson, P. and Lowe, J. (2015),  Literature reviews vs systematic reviews.  Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 39: 103-103. doi: 10.1111/1753-6405.12393

What's in the name? The difference between a Systematic Review and a Literature Review, and why it matters . By Lynn Kysh from University of Southern California

Systematic review or meta-analysis?

A  systematic review  answers a defined research question by collecting and summarizing all empirical evidence that fits pre-specified eligibility criteria.

A  meta-analysis  is the use of statistical methods to summarize the results of these studies.

Systematic reviews, just like other research articles, can be of varying quality. They are a significant piece of work (the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination at York estimates that a team will take 9-24 months), and to be useful to other researchers and practitioners they should have:

• clearly stated objectives with pre-defined eligibility criteria for studies
• explicit, reproducible methodology
• a systematic search that attempts to identify all studies
• assessment of the validity of the findings of the included studies (e.g. risk of bias)
• systematic presentation, and synthesis, of the characteristics and findings of the included studies

Not all systematic reviews contain meta-analysis. 

Meta-analysis is the use of statistical methods to summarize the results of independent studies. By combining information from all relevant studies, meta-analysis can provide more precise estimates of the effects of health care than those derived from the individual studies included within a review.  More information on meta-analyses can be found in  Cochrane Handbook, Chapter 9 .

A meta-analysis goes beyond critique and integration and conducts secondary statistical analysis on the outcomes of similar studies.  It is a systematic review that uses quantitative methods to synthesize and summarize the results.

An advantage of a meta-analysis is the ability to be completely objective in evaluating research findings.  Not all topics, however, have sufficient research evidence to allow a meta-analysis to be conducted.  In that case, an integrative review is an appropriate strategy. 

Some of the content in this section is from Systematic reviews and meta-analyses: step by step guide created by Kate McAllister.

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Steps for Conducting a Scoping Review

Susanne mak.

Both authors are with McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Susanne Mak, MSc, is an Assistant Professor, School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, and an Associate Member, Institute of Health Sciences Education, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences

Aliki Thomas

Aliki Thomas, PhD, is an Associate Professor, School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, and an Associate Member, Institute of Health Sciences Education, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences

A scoping review is a type of knowledge synthesis that uses a systematic and iterative approach to identify and synthesize an existing or emerging body of literature on a given topic. 1 While there are several reasons for conducting a scoping review, the main reasons are to map the extent, range, and nature of the literature, as well as to determine possible gaps in the literature on a topic. 1 - 3 Scoping reviews are not limited to peer-reviewed literature. 3 , 4

Identifying a Team

Before conducting the review, it is important to consider the composition of the research team: scoping reviews are not conducted by a single individual. The team should include someone with content expertise and an individual with experience conducting scoping reviews. 1 , 3 , 5 Adding a librarian who can assist with building the search strategy is also extremely helpful. 1 , 3 Thoughtful planning of the team membership will result in the right knowledge, skills, and expertise to successfully complete the review and ensure that the findings make a notable contribution to the field.

An overview of the steps involved in conducting scoping reviews is provided below.

Step 1: Identifying the Research Question

Creating the research question is a vital first step. 1 , 3 - 5 A question that is too broad increases the number of papers for consideration, which may affect the feasibility of the review. 5 A question that is too narrow may compromise the breadth and depth of the review. Therefore, a preliminary search of the literature may be helpful in determining: (1) the breadth of your question; (2) whether a scoping review on the topic has already been conducted; and (3) if there is sufficient literature to warrant a scoping review. Consulting with a librarian can help in deciding if a scoping review is the appropriate review method. 1 , 3 In particular, a librarian may confirm that there is insufficient literature or that there is too much, which will necessitate a more targeted research question.

Step 2: Identifying Relevant Studies

Early consultation with a librarian should occur to build the search strategy—keywords, Medical Subject Headings, databases—and further refine the strategy based on the papers found. For example, you may find too many irrelevant papers. In this case you may need to review your search strategy to identify the terms which introduce too much “noise.”

You will also need to define the inclusion and exclusion criteria. 1 , 3 - 5 Discussions with your team are important to ensure diverse perspectives and that the inclusion criteria are aligned with the research question. 5 , 6

Step 3: Selecting Studies to Be Included in the Review

Tools such as Covidence and Rayyan can be helpful in organizing papers and making the screening process more efficient ( Box ). Once you have collected the citations from the search, you can import these from reference management software (eg, EndNote) into Rayyan. After selecting papers for inclusion, the citations of the included papers can be exported to reference management software for the next stage of the review. Other helpful features of management software can include the identification of duplicates, proportion of an abstract that resembles another, and documentation of reasons for inclusion or exclusion. Both Covidence and Rayyan allow for blinding the results of team members' reviews to each other.

• ▪ Covidence: www.covidence.org
• ▪ NVivo: https://www.qsrinternational.com/nvivo-qualitative-data-analysis-software/home
• ▪ Rayyan: https://rayyan.qcri.org/welcome

Having additional reviewers will accelerate the pace of the review but will require calibration between reviewers. 1 , 3 , 5 A calibration exercise consists of selecting 5% to 10% of the papers for independent screening by each reviewer. 1 If a high level of agreement among reviewers is not achieved (eg, lower than 90%), 7 , 8 the reviewers should discuss their points of disagreement and review (and possibly revise) the inclusion criteria. 1 Another 10% of the papers are then selected for a second calibration exercise to test the modified inclusion criteria. If having 2 reviewers for each paper is not feasible, one reviewer can conduct an independent review, with a second reviewer verifying a portion of the papers, with the goal of 90% or better agreement.

The actual screening of papers should consist of reading not only the title of the paper, but the abstract as well. If an abstract is not available, a full-text review of the paper is required. Screening papers by title alone is insufficient, as the contents of a paper are not always well reflected in the title.

Step 4: Charting the Data

The team develops the data extraction form collaboratively. Although the extraction categories vary depending on the research question and review purpose, common categories are: author, year, geographical location, study population, main results, study limitations, and future directions. 4 , 5 More specific categories will be needed to capture the data for a given research question.

The extraction form will need to be pilot tested for further refinements and undergo a calibration exercise as well. 1 , 3 , 5 This entails a dyad of reviewers independently extracting data from a small number of papers (eg, 5-10), and meeting afterward to discuss any discrepancies, with further refinement of the form if a high level of agreement between reviewers is not obtained.

Step 5: Collating, Summarizing, and Reporting the Results

Once the data have been extracted from all papers, numerical and thematic analyses are conducted. 5 The findings from the numerical analysis can be presented in a table or chart to showcase the most salient aspects of the review. Readers should be able to see alignment of findings with objectives for conducting the review. 1 , 3 Thematic analysis 9 consists of examining excerpts of text and asking how this text relates to the research question, as well as creating a code (label) that best reflects that text. A list of tentative codes (a codebook) is created and modified iteratively as the team engages in data analysis. Once codes are developed, a review of the codes and how they relate to each other can help to identify patterns among them, which leads to the creation of categories (collections of similar data in one place) 10 and themes (patterns across the dataset). 9

Reflexivity is essential throughout the review process but especially during thematic analysis, with use of memos, to capture the thoughts that arise from examining and interpreting the data. Once the codes are generated, the research team will further refine them through discussion. 6 The team should discuss not only the clarity of the operational definitions of the codes, but also how the codes are named and how they may relate to each other. As the codes are grouped together, the team will develop themes. 5

Step 6: Consulting Stakeholders (Optional)

Reasons for stakeholder consultation may be to obtain input on the research question and sources of information, and to provide insights on a topic. Other purposes may include obtaining feedback to help shed light on the review findings and pinpoint gaps not explored in the literature. While a stakeholder consultation has been named as the final step of a review, it can be incorporated throughout the review stages and can occur through focus groups, individual interviews, or surveys. 1 , 5

A scoping review is useful to map the literature on evolving or emerging topics and to identify gaps. It may be a step before undertaking research or conducting another type of review, such as a systematic review. Before conducting a scoping review, it is important to consider how the research team will implement each step and who will be involved at each stage, while being mindful that the methodological approach provides teams with the opportunity to move back to earlier stages as the review evolves.

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Chapter 1: Introduction

Learning objectives.

At the conclusion of this chapter, you will be able to:

• Identify the purpose of the literature review in  the research process
• Distinguish between different types of literature reviews

1.1 What is a Literature Review?

Pick up nearly any book on research methods and you will find a description of a literature review.  At a basic level, the term implies a survey of factual or nonfiction books, articles, and other documents published on a particular subject.  Definitions may be similar across the disciplines, with new types and definitions continuing to emerge.  Generally speaking, a literature review is a:

• “comprehensive background of the literature within the interested topic area…” ( O’Gorman & MacIntosh, 2015, p. 31 ).
• “critical component of the research process that provides an in-depth analysis of recently published research findings in specifically identified areas of interest.” ( House, 2018, p. 109 ).
• “written document that presents a logically argued case founded on a comprehensive understanding of the current state of knowledge about a topic of study” ( Machi & McEvoy,  2012, p. 4 ).

As a foundation for knowledge advancement in every discipline, it is an important element of any research project.  At the graduate or doctoral level, the literature review is an essential feature of thesis and dissertation, as well as grant proposal writing.  That is to say, “A substantive, thorough, sophisticated literature review is a precondition for doing substantive, thorough, sophisticated research…A researcher cannot perform significant research without first understanding the literature in the field.” ( Boote & Beile, 2005, p. 3 ).  It is by this means, that a researcher demonstrates familiarity with a body of knowledge and thereby establishes credibility with a reader.  An advanced-level literature review shows how prior research is linked to a new project, summarizing and synthesizing what is known while identifying gaps in the knowledge base, facilitating theory development, closing areas where enough research already exists, and uncovering areas where more research is needed. ( Webster & Watson, 2002, p. xiii )

A graduate-level literature review is a compilation of the most significant previously published research on your topic. Unlike an annotated bibliography or a research paper you may have written as an undergraduate, your literature review will outline, evaluate and synthesize relevant research and relate those sources to your own thesis or research question. It is much more than a summary of all the related literature.

It is a type of writing that demonstrate the importance of your research by defining the main ideas and the relationship between them. A good literature review lays the foundation for the importance of your stated problem and research question.

Literature reviews:

• define a concept
• map the research terrain or scope
• systemize relationships between concepts
• identify gaps in the literature ( Rocco & Plathotnik, 2009, p. 128 )

The purpose of a literature review is to demonstrate that your research question  is meaningful. Additionally, you may review the literature of different disciplines to find deeper meaning and understanding of your topic. It is especially important to consider other disciplines when you do not find much on your topic in one discipline. You will need to search the cognate literature before claiming there is “little previous research” on your topic.

Well developed literature reviews involve numerous steps and activities. The literature review is an iterative process because you will do at least two of them: a preliminary search to learn what has been published in your area and whether there is sufficient support in the literature for moving ahead with your subject. After this first exploration, you will conduct a deeper dive into the literature to learn everything you can about the topic and its related issues.

Literature Review Tutorial

1.2 Literature Review Basics

An effective literature review must:

• Methodologically analyze and synthesize quality literature on a topic
• Provide a firm foundation to a topic or research area
• Provide a firm foundation for the selection of a research methodology
• Demonstrate that the proposed research contributes something new to the overall body of knowledge of advances the research field’s knowledge base. ( Levy & Ellis, 2006 ).

All literature reviews, whether they are qualitative, quantitative or both, will at some point:

• Introduce the topic and define its key terms
• Establish the importance of the topic
• Provide an overview of the amount of available literature and its types (for example: theoretical, statistical, speculative)
• Identify gaps in the literature
• Point out consistent finding across studies
• Arrive at a synthesis that organizes what is known about a topic
• Discusses possible implications and directions for future research

1.3 Types of Literature Reviews

There are many different types of literature reviews, however there are some shared characteristics or features.  Remember a comprehensive literature review is, at its most fundamental level, an original work based on an extensive critical examination and synthesis of the relevant literature on a topic. As a study of the research on a particular topic, it is arranged by key themes or findings, which may lead up to or link to the  research question.  In some cases, the research question will drive the type of literature review that is undertaken.

The following section includes brief descriptions of the terms used to describe different literature review types with examples of each.   The included citations are open access, Creative Commons licensed or copyright-restricted.

1.3.1 Types of Review

1.3.1.1 conceptual.

Guided by an understanding of basic issues rather than a research methodology. You are looking for key factors, concepts or variables and the presumed relationship between them. The goal of the conceptual literature review is to categorize and describe concepts relevant to your study or topic and outline a relationship between them. You will include relevant theory and empirical research.

Examples of a Conceptual Review:

• Education : The formality of learning science in everyday life: A conceptual literature review. ( Dohn, 2010 ).
• Education : Are we asking the right questions? A conceptual review of the educational development literature in higher education. ( Amundsen & Wilson, 2012 ).

1.3.1.2 Empirical

An empirical literature review collects, creates, arranges, and analyzes numeric data reflecting the frequency of themes, topics, authors and/or methods found in existing literature. Empirical literature reviews present their summaries in quantifiable terms using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Examples of an Empirical Review:

• Nursing : False-positive findings in Cochrane meta-analyses with and without application of trial sequential analysis: An empirical review. ( Imberger, Thorlund, Gluud, & Wettersley, 2016 ).
• Education : Impediments of e-learning adoption in higher learning institutions of Tanzania: An empirical review ( Mwakyusa & Mwalyagile, 2016 ).

1.3.1.3 Exploratory

Unlike a synoptic literature review, the purpose here is to provide a broad approach to the topic area. The aim is breadth rather than depth and to get a general feel for the size of the topic area. A graduate student might do an exploratory review of the literature before beginning a synoptic, or more comprehensive one.

Examples of an Exploratory Review:

• Education : University research management: An exploratory literature review. ( Schuetzenmeister, 2010 ).
• Education : An exploratory review of design principles in constructivist gaming learning environments. ( Rosario & Widmeyer, 2009 ).

1.3.1.4 Focused

A type of literature review limited to a single aspect of previous research, such as methodology. A focused literature review generally will describe the implications of choosing a particular element of past research, such as methodology in terms of data collection, analysis and interpretation.

Examples of a Focused Review:

• Nursing : Clinical inertia in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus: A focused literature review. ( Khunti, Davies, & Khunti, 2015 ).
• Education : Language awareness: Genre awareness-a focused review of the literature. ( Stainton, 1992 ).

1.3.1.5 Integrative

Critiques past research and draws overall conclusions from the body of literature at a specified point in time. Reviews, critiques, and synthesizes representative literature on a topic in an integrated way. Most integrative reviews are intended to address mature topics or  emerging topics. May require the author to adopt a guiding theory, a set of competing models, or a point of view about a topic.  For more description of integrative reviews, see Whittemore & Knafl (2005).

Examples of an Integrative Review:

• Nursing : Interprofessional teamwork and collaboration between community health workers and healthcare teams: An integrative review. ( Franklin,  Bernhardt, Lopez, Long-Middleton, & Davis, 2015 ).
• Education : Exploring the gap between teacher certification and permanent employment in Ontario: An integrative literature review. ( Brock & Ryan, 2016 ).

1.3.1.6 Meta-analysis

A subset of a  systematic review, that takes findings from several studies on the same subject and analyzes them using standardized statistical procedures to pool together data. Integrates findings from a large body of quantitative findings to enhance understanding, draw conclusions, and detect patterns and relationships. Gather data from many different, independent studies that look at the same research question and assess similar outcome measures. Data is combined and re-analyzed, providing a greater statistical power than any single study alone. It’s important to note that not every systematic review includes a meta-analysis but a meta-analysis can’t exist without a systematic review of the literature.

Examples of a Meta-Analysis:

• Education : Efficacy of the cooperative learning method on mathematics achievement and attitude: A meta-analysis research. ( Capar & Tarim, 2015 ).
• Nursing : A meta-analysis of the effects of non-traditional teaching methods on the critical thinking abilities of nursing students. ( Lee, Lee, Gong, Bae, & Choi, 2016 ).
• Education : Gender differences in student attitudes toward science: A meta-analysis of the literature from 1970 to 1991. ( Weinburgh, 1995 ).

1.3.1.7 Narrative/Traditional

An overview of research on a particular topic that critiques and summarizes a body of literature. Typically broad in focus. Relevant past research is selected and synthesized into a coherent discussion. Methodologies, findings and limits of the existing body of knowledge are discussed in narrative form. Sometimes also referred to as a traditional literature review. Requires a sufficiently focused research question. The process may be subject to bias that supports the researcher’s own work.

Examples of a Narrative/Traditional Review:

• Nursing : Family carers providing support to a person dying in the home setting: A narrative literature review. ( Morris, King, Turner, & Payne, 2015 ).
• Education : Adventure education and Outward Bound: Out-of-class experiences that make a lasting difference. ( Hattie, Marsh, Neill, & Richards, 1997 ).
• Education : Good quality discussion is necessary but not sufficient in asynchronous tuition: A brief narrative review of the literature. ( Fear & Erikson-Brown, 2014 ).
• Nursing : Outcomes of physician job satisfaction: A narrative review, implications, and directions for future research. ( Williams & Skinner, 2003 ).

1.3.1.8 Realist

Aspecific type of literature review that is theory-driven and interpretative and is intended to explain the outcomes of a complex intervention program(s).

Examples of a Realist Review:

• Nursing : Lean thinking in healthcare: A realist review of the literature. ( Mazzacato, Savage, Brommels, 2010 ).
• Education : Unravelling quality culture in higher education: A realist review. ( Bendermacher, Egbrink, Wolfhagen, & Dolmans, 2017 ).

1.3.1.9 Scoping

Tend to be non-systematic and focus on breadth of coverage conducted on a topic rather than depth. Utilize a wide range of materials; may not evaluate the quality of the studies as much as count the number. One means of understanding existing literature. Aims to identify nature and extent of research; preliminary assessment of size and scope of available research on topic. May include research in progress.

Examples of a Scoping Review:

• Nursing : Organizational interventions improving access to community-based primary health care for vulnerable populations: A scoping review. ( Khanassov, Pluye, Descoteaux, Haggerty,  Russell, Gunn, & Levesque, 2016 ).
• Education : Interdisciplinary doctoral research supervision: A scoping review. ( Vanstone, Hibbert, Kinsella, McKenzie, Pitman, & Lingard, 2013 ).
• Nursing : A scoping review of the literature on the abolition of user fees in health care services in Africa. ( Ridde, & Morestin, 2011 ).

1.3.1.10 Synoptic

Unlike an exploratory review, the purpose is to provide a concise but accurate overview of all material that appears to be relevant to a chosen topic. Both content and methodological material is included. The review should aim to be both descriptive and evaluative. Summarizes previous studies while also showing how the body of literature could be extended and improved in terms of content and method by identifying gaps.

Examples of a Synoptic Review:

• Education : Theoretical framework for educational assessment: A synoptic review. ( Ghaicha, 2016 ).
• Education : School effects research: A synoptic review of past efforts and some suggestions for the future. ( Cuttance, 1981 ).

1.3.1.11 Systematic Review

A rigorous review that follows a strict methodology designed with a presupposed selection of literature reviewed.  Undertaken to clarify the state of existing research, the evidence, and possible implications that can be drawn from that.  Using comprehensive and exhaustive searching of the published and unpublished literature, searching various databases, reports, and grey literature.  Transparent and reproducible in reporting details of time frame, search and methods to minimize bias.  Must include a team of at least 2-3 and includes the critical appraisal of the literature.  For more description of systematic reviews, including links to protocols, checklists, workflow processes, and structure see “ A Young Researcher’s Guide to a Systematic Review “.

Examples of a Systematic Review:

• Education : The potentials of using cloud computing in schools: A systematic literature review ( Hartmann, Braae, Pedersen, & Khalid, 2017 )
• Nursing : Is butter back? A systematic review and meta-analysis of butter consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and total mortality. ( Pimpin, Wu, Haskelberg, Del Gobbo, & Mozaffarian, 2016 ).
• Education : The use of research to improve professional practice: a systematic review of the literature. ( Hemsley-Brown & Sharp, 2003 ).
• Nursing : Using computers to self-manage type 2 diabetes. ( Pal, Eastwood, Michie, Farmer, Barnard, Peacock, Wood, Inniss, & Murray, 2013 ).

1.3.1.12 Umbrella/Overview of Reviews

Compiles evidence from multiple systematic reviews into one document. Focuses on broad condition or problem for which there are competing interventions and highlights reviews that address those interventions and their effects. Often used in recommendations for practice.

Examples of an Umbrella/Overview Review:

• Education : Reflective practice in healthcare education: An umbrella review. ( Fragknos, 2016 ).
• Nursing : Systematic reviews of psychosocial interventions for autism: an umbrella review. ( Seida, Ospina, Karkhaneh, Hartling, Smith, & Clark, 2009 ).

For a brief discussion see “ Not all literature reviews are the same ” (Thomson, 2013).

1.4 Why do a Literature Review?

The purpose of the literature review is the same regardless of the topic or research method. It tests your own research question against what is already known about the subject.

1.4.1 First – It’s part of the whole. Omission of a literature review chapter or section in a graduate-level project represents a serious void or absence of critical element in the research process.

The outcome of your review is expected to demonstrate that you:

• can systematically explore the research in your topic area
• can read and critically analyze the literature in your discipline and then use it appropriately to advance your own work
• have sufficient knowledge in the topic to undertake further investigation

1.4.2 Second – It’s good for you!

• You improve your skills as a researcher
• You become familiar with the discourse of your discipline and learn how to be a scholar in your field
• You learn through writing your ideas and finding your voice in your subject area
• You define, redefine and clarify your research question for yourself in the process

1.4.3 Third – It’s good for your reader. Your reader expects you to have done the hard work of gathering, evaluating and synthesizes the literature.  When you do a literature review you:

• Set the context for the topic and present its significance
• Identify what’s important to know about your topic – including individual material, prior research, publications, organizations and authors.
• Demonstrate relationships among prior research
• Establish limitations of existing knowledge
• Analyze trends in the topic’s treatment and gaps in the literature

1.4.4 Why do a literature review?

• To locate gaps in the literature of your discipline
• To avoid reinventing the wheel
• To carry on where others have already been
• To identify other people working in the same field
• To increase your breadth of knowledge in your subject area
• To find the seminal works in your field
• To provide intellectual context for your own work
• To acknowledge opposing viewpoints
• To put your work in perspective
• To demonstrate you can discover and retrieve previous work in the area

1.5 Common Literature Review Errors

Graduate-level literature reviews are more than a summary of the publications you find on a topic.  As you have seen in this brief introduction, literature reviews are a very specific type of research, analysis, and writing.  We will explore these topics more in the next chapters.  Some things to keep in mind as you begin your own research and writing are ways to avoid the most common errors seen in the first attempt at a literature review.  For a quick review of some of the pitfalls and challenges a new researcher faces when he/she begins work, see “ Get Ready: Academic Writing, General Pitfalls and (oh yes) Getting Started! ”.

As you begin your own graduate-level literature review, try to avoid these common mistakes:

• Accepts another researcher’s finding as valid without evaluating methodology and data
• Contrary findings and alternative interpretations are not considered or mentioned
• Findings are not clearly related to one’s own study, or findings are too general
• Insufficient time allowed to define best search strategies and writing
• Isolated statistical results are simply reported rather than synthesizing the results
• Problems with selecting and using most relevant keywords, subject headings and descriptors
• Relies too heavily on secondary sources
• Search methods are not recorded or reported for transparency
• Summarizes rather than synthesizes articles

In conclusion, the purpose of a literature review is three-fold:

• to survey the current state of knowledge or evidence in the area of inquiry,
• to identify key authors, articles, theories, and findings in that area, and
• to identify gaps in knowledge in that research area.

A literature review is commonly done today using computerized keyword searches in online databases, often working with a trained librarian or information expert. Keywords can be combined using the Boolean operators, “and”, “or” and sometimes “not”  to narrow down or expand the search results. Once a list of articles is generated from the keyword and subject heading search, the researcher must then manually browse through each title and abstract, to determine the suitability of that article before a full-text article is obtained for the research question.

Literature reviews should be reasonably complete, and not restricted to a few journals, a few years, or a specific methodology or research design. Reviewed articles may be summarized in the form of tables, and can be further structured using organizing frameworks such as a concept matrix.

A well-conducted literature review should indicate whether the initial research questions have already been addressed in the literature, whether there are newer or more interesting research questions available, and whether the original research questions should be modified or changed in light of findings of the literature review.

The review can also provide some intuitions or potential answers to the questions of interest and/or help identify theories that have previously been used to address similar questions and may provide evidence to inform policy or decision-making. ( Bhattacherjee, 2012 ).

Read Abstract 1.  Refer to Types of Literature Reviews.  What type of literature review do you think this study is and why?  See the Answer Key for the correct response.

Nursing : To describe evidence of international literature on the safe care of the hospitalised child after the World Alliance for Patient Safety and list contributions of the general theoretical framework of patient safety for paediatric nursing.

An integrative literature review between 2004 and 2015 using the databases PubMed, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Scopus, Web of Science and Wiley Online Library, and the descriptors Safety or Patient safety, Hospitalised child, Paediatric nursing, and Nursing care.

Thirty-two articles were analysed, most of which were from North American, with a descriptive approach. The quality of the recorded information in the medical records, the use of checklists, and the training of health workers contribute to safe care in paediatric nursing and improve the medication process and partnerships with parents.

General information available on patient safety should be incorporated in paediatric nursing care. ( Wegner, Silva, Peres, Bandeira, Frantz, Botene, & Predebon, 2017 ).

Read Abstract 2.  Refer to Types of Literature Reviews.  What type of lit review do you think this study is and why?  See the Answer Key for the correct response.

Education : The focus of this paper centers around timing associated with early childhood education programs and interventions using meta-analytic methods. At any given assessment age, a child’s current age equals starting age, plus duration of program, plus years since program ended. Variability in assessment ages across the studies should enable everyone to identify the separate effects of all three time-related components. The project is a meta-analysis of evaluation studies of early childhood education programs conducted in the United States and its territories between 1960 and 2007. The population of interest is children enrolled in early childhood education programs between the ages of 0 and 5 and their control-group counterparts. Since the data come from a meta-analysis, the population for this study is drawn from many different studies with diverse samples. Given the preliminary nature of their analysis, the authors cannot offer conclusions at this point. ( Duncan, Leak, Li, Magnuson, Schindler, & Yoshikawa, 2011 ).

Test Yourself

See Answer Key for the correct responses.

The purpose of a graduate-level literature review is to summarize in as many words as possible everything that is known about my topic.

A literature review is significant because in the process of doing one, the researcher learns to read and critically assess the literature of a discipline and then uses it appropriately to advance his/her own research.

Read the following abstract and choose the correct type of literature review it represents.

Nursing: E-cigarette use has become increasingly popular, especially among the young. Its long-term influence upon health is unknown. Aim of this review has been to present the current state of knowledge about the impact of e-cigarette use on health, with an emphasis on Central and Eastern Europe. During the preparation of this narrative review, the literature on e-cigarettes available within the network PubMed was retrieved and examined. In the final review, 64 research papers were included. We specifically assessed the construction and operation of the e-cigarette as well as the chemical composition of the e-liquid; the impact that vapor arising from the use of e-cigarette explored in experimental models in vitro; and short-term effects of use of e-cigarettes on users’ health. Among the substances inhaled by the e-smoker, there are several harmful products, such as: formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acroleine, propanal, nicotine, acetone, o-methyl-benzaldehyde, carcinogenic nitrosamines. Results from experimental animal studies indicate the negative impact of e-cigarette exposure on test models, such as ascytotoxicity, oxidative stress, inflammation, airway hyper reactivity, airway remodeling, mucin production, apoptosis, and emphysematous changes. The short-term impact of e-cigarettes on human health has been studied mostly in experimental setting. Available evidence shows that the use of e-cigarettes may result in acute lung function responses (e.g., increase in impedance, peripheral airway flow resistance) and induce oxidative stress. Based on the current available evidence, e-cigarette use is associated with harmful biologic responses, although it may be less harmful than traditional cigarettes. (J ankowski, Brożek, Lawson, Skoczyński, & Zejda, 2017 ).

• Meta-analysis
• Exploratory

Education: In this review, Mary Vorsino writes that she is interested in keeping the potential influences of women pragmatists of Dewey’s day in mind while presenting modern feminist re readings of Dewey. She wishes to construct a narrowly-focused and succinct literature review of thinkers who have donned a feminist lens to analyze Dewey’s approaches to education, learning, and democracy and to employ Dewey’s works in theorizing on gender and education and on gender in society. This article first explores Dewey as both an ally and a problematic figure in feminist literature and then investigates the broader sphere of feminist pragmatism and two central themes within it: (1) valuing diversity, and diverse experiences; and (2) problematizing fixed truths. ( Vorsino, 2015 ).

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What is a Literature Review? How to Write It (with Examples)

A literature review is a critical analysis and synthesis of existing research on a particular topic. It provides an overview of the current state of knowledge, identifies gaps, and highlights key findings in the literature. 1 The purpose of a literature review is to situate your own research within the context of existing scholarship, demonstrating your understanding of the topic and showing how your work contributes to the ongoing conversation in the field. Learning how to write a literature review is a critical tool for successful research. Your ability to summarize and synthesize prior research pertaining to a certain topic demonstrates your grasp on the topic of study, and assists in the learning process. 

Table of Contents

• What is the purpose of literature review? 
• a. Habitat Loss and Species Extinction: 
• b. Range Shifts and Phenological Changes: 
• c. Ocean Acidification and Coral Reefs: 
• d. Adaptive Strategies and Conservation Efforts: 

How to write a good literature review 

• Choose a Topic and Define the Research Question: 
• Decide on the Scope of Your Review: 
• Select Databases for Searches: 
• Conduct Searches and Keep Track: 
• Review the Literature: 
• Organize and Write Your Literature Review: 
• How to write a literature review faster with Paperpal? 
• Frequently asked questions 

What is a literature review?

A well-conducted literature review demonstrates the researcher’s familiarity with the existing literature, establishes the context for their own research, and contributes to scholarly conversations on the topic. One of the purposes of a literature review is also to help researchers avoid duplicating previous work and ensure that their research is informed by and builds upon the existing body of knowledge.

What is the purpose of literature review?

A literature review serves several important purposes within academic and research contexts. Here are some key objectives and functions of a literature review: 2  

1. Contextualizing the Research Problem: The literature review provides a background and context for the research problem under investigation. It helps to situate the study within the existing body of knowledge. 

2. Identifying Gaps in Knowledge: By identifying gaps, contradictions, or areas requiring further research, the researcher can shape the research question and justify the significance of the study. This is crucial for ensuring that the new research contributes something novel to the field. 

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3. Understanding Theoretical and Conceptual Frameworks: Literature reviews help researchers gain an understanding of the theoretical and conceptual frameworks used in previous studies. This aids in the development of a theoretical framework for the current research. 

4. Providing Methodological Insights: Another purpose of literature reviews is that it allows researchers to learn about the methodologies employed in previous studies. This can help in choosing appropriate research methods for the current study and avoiding pitfalls that others may have encountered. 

5. Establishing Credibility: A well-conducted literature review demonstrates the researcher’s familiarity with existing scholarship, establishing their credibility and expertise in the field. It also helps in building a solid foundation for the new research. 

6. Informing Hypotheses or Research Questions: The literature review guides the formulation of hypotheses or research questions by highlighting relevant findings and areas of uncertainty in existing literature. 

Literature review example

Let’s delve deeper with a literature review example: Let’s say your literature review is about the impact of climate change on biodiversity. You might format your literature review into sections such as the effects of climate change on habitat loss and species extinction, phenological changes, and marine biodiversity. Each section would then summarize and analyze relevant studies in those areas, highlighting key findings and identifying gaps in the research. The review would conclude by emphasizing the need for further research on specific aspects of the relationship between climate change and biodiversity. The following literature review template provides a glimpse into the recommended literature review structure and content, demonstrating how research findings are organized around specific themes within a broader topic. 

Literature Review on Climate Change Impacts on Biodiversity:

Climate change is a global phenomenon with far-reaching consequences, including significant impacts on biodiversity. This literature review synthesizes key findings from various studies: 

a. Habitat Loss and Species Extinction:

Climate change-induced alterations in temperature and precipitation patterns contribute to habitat loss, affecting numerous species (Thomas et al., 2004). The review discusses how these changes increase the risk of extinction, particularly for species with specific habitat requirements. 

b. Range Shifts and Phenological Changes:

Observations of range shifts and changes in the timing of biological events (phenology) are documented in response to changing climatic conditions (Parmesan & Yohe, 2003). These shifts affect ecosystems and may lead to mismatches between species and their resources. 

c. Ocean Acidification and Coral Reefs:

The review explores the impact of climate change on marine biodiversity, emphasizing ocean acidification’s threat to coral reefs (Hoegh-Guldberg et al., 2007). Changes in pH levels negatively affect coral calcification, disrupting the delicate balance of marine ecosystems. 

d. Adaptive Strategies and Conservation Efforts:

Recognizing the urgency of the situation, the literature review discusses various adaptive strategies adopted by species and conservation efforts aimed at mitigating the impacts of climate change on biodiversity (Hannah et al., 2007). It emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary approaches for effective conservation planning. 

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Writing a literature review involves summarizing and synthesizing existing research on a particular topic. A good literature review format should include the following elements. 

Introduction: The introduction sets the stage for your literature review, providing context and introducing the main focus of your review. 

• Opening Statement: Begin with a general statement about the broader topic and its significance in the field. 
• Scope and Purpose: Clearly define the scope of your literature review. Explain the specific research question or objective you aim to address. 
• Organizational Framework: Briefly outline the structure of your literature review, indicating how you will categorize and discuss the existing research. 
• Significance of the Study: Highlight why your literature review is important and how it contributes to the understanding of the chosen topic. 
• Thesis Statement: Conclude the introduction with a concise thesis statement that outlines the main argument or perspective you will develop in the body of the literature review. 

Body: The body of the literature review is where you provide a comprehensive analysis of existing literature, grouping studies based on themes, methodologies, or other relevant criteria. 

• Organize by Theme or Concept: Group studies that share common themes, concepts, or methodologies. Discuss each theme or concept in detail, summarizing key findings and identifying gaps or areas of disagreement. 
• Critical Analysis: Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each study. Discuss the methodologies used, the quality of evidence, and the overall contribution of each work to the understanding of the topic. 
• Synthesis of Findings: Synthesize the information from different studies to highlight trends, patterns, or areas of consensus in the literature. 
• Identification of Gaps: Discuss any gaps or limitations in the existing research and explain how your review contributes to filling these gaps. 
• Transition between Sections: Provide smooth transitions between different themes or concepts to maintain the flow of your literature review. 

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Conclusion: The conclusion of your literature review should summarize the main findings, highlight the contributions of the review, and suggest avenues for future research. 

• Summary of Key Findings: Recap the main findings from the literature and restate how they contribute to your research question or objective. 
• Contributions to the Field: Discuss the overall contribution of your literature review to the existing knowledge in the field. 
• Implications and Applications: Explore the practical implications of the findings and suggest how they might impact future research or practice. 
• Recommendations for Future Research: Identify areas that require further investigation and propose potential directions for future research in the field. 
• Final Thoughts: Conclude with a final reflection on the importance of your literature review and its relevance to the broader academic community. 

Conducting a literature review

Conducting a literature review is an essential step in research that involves reviewing and analyzing existing literature on a specific topic. It’s important to know how to do a literature review effectively, so here are the steps to follow: 1  

Choose a Topic and Define the Research Question:

• Select a topic that is relevant to your field of study. 
• Clearly define your research question or objective. Determine what specific aspect of the topic do you want to explore? 

Decide on the Scope of Your Review:

• Determine the timeframe for your literature review. Are you focusing on recent developments, or do you want a historical overview? 
• Consider the geographical scope. Is your review global, or are you focusing on a specific region? 
• Define the inclusion and exclusion criteria. What types of sources will you include? Are there specific types of studies or publications you will exclude? 

Select Databases for Searches:

• Identify relevant databases for your field. Examples include PubMed, IEEE Xplore, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. 
• Consider searching in library catalogs, institutional repositories, and specialized databases related to your topic. 

Conduct Searches and Keep Track:

• Develop a systematic search strategy using keywords, Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT), and other search techniques. 
• Record and document your search strategy for transparency and replicability. 
• Keep track of the articles, including publication details, abstracts, and links. Use citation management tools like EndNote, Zotero, or Mendeley to organize your references. 

Review the Literature:

• Evaluate the relevance and quality of each source. Consider the methodology, sample size, and results of studies. 
• Organize the literature by themes or key concepts. Identify patterns, trends, and gaps in the existing research. 
• Summarize key findings and arguments from each source. Compare and contrast different perspectives. 
• Identify areas where there is a consensus in the literature and where there are conflicting opinions. 
• Provide critical analysis and synthesis of the literature. What are the strengths and weaknesses of existing research? 

Organize and Write Your Literature Review:

• Literature review outline should be based on themes, chronological order, or methodological approaches. 
• Write a clear and coherent narrative that synthesizes the information gathered. 
• Use proper citations for each source and ensure consistency in your citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.). 
• Conclude your literature review by summarizing key findings, identifying gaps, and suggesting areas for future research. 

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How to write a literature review faster with Paperpal?

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• Ask a question: Get started with a new document on paperpal.com. Click on the “Research” feature and type your question in plain English. Paperpal will scour over 250 million research articles, including conference papers and preprints, to provide you with accurate insights and citations. 
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• Cite with Confidence: Paperpal makes it easy to incorporate relevant citations and references into your writing, ensuring your arguments are well-supported by credible sources. This translates to a polished, well-researched literature review. 

The literature review sample and detailed advice on writing and conducting a review will help you produce a well-structured report. But remember that a good literature review is an ongoing process, and it may be necessary to revisit and update it as your research progresses. By combining effortless research with an easy citation process, Paperpal Research streamlines the literature review process and empowers you to write faster and with more confidence. Try Paperpal Research now and see for yourself.  

Frequently asked questions

A literature review is a critical and comprehensive analysis of existing literature (published and unpublished works) on a specific topic or research question and provides a synthesis of the current state of knowledge in a particular field. A well-conducted literature review is crucial for researchers to build upon existing knowledge, avoid duplication of efforts, and contribute to the advancement of their field. It also helps researchers situate their work within a broader context and facilitates the development of a sound theoretical and conceptual framework for their studies.

Literature review is a crucial component of research writing, providing a solid background for a research paper’s investigation. The aim is to keep professionals up to date by providing an understanding of ongoing developments within a specific field, including research methods, and experimental techniques used in that field, and present that knowledge in the form of a written report. Also, the depth and breadth of the literature review emphasizes the credibility of the scholar in his or her field.  

Before writing a literature review, it’s essential to undertake several preparatory steps to ensure that your review is well-researched, organized, and focused. This includes choosing a topic of general interest to you and doing exploratory research on that topic, writing an annotated bibliography, and noting major points, especially those that relate to the position you have taken on the topic. 

Literature reviews and academic research papers are essential components of scholarly work but serve different purposes within the academic realm. 3 A literature review aims to provide a foundation for understanding the current state of research on a particular topic, identify gaps or controversies, and lay the groundwork for future research. Therefore, it draws heavily from existing academic sources, including books, journal articles, and other scholarly publications. In contrast, an academic research paper aims to present new knowledge, contribute to the academic discourse, and advance the understanding of a specific research question. Therefore, it involves a mix of existing literature (in the introduction and literature review sections) and original data or findings obtained through research methods. 

Literature reviews are essential components of academic and research papers, and various strategies can be employed to conduct them effectively. If you want to know how to write a literature review for a research paper, here are four common approaches that are often used by researchers.  Chronological Review: This strategy involves organizing the literature based on the chronological order of publication. It helps to trace the development of a topic over time, showing how ideas, theories, and research have evolved.  Thematic Review: Thematic reviews focus on identifying and analyzing themes or topics that cut across different studies. Instead of organizing the literature chronologically, it is grouped by key themes or concepts, allowing for a comprehensive exploration of various aspects of the topic.  Methodological Review: This strategy involves organizing the literature based on the research methods employed in different studies. It helps to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of various methodologies and allows the reader to evaluate the reliability and validity of the research findings.  Theoretical Review: A theoretical review examines the literature based on the theoretical frameworks used in different studies. This approach helps to identify the key theories that have been applied to the topic and assess their contributions to the understanding of the subject.  It’s important to note that these strategies are not mutually exclusive, and a literature review may combine elements of more than one approach. The choice of strategy depends on the research question, the nature of the literature available, and the goals of the review. Additionally, other strategies, such as integrative reviews or systematic reviews, may be employed depending on the specific requirements of the research.

The literature review format can vary depending on the specific publication guidelines. However, there are some common elements and structures that are often followed. Here is a general guideline for the format of a literature review:  Introduction:   Provide an overview of the topic.  Define the scope and purpose of the literature review.  State the research question or objective.  Body:   Organize the literature by themes, concepts, or chronology.  Critically analyze and evaluate each source.  Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the studies.  Highlight any methodological limitations or biases.  Identify patterns, connections, or contradictions in the existing research.  Conclusion:   Summarize the key points discussed in the literature review.  Highlight the research gap.  Address the research question or objective stated in the introduction.  Highlight the contributions of the review and suggest directions for future research.

Both annotated bibliographies and literature reviews involve the examination of scholarly sources. While annotated bibliographies focus on individual sources with brief annotations, literature reviews provide a more in-depth, integrated, and comprehensive analysis of existing literature on a specific topic. The key differences are as follows: 

References 

• Denney, A. S., & Tewksbury, R. (2013). How to write a literature review.  Journal of criminal justice education ,  24 (2), 218-234. 
• Pan, M. L. (2016).  Preparing literature reviews: Qualitative and quantitative approaches . Taylor & Francis. 
• Cantero, C. (2019). How to write a literature review.  San José State University Writing Center . 

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How to write a Literature Review: Purpose of a literature review

• Literature review process
• Purpose of a literature review
• Evaluating sources
• Managing sources
• Request a literature search
• Selecting the approach to use
• Quantitative vs qualitative method
• Summary of different research methodologies
• Research design vs research methodology
• Diagram: importance of research
• Attributes of a good research scholar

Books on writing a literature review

Conducting your literature review 

by Susanne Hempel

The purpose of a literature review

Conducting a literature review is a means of demonstrating the  author’s knowledge  about a particular field of study, including vocabulary, theories, key variables and phenomena, and its methods and history. Conducting a literature review also informs the student of the  influential researchers and research groups  in the field (Randolph, 2009).

Literature reviews:

• report on  knowledge and ideas  that have been established on a particular topic, including their  strengths and weaknesses  while they allow you to discover the agreed academic opinion on the topic while at the same time letting you find out the disagreements on the same subject.
• position your research project within the body of literature and thereby  provide perspective  for the reader.
• demonstrate  your knowledge  of the subject area.
• determine what each source contributes to the topic.
• understand the  relationship between the various contributions , identify and (if possible) resolve contradictions, and determine gaps or unanswered questions.
• justify your  choice of research design ; for instance, your choice of qualitative over quantitative approaches, or your method of data analysis.
• clarify how your work fills a  gap  in the scholarly literature.

Writing a literature review also allows you to:

• gain expertise in the ability to scan the literature on a particular topic efficiently, and
• hone your skills in identifying and analysing unbiased and valid data on various topics or fields of study.

Source: Randolph, J.J. 2009.  A guide to writing the dissertation literature review .  Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation . 14 (13): 1-13.

A literature review is meant to help you to ...

Source: Hart, C. 1998. Doing a literature review: releasing the social science research imagination.  London: Sage, p 27.

S helf No: 300.72 HART

Video clips from the Internet

Click on the  links  below for video clips on how to write literature reviews:

• Honours & Postgraduate Diplomas workshop - Writing the Literature Review - Dr Thuli Shandu Phetla (Unisa)
• Literature Review: step by step guide to writing an effective literature review
• How to write a Literature Review in 30 minutes or less 
• How to Write a Literature Review in 3 Simple Steps
• Literature Review in 5 mins
• Literature Review & Theoretical Framework - Dr KS Malatji

Books on writing a liteature review

Doing a systematic literature review in legal scholarship 

by Marnix Snel and Janaína de Moraes

340.072 SNEL

Doing a literature review in nursing, health and social care 

by  Michael Coughlan & Patricia Cronin

610.73072 COUG

7 steps to a comprehensive literature review : a multimodal & cultural approach

by Anthony J. Onwuegbuzie & Rebecca Frels

001.42 ONWU

Writing the literature review : a practical guide 

by Sara Efrat Efron & Ruth Ravid

808.02 EFRO

• << Previous: Literature review process
• Next: Evaluating sources >>
• Last Updated: Apr 30, 2024 1:19 PM
• URL: https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/literature_review

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Top 10 Literature Review Templates with Samples and Examples

Hanisha Kapoor

The Harry Potter series has massively impacted pop culture. It marks the terminal moment of modernity. It has also showed that children are ready to read longer works.

If you have seen the Harry Potter movie or read the series, you would agree with the above example of a literature review. And if you have not, these observations will have created enough curiosity in you to encourage your children to watch Harry Potter movies or give JK Rowling’s book a workout.

A literary review is the amalgamation of extensive knowledge and understanding of the subject matter. A literature review, for all our purposes, needs to a critique that helps take the entire subject matter forward. It has to be a well-meaning critique.

A Literature Review Example for Better Understanding

An example where literature review could be done is on Malcolm Gladwell’s works on success and thinking, in the two books titled ‘Outliers’ and ‘Blink’.

As a sample literary review for these two works, one has to create a problem statement and then show how or why you take the discussion forward to a higher plane. In this case, a literary review could start by saying that success and the factors that influence it are always on the human mind.

The problem statement could be that does luck play a bigger part in success or is your talent and hard work are the major contributors? Then, one may also give examples of previous works that said the same or supported the opposite.

The key elements to a good literary review are balance, poise and evidence.

  Scholars, professors, and researchers dig deeper, find scientific or literary relevance to the subject, and help readers widen their horizons. Having done this, literature reviews also give us a window into works that we should read.

This blog will take you deep into literature reviews and how these need to be structured and delivered for greater impact.

As the first step, we have to be mindful that literature reviews are not a cakewalk. It involves a lot of work: From finding suitable material to evaluating it, critical thinking, paraphrasing, citation skills, creating a methodology, etc.

Conducting an ethical and structured research needs a systematic methodology to put forth your arguments and ideas. Read this blog to showcase your research in an effective manner.

What's even more challenging for a reviewer is to present his/her study without the right visuals.

To bridge this gap, SlideTeam brings you a collection of beautiful, jaw-dropping literature review PowerPoint Templates to showcase your research in a concise and easy manner. Browse the PPT Slides below and use them to present your scholarly review!

Template 1: Literature Review PowerPoint Template

This is a well-designed PowerPoint Template to help you highlight your literature review. Incorporate this state-of-the-art PPT design and present your analysis on the specific topic. This customizable PowerPoint slide shows the findings and your evaluation of a subject. Download this PPT layout and grab your audience’s attention with your balanced review.

Download this template

Template 2: Literature Review PPT Graphic

Here is another beautiful preset for showcasing your analysis on the subject. Support your research scope and evaluation with this actionable PowerPoint template. Deploying this fully editable PPT diagram helps you professionally showcase your knowledge on the topic. Use this ready-made PowerPoint Template and justify your thesis or research questions in detail. Grab this template now!

Want to organize and present your research to get under the spotlight? Explore this blog to find suitable thesis templates to document your dissertation.

Grab this slide

Template 3: Literature Review PowerPoint Slide

Want to elaborate on your literature study? Get access to this content-ready PowerPoint Template and help your audience get your point straightaway. This PPT Design comprises an illustration to capture your viewer’s attention. List down your points on the right side of the layout and confidently present your literature review. It is a custom-made template. You can use it as per requirement. Download now!

Template 4: Literature Review PPT Template

Grab another ready-to-use PowerPoint diagram to present your summary of the published work. Use this visually appealing PPT slide to discuss your contributions in the field. Narrow down your finding and showcase proof of rational investigation to impress your audience with this custom-made PowerPoint Template. Download now!

Template 5: Literature Review PowerPoint Diagram

Wish to exhibit your literature review? Get this exclusive PPT Template to discuss the topic's strengths and weaknesses. Incorporate this ready-made PowerPoint diagram to make a point with your critical analysis and objective evaluation. Use this PPT slide to present an executive summary of your research topic. Download this fully customizable PowerPoint design now!

Grab this template

Template 6: Literature Review PowerPoint Template

Looking for ways to showcase the steps to writing a professional literature review? Deploy this content-ready PowerPoint Template and walk your audience through the steps of writing a gripping research report. This PPT slide comprises an illustration demonstrating the ways of a research methodology. Use this pre-designed preset and help your audience write some striking research findings. Download now!

Template 7: Literature Review PowerPoint Graphic

Do you want to summarize your arguments on a particular topic? Incorporate this content-ready PowerPoint template and present your research on a chosen subject. Use this ready-made PPT graphic and provide an overview of the key findings and unresolved problems that your research has addressed. It is a custom-made PPT template. Download now!

Template 8: Literature Review PPT Slide

Here is another well-crafted PowerPoint Template for you to exhibit your theoretical framework for your research. This fully editable PPT diagram is perfect to help you highlight past work related to the topic. Walk your audience through your research study analysis using this ready-made PowerPoint template. Grab this preset now!

It is difficult to prove your plan of work in front of the audience. You might find our one-page research proposal templates useful to convince your readers the value of your project.

Template 9: Literature Review PowerPoint Template

Use this one-page literature review PowerPoint Slide and showcase your audience with a description, summary, and critical evaluation of your work. Incorporate this actionable PPT design and provide your audience with an overview of sources you have explored while studying the topic. Deploy this custom-made PowerPoint Template to demonstrate how and where your research fits within the broader field of investigation and research.

Template 10: Literature Review PPT Diagram

This is another well-designed one-page literature review PowerPoint Template to present your research on a particular topic. Give your audience a brief introduction on the subject and highlight its strengths and weaknesses using this actionable PPT Design. Showcase your research within the context of existing literature with this customizable PowerPoint diagram. Click the link below to grab this ready-made PPT slide.

Finally, the gist

Citing research is not enough. It is essential to bring your study into notice to make a point in public. Thus, deploy SlideTeam’s ready-made literature review PowerPoint Templates to justify and support your research. These PPT slides are easy to use and can be downloaded with just one click. Get access to these ready-made and premium PowerPoint Slides from our monthly, semi-annual, annual, annual + custom design subscriptions here .

PS: Wish to showcase your past research experience? Explore this exclusive guide replete with research statement PPT templates to communicate your findings in a clear and concise manner.

Literature Review FAQs

What are the important parts of literature review.

Like most academic papers, literature reviews also comprise three basic elements:

• An introduction or background information section
• The body of the review containing the discussion of sources
• Conclusion and/or recommendations section to end the paper.

What is reviewed in a literature review?

A literature review is a academic writing providing audience with the knowledge and understanding literature on a specific topic. A literature review includes a critical analysis of the material; this is why it is called a literature review rather than a literature report.

What are the characteristics of a good literature review?

An effective literature review provides an overview of an existing research in the following ways:

• Outlining research trends
• Evaluating strengths and weaknesses of the subject
• Identifying potential gaps in the topic
• Establishing the need for current/future research projects

Why is literature review important?

Literature review helps in gaining an understanding of the existing research. It expands your knowledge relevant to a particular topic or area of study. It is also important as literature reviews showcase improvements needed in a piece of literature. The key word to remember in speaking about literature reviews is critique. We critique to produce better body of literature the next time.

Why do we need literature review?

The purpose of any literature review is to summarize the arguments and ideas of existing knowledge on a particular subject without adding any new contribution. Being built on existing knowledge, literature review helps the researcher to bring new insights and even bring a fresh, unique perspective to view the original topic of research.

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• Review Article
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• Published: 03 June 2024

The enablers of adaptation: A systematic review

• Tia Brullo   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-1293-3257 1 ,
• Jon Barnett   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-0862-0808 1 ,
• Elissa Waters 2 &
• Sarah Boulter 3  

npj Climate Action volume  3 , Article number:  40 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

Metrics details

• Climate-change adaptation
• Climate-change policy

Knowledge of the practice of climate change adaptation is slowly shifting from a focus on barriers and limits to an understanding of its enablers. Here we take stock of the knowledge on the enablers of adaptation through a systematic review of the literature. Our review of empirical articles explaining how adaptation is enabled finds that there is a tendency in the literature to focus on local-scale case studies. Across all studies, some factors seem to be more important than others, including resources (particularly money), awareness of climate risks and responses, leadership, bridging and bonding social capital, and the support of higher-level institutions. Our analysis also highlights significant gaps in knowledge about enablers, including those that affect change in regional/provincial and national governments, in the private sector, and in non-local not-for-profit and non-governmental organisations.

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Introduction.

Over the past two decades, considerable effort has been devoted to identifying the barriers to climate change adaptation, with the intention of overcoming the impediments to institutional changes that reduce vulnerability 1 , 2 , 3 . Less prominent, but of growing importance, is research that explores the factors that create and promote opportunities for adaptation action 4 . The published research on these “enablers” of climate change adaptation has grown in recent years 5 , 6 . In this paper, we present the results of a systematic review of the literature on the enablers of climate change adaptation in human systems. We focus on empirical studies that identify factors that enabled the implementation of adaptation to reduce the vulnerability of people and social systems. This review seeks to understand how adaptation practitioners might positively influence the adaptation cycle, to understand the scope of current empirical literature and to identify gaps in existing knowledge on enabling adaptation.

Search Criteria

We conducted a systematic search of the Scopus database for peer reviewed literature on enablers of climate change adaptation. The purpose of this review was to analyse the existing knowledge of factors shown to enable climate change adaptation, identifying key trends and gaps that have emerged in recent years. A process of trial and error was used to identify the most appropriate search terms, which are shown in Table 1 .

The key search terms used for this review are applicable to a variety of other contexts where searching title, abstract, and key words returned over 27,000 results, hence these terms were searched in title-only to help limit results to the most relevant. This reflects the sparse and diverse literature on adaptation and the challenges of using systematic approaches in adaptation research 7 and demonstrates a limitation of our search. Nonetheless, a systematic approach was helpful in ensuring our review was transparent and replicable.

The search was conducted in February 2023 and was limited to literature from 2013 to 2023 (inclusive). Most literature on adaptation has been produced within the past fifteen years, such that limiting this search to the past ten years only eliminated 10% of the search results. Earlier literature does introduce the idea of the enablers of climate change adaptation and its theoretical underpinnings, however limiting our search by year helped to ensure the results we reviewed draw on more recent empirical understandings of adaptation and illustrate the current state of knowledge.

Using the filters provided within Scopus, we screened the results by removing keywords related to ‘autonomous’ adaptations within biophysical systems and non-human species, such as ‘genetics’ ‘phylogeny’ ‘acclimation’ or ‘nonhuman’, which are beyond the scope of this study’s focus. With these filters applied, and removing corrections and commentaries, the search produced 320 papers for further review (see Fig. 1 for the selection process as per the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines 8 ).

An outline of the systematic review approach that resulted in a total of 144 papers matching inclusion criteria, reported using the PRISMA guidelines 8 .

The titles, keywords, and abstracts for the remaining 320 papers were then screened for eligibility against our criteria for empirical papers that identified enablers, drivers or determinants of adaptation in human systems.

Rejected articles

At total of 202 search results were removed at screening and a further 176 papers were removed after initial review. This included: 114 papers that upon closer reading were not in any way about enablers of adaptation; 33 papers about adaptation in biological systems (see below); 20 papers that were about adaptive capacity and not adaptation practices per se; and 18 papers that were not empirical. We excluded papers that theorise about enablers or investigate adaptive capacity, given the recognition that there is often a significant gap between what is thought to cause adaptation and actual adaptation practice 9 .

Included articles

Over 100 of the papers matching our inclusion criteria investigated drivers or determinants of adaptation in agricultural households (or by agricultural landholders). To avoid skewing results through the experience of this particular sector and set of actors, we chose to review these papers separately and draw on several existing reviews which had previously analysed the findings and methods of these papers (drawn from the existing search results, see Fig. 1 ). The remaining 38 papers that were included describe the enablers of adaptation among various actors working at different scales and sectors, allowing for a clearer analysis of patterns in the research.

Coding and data extraction

The results were coded according to key criteria including research focus, case study location, scale of analysis, and methodology. Qualitative data on the key enablers, determinants or drivers identified in each paper was extracted, analysed, and grouped into common or reoccurring themes.

The literature predominantly consisted of empirical case studies investigating how to enable adaptation at a specific scale, and most often focussing on a specific type of actor (as opposed to networks of actors). Our analysis is therefore coded according to the actors whom the findings primarily apply to. This differentiation is important because it is not always straightforward: for example, Lawrence et al. explore local government adaptation to climate risk by taking into consideration the role of federal and regional governments 10 .

In some cases, articles employed mixed-method approaches to understand enablers of adaptation, which included literature reviews or reviews of adaptation policy in conjunction with empirical data. In these circumstances, the research team only extracted data based on empirical findings. This is similar to the approach of Berrang-Ford et al. who tested whether theorised determinants of adaptive capacity are associated with adaptation policy outcomes 11 .

Drivers of adaptation in agricultural households

Over 70% of the papers matching our inclusion criteria ( n  = 105) were investigating the drivers or determinants of adaptation decision-making or outcomes in agricultural households (or by agricultural landholders). Of these papers, 54% are case studies from the Sub-Saharan Africa region, and over 35% are case studies from across Asia (Fig. 2 ). This body of literature has been growing in recent years, with 4 papers published in 2013 and 23 papers published in 2022 (Fig. 3 ). These articles shared similar research approaches and had similar findings, as has been shown in four reviews of this literature 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 .

The geographic regions in which case studies were conducted, for the 105 articles looking at drivers or determinants of agricultural households’ adaptation decision-making, showing a concentration in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The number of papers per year, for the 105 articles looking at drivers or determinants of agricultural households’ adaptation decision-making, showing a gradual increase.

The review of the research on enablers of adaptation among agricultural households by Ajala and Chagwiza classifies the determinants of agricultural household adaptation into socio-economic and demographic factors (i.e. age, gender, literacy levels, household size, wealth), institutional factors (i.e. access to extension services, access to credit facilities, government policies), technological factors (i.e. information on climate, new farming technologies), socio-cultural factors (i.e. shared values) and cognitive factors (i.e. relationship with risk) 13 . Similarly, the review from García de Jalón and colleagues grouped drivers of adaptation into human capital, financial resources, infrastructure and technology, social interaction and governance, food security, dependence on agriculture, and attitudes towards the environment and climate change 14 . These enabling factors were echoed in the papers across Africa 12 , 15 and in other regions 16 .

The importance of knowledge and access to information was particularly emphasised in these studies, as was stakeholder engagement and participatory approaches for successful knowledge integration 12 , 15 . The importance of financial resources was also recognised across the studies: for example, Seidl et al.’s study of irrigators in Australia found financial capital to be the most statistically significant driver of adaptation actions 16 .

Trends in the empirical research from other actors

From here forward, our findings refer only to the 38 papers not focused on agriculture.

There were no clear trends in the date of publication of the 38 remaining articles: the most published in any given year was seven (in 2018), and the least was 2016 (1 paper). A large share (41.6%) of the studies were from journals Scopus categorised as primarily being in the field of environmental studies, such as Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability or Environmental Science and Policy , closely followed by those identified as being in the social sciences, such as Climate and Development (32.5%). The empirical case studies reviewed were predominantly reporting on cases in Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, Oceania, and North America.

We grouped the enabling factors identified according to common or reoccurring themes, which are discussed in detail below. Figure 4 summarises the enabling factors identified in the literature according to the number of papers in which they were discussed and the main actors in each paper. It shows that there were a disproportionate number of studies focussing on local actors, be they local governments ( n  = 15) or local communities ( n  = 8). Studies of enablers applied to local communities and local governments both tended to emphasise the importance of leadership and social capital but made little mention of incentives or values.

In contrast, the literature provides little evidence about what enables adaptation at the level of individuals, in the private sector, in regional or provincial levels of government, and among national governments. Though there was mention of factors such as institutional support, risk perception, and trigger events, there was limited empirical evidence to justify that these were important enabling factors for these actors. Moreover, despite some insightful findings, there was no compelling evidence about the importance of some enabling factors, such as values and place attachment 17 , laws, and regulations 18 , or mainstreaming 19 .

Below we summarise the ten most mentioned enabling factors in the 38 articles reviewed (Fig. 4 ). These should not be read as definitive given the number of empirical papers is small and the absence of many studies beyond the local scale (Fig. 4 ), as is discussed further below.

a The number of references to different enabling factors and the actors those factors are primarily applied to (most papers refer to more than one enabler). b The total number of papers for each actor, ordered by scale.

Proactive Leaders

The idea of leadership was widely examined in this literature. In most cases, leadership referred to individuals who champion adaptation and who work to overcome barriers or create enabling conditions 4 , 20 , 21 , 22 . This enabler was particularly prominent in cases of adaptation in local communities and local governments (Fig. 4 ).

It is clear from the literature that government and private sector personnel who are committed, dedicated, and motivated to pursue adaptation in a professional capacity can play a significant role in enabling change 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 . Typically, these individuals understand the importance of climate change, are often involved in climate change research, and notice climate change impacts in their environment 25 , 27 . Such leaders often initiate change by putting in place adaptation policies, strategies and guiding documents, and ensuring these become normalised through their organisations 4 , 28 , 29 , 30 .

Local communities have also been shown to lead adaptation themselves through ‘bottom-up’ approaches 31 , which can achieve outcomes that are better suited to their local context 21 , 32 . Such efforts are even more effective when supported by leaders at higher levels 33 .

Sufficient resourcing

Much of the literature demonstrates the need for financial, human, and natural resources, as well as technology, to enable adaptation 4 , 10 , 20 , 23 , 28 , 34 , 35 . These factors were seen to be particularly important for local governments.

The importance of resources is self-evident, though the discussion tends to focus on the financial resources 23 , 33 , which perhaps reflects the emphasis placed on adaptation funding in the climate change regime, as well as the chronic problem of insufficient funding for local governments in most countries. The literature shows that because finance is so important, those who control its supply have disproportionate power in the adaptation process, often to the detriment of the priorities of lower-level stakeholders 32 , 34 , 36 . There is not only a tendency of donors to ignore local priorities (e.g. as presented by Westoby et al 32 .), but also for international donors to ignore national priorities 34 .

Resources are also shown to matter for the private sector, where actors are of course motivated to pursue climate change adaptation when it delivers economic benefits such as a reduction in costs, increased competitive advantage, or increasing property values 37 , though the literature regarding the private sector is small. The literature also fails to explore the influence of resources on the adaptation behaviour of individuals.

Some studies recognise that sufficient resourcing does not guarantee action on adaptation, let alone effective action. The study by Birchall and colleagues of regional governments reveals that although sufficient resources were guaranteed toward adaptation, conflicting priorities caused momentum to be lost before implementation was complete 28 . This suggests resources are best considered to be important among a larger set of conditions that contribute to an enabling environment for adaptation.

Adaptation knowledge

The literature often demonstrates that knowledge of climate risk and of possible adaptation responses is necessary to enable adaptation across almost all actors 21 , 33 , 37 , 38 , 39 . Considerable focus is placed on how knowledge is transferred into the adaptation process, including by engineers, consultants, extension services, and academics 4 , 10 , 27 . Training courses and other programs that develop the capacity of individuals working on climate change are considered important, as trained people are better equipped to find and handle the information necessary to make informed adaptation decisions 21 , 36 .

Coordination

Often mentioned in the literature about adaptation in governments, horizontal and vertical coordination between and within levels of government has been shown to enable consistent and efficient adaptation action 10 , 22 , 28 , 29 , 40 . The means of such coordination varies, as to be effective it should take into consideration factors including the physical environment, social structure, and local economy, and should be developed to fit the particular context 41 , 42 . In government, defining clear roles and responsibilities for different actors can allow lower levels of government to be more proactive, help share the risks of action and inaction, and promote knowledge sharing 10 , 22 , 29 , 30 , 36 . Conversely, the literature suggests that a lack of communication across levels of government can lead to poor planning decisions or maladaptation 22 .

Institutional support

The literature suggests that adaptation is enabled when the goals, policies and priorities of actors align to support those (leaders) who seek to implement adaptation. This was said to be most important at all levels of government (Fig. 4 ).

Shared goals, policies, and priorities give adaptation practitioners the independence necessary to progress adaptation, and the confidence that they are aligning with mandated priorities 25 , 26 , 28 . A well-integrated mandate for adaptation action within a governing body allows for a gradual increase in investment and capacity development 23 , 34 , 36 . It can also help to streamline the incorporation of adaptation across an organisation and incentivise policy actors to implement adaptation more actively and explicitly 26 , 36 . This is all, however, dependent on the support of elected officials, which in turn hinges on a mandate (or at least not popular opposition) for climate change adaptation. Political stability is also important as it creates a stable operating environment that gives governments the ability to make decisions and see them through 4 , 20 , 23 , 24 .

In Bowen et al.’s study of adaptation in the health sector in Cambodia, interviewees identified the formation of a National Climate Change Committee as the key change that enabled adaptation activities 34 . In this case, the Prime Minister was named Honorary Chair of the committee, which created significant buy-in from diverse actors and meant that higher levels of government had political incentives to commit to adaptation activities 34 .

Risk perception

The literature consistently shows that people, institutions, and organisations who perceive their climate risk to be high are most likely to take action to reduce their vulnerability 20 , 23 , 39 , 41 , 43 , 44 , 45 . Information that increases awareness of climate risks and a sense of urgency to responses can therefore help enable adaptation action 44 . There is also some evidence that those who know and understand the causes and consequences of climate change are more concerned about its potential effects, and so more likely to seek to implement change 38 . Understanding risk can lead to understanding that climate change can result in costly impacts, which can lead to financial arguments in favour of adaptation 4 , 41 , even in the absence of other external motivators 23 . Knowledge of effective adaptation measures can also overcome information barriers, and increase expectation of success, and in these ways helps enable adaptation actions 39 , 44 . Similar to financial resources, the influence of other external factors on these processes is important to consider, as is discussed below in trigger events .

Social capital (Networks)

The literature emphasizes the role of both bonding and bridging networks in enabling adaptation 4 , 21 , 32 , 46 . These social connections were most often discussed in relation to adaptation by local communities and local governments (Fig. 4 ).

Bonding social capital is shown to be important in building community resilience to climate shocks 46 , 47 , 48 . For example, community groups can be important in connecting vulnerable households to the resources and support they need to achieve sustainable adaptation 46 . Bonding social capital also helps foster collective action by increasing participation, cooperation, and problem solving 32 , 48 . Bridging social capital was shown to be important in systems of government, where networked individuals and organisations enable cooperation, knowledge sharing, and skill transfers that help promote adaptation 25 , 35 , 36 , 49 . Partnerships and networks can also help overcome human, financial, and knowledge resource barriers 25 .

Effective communication

Closely related to the issue of consultation or community participation (below), the literature also highlights the need for clear and accessible communication of climate risk and adaptation information in enabling adaptation decisions 10 , 20 , 33 , 38 , 45 , 47 . Communicating information helps to build a mandate for change, alleviate opposition to change, and allows stakeholders to participate and contribute purposefully to adaptation plans 33 , 41 , 42 , 50 .

Participation

Stakeholder participation as an enabler of adaptation is strongly tied to activities conducted by local governments (see Fig. 4 ), which likely reflects their role as key liaison to communities on new initiatives. The literature demonstrates that active engagement of stakeholders in decision-making processes (beyond more basic consultation processes) for adaptation policy and project development can promote the inclusion of different knowledges, perspectives, and experiences 10 , 26 , 32 , 42 , 50 . The evidence demonstrates that local people usually have the best understanding of the adaptation context, are best placed to anticipate and account for unintended effects of adaptation, and devise better responses 20 , 32 , 50 . Engagement can therefore improve the quality of decision-making processes, helping to assure the legitimacy and acceptance of adaptation amongst local communities 50 , or clarify the expectations and objectives of the private sector 37 . Participation in a collaborative and open adaptation process can also build capacity 34 , 35 .

Trigger events

Finally, the literature demonstrates that there are triggering events or windows of opportunity in which the environment is more favourable for the implementation of adaptation 20 , 25 , 27 , 30 . The influence of trigger events was particularly emphasised in reports of local-scale action 20 , 25 . Understanding their influence on private sector and national governments appears to be a significant gap in the literature (Fig. 4 ).

Certain events can trigger a change in the perception of climate risk and the need to adapt, and these most often include focussing events such as extreme weather and disasters but can also include other drivers such as Conferences of Parties to the UNFCCC, increases in funding, or energy crises 23 , 25 , 34 , 43 , 45 . The influence of trigger events is linked to risk perception and the tendency of people to distance themselves from climate risks over time 45 . The literature suggests that trigger events increase the salience and valence of climate risks, and so give leaders a stronger mandate to implement adaptation, innovation, and new communication strategies 4 , 45 . Whether these outcomes can be sustained during recurrent or increasingly severe climate events, political instability or other influential circumstances is, however, important to consider, though the literature reviewed here is not conclusive on this. While trigger events are therefore recognised as important for enabling adaptation, they are not sufficient by themselves 23 , and change is greatly enabled when pre-determined ideas and plans are able to be drawn on at short notice. For example, in their study of adaptation in local government in South Africa, Spires, and Shackleton explore how it was important for the momentum created by certain events to be used to drive the institutionalisation of adaptation and/or long-term interventions rather than allowing reactive responses 25 .

Other enabling factors

Adjacent to the idea of ‘risk perception’, several papers mention that experience with responding to climate variability can positively influence a community or person’s sense of self-efficacy and in turn its propensity to adapt 21 , 34 , 44 , 45 . For example, in their study of fishing communities in North-eastern USA, Maltby et al. note that the community’s historical experiences with adjusting to variability in fish stocks significantly influenced their ability to adapt to new challenges 21 . This suggests that experiential learning plays a role in enabling climate change adaptation and links to additional evidence that was not captured by this review, discussed below.

A number of other important enabling factors were identified in our review of the literature including mainstreaming: the practice of integrating adaptation policies and planning throughout government or business 42 , 51 , laws and regulations: which have the power to both enable and constrain adaptation 37 , 42 and environmental values: which can influence a person to be more amenable to supporting adaptation actions 38 , 39 . The evidence found in this review for these remaining enabling factors was sparse and not sufficient to draw any conclusions.

Interrogating the scope of the literature

It is possible that a proliferation of evidence about the enablers of adaptation comes from research at the local scale because this is where most action happens, which would be consistent with the common understanding that adaptation is a local issue that influences local populations and geographies and requires planning at the local level 4 , 22 , 50 , 52 . Nevertheless, this bias in evidence seems to miss more than it includes given it is also widely understood (and is confirmed by the studies reviewed here) that adaptation is enabled and more effective when it is a collective activity that works across scales and sectors. The relative lack of studies from higher scales and other sectors therefore suggests a need for much more research with non-local government actors, and with civil society and private actors at all scales. Indeed, there are surprisingly few studies focused on not-for-profit or non-government organisations beyond those rooted in local communities 32 . Similarly, it is important to consider the drivers or enablers of individual adaptation actions and the role they may play in generating demand for adaptation policies and projects from the government. It is very likely that more detail on factors enabling adaptation for these actors, as well as national governments, could be found in grey literature case studies which were not reviewed in this paper.

Limitations to our approach may also have influenced this evidence about the enablers of adaptation, and the distribution shown in Fig. 4 . In using Scopus we no doubt excluded articles from journals not listed in Scopus, which may explain the lack of literature from law, medical, or health journals. Thus it is likely that laws and regulations as enablers have been explained more than is been represented in our study. It is also possible that our use of keywords omitted some insights on enablers from environmental conservation and biological fields of study.

Given the overlap of research on adaptation with other disciplines, future work should seek to capture a wider body of literature from databases such as PubMed, and from those that better capture grey literature (such as Google Scholar). This is especially important for some fields such as law and health sciences which tend to have their own bespoke databases, and capture outputs produced by non-profit organisations, national governments, and the private sector. Alternate methodologies such as scoping review could also be used to identify relevant papers that use different language or keywords to discuss factors important to enabling adaptation, such as the paper by Porter et al. discussing the importance of high-level political support 53 or work on the importance of experiential learning by Baird et al. among others 54 , 55 . Finally, the link between adaptive capacity and actual adaptation implementation has not been well represented here and could be a focus of future investigations.

Considering barriers and enablers

As their counterpart, several papers take the approach of identifying enabling factors and barriers concurrently 20 , 25 , 30 , and enabling factors are sometimes posed as the opposite of the well-researched barriers to adaptation. While there is undoubtedly a strong correlation between enabling factors and barriers to adaptation, our review suggests that enabling factors are not independent of one another and may not directly remove barriers. Instead, the existing literature suggests that to promote adaptation a combination of enabling conditions must be facilitated to create an enabling environment. This was demonstrated, for example, by Birchall and colleagues highlighting the need for other enablers alongside financial resources 28 .

While our approach of grouping the literature helps to demonstrate that there are likely many combinations of associations between enabling factors and actors that mutually enable change, it was not able to fully capture these connections or highlight which factors are most influential, given the still small number of empirical studies from which to learn. These processes were explained well in two papers in particular 10 , 22 . Further work to translate this knowledge of enabling factors into a tangible and accessible resource of benefit to different actors would require frameworks or models that show how these sequencing of factors can affect change, as has been done extensively regarding barriers 5 , 6 or when developing decision making frameworks 56 .

Understanding of how adaptation is enabled is constrained by the relatively small number of empirical studies that explain actual instances of adaptation. Our review finds that some factors seem to be more important than others, including resources (and especially money), knowledge of climate risks and responses, leadership, social capital, and the support of institutions in which adaptation actors are nested. Together, the literature suggests that to promote adaptation a combination of different enabling factors is necessary to create an enabling environment amenable to change. These findings have explanatory power when applied to adaptation at local and household levels, which is the focus of much of the research. There is a need, however, for further research that can explain the factors and processes that enable adaptation in institutions that are not ‘local’, in regional/provincial and national governments, in the private sector, and non-local not-for profit and non-governmental organisations.

Data availability

The authors confirm that all data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the financial support from the National Environmental Science Program (NESP) Climate Systems Hub for conducting this review as part of the project Enabling Best Practice Adaptation .

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Brullo, T., Barnett, J., Waters, E. et al. The enablers of adaptation: A systematic review. npj Clim. Action 3 , 40 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44168-024-00128-y

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