Review paper writing
Review paper writing
❖A review article or a literature review, is a survey of previously published research on a topic
❖ It gives an overview of current thinking on the theme
❖ unlike an original research article, it won’t present new experimental results.
❖The objective is to provide a critical evaluation of the data available from existing studies. Review
articles can identify potential research areas to explore next, and sometimes they will draw new
conclusions from the existing data.
Why write a review article?
❖To provide a comprehensive foundation on a topic
❖To explain the current state of knowledge
❖To identify gaps in existing studies for potential future research
❖To highlight the main methodologies and research techniques.
Keys to write a review article
1.Check the journal’s aims and scope
Make sure you have read the aims and scope for the journal you are submitting to and follow
them closely. Different journals accept different types of articles and not all will accept review
articles, so it’s important to check this before you start writing.
2.Define your scope
Define the scope of your review article and the research question you’ll be answering, making
sure your article contributes something new to the field.
3.Finding sources to evaluate
When finding sources to evaluate use multiple search engines/databases so you don’t miss any
important ones.”
4.Writing your title, abstract and keywords
Spend time writing an effective title, abstract and keywords. This will help maximize the visibility of
your article online, making sure the right readers find your research. Your title and abstract should
be clear, concise, accurate, and informative.
5.Introduce the topic
Start with an overview of the topic and give some context, explaining why a review of the topic is
necessary. Gather research to inform your introduction and make it broad enough to reach out to a
large audience of non-specialists. This will help maximize its wider relevance and impact.
Don’t make your introduction too long. Divide the review into sections of a suitable length to allow key
points to be identified more easily.
6.Include critical discussion
Make sure you present a critical discussion, not just a descriptive summary of the topic. If there is
contradictory research in your area of focus, make sure to include an element of debate and present
both sides of the argument. You can also use your review paper to resolve conflict between
contradictory studies.
7.Sum it up
As part of your conclusion, include making suggestions for future research on the topic. Focus on
the goal to communicate what you understood and what unknowns still remains.
8.Use a critical friend
Always perform a final spell and grammar check of your article before submission.
You may want to ask a critical friend or colleague to give their feedback before you submit. If
English is not your first language, think about using a language-polishing service.
