Review - Analyzing Past Work for Finding Innovative Evidence

WHAT IS A REVIEW PAPER?
The purpose of a review paper is to succinctly review recent progress in a particular topic. Overall, the paper summarizes the current state of knowledge of the topic. It creates an understanding of the topic for the reader by discussing the findings presented in recent research papers.
A review paper is not a "term paper" or book report. It is not merely a report on some references you found. Instead, a review paper synthesizes the results from several primary literature papers to produce a coherent argument about a topic or focused description of a field.
Examples of scientific reviews can be found in:

• Scientific American

• Science in the "Perspectives" and "Reviews" sections

• Nature in the "News and Views" section

• Compilations of reviews such as:

                Current Opinion in Cell Biology
                Current Opinion in Genetics & Development
                Annual Review of Plant Physiology and Plant Molecular Biology
                Annual Review of Physiology
                Trends in Ecology & Evolution

• Almost every scientific journal has special review articles.

You should read articles from one or more of these sources to get examples of how your paper should be organized.
Scientists commonly use reviews to communicate with each other and the general public. There are a wide variety of review styles from ones aimed at a general audience (e.g., Scientific American) to those directed at biologists within a particular subdiscipline (e.g., Annual Review of Physiology).
A key aspect of a review paper is that it provides the evidence for a particular point of view in a field. Thus, a large focus of your paper should be a description of the data that support or refute that point of view. In addition, you should inform the reader of the experimental techniques that were used to generate the data.
The emphasis of a review paper is interpreting the primary literature on the subject.  You need to read several original research articles on the same topic and make your own conclusions about the meanings of those papers.

CHOOSING A TOPIC
Click here for advice on choosing a topic.

RESEARCHING A TOPIC
Click here for advice on doing research on your topic.

HOW TO WRITE THE PAPER
Overview of the Paper:

Your paper should consist of four general sections:

• Introduction
• The body of the paper
• Conclusion and future directions
• Literature cited

Review articles contain neither a materials and methods section nor an abstract.

Organizing the Paper:

Use topic headings. Do not use a topic heading that reads, "Body of the paper." Instead the topic headings should refer to the actual concepts or ideas covered in that section.
Example

What Goes into Each Section:

Section of the paper	What it should contain
Introduction & Background	Make it brief (~1/5 of the paper’s total length). Grab the reader's interest while introducing the topic. Explain the "big picture" relevance. Provide the necessary background information.
Body of the Paper	Experimental Evidence:  Describe important results from recent primary literature articles and Explain how those results shape our current understanding of the topic. Mention the types of experiments done and their corresponding data, but do not repeat the experimental procedure step for step. Examples Point out and address any controversies in the field. Use figures and/or tables to present your own synthesis of the original data or to show key data taken directly from the original papers.
Conclusion	Succinctly summarize your major points. Point out the significance of these results. Discuss the questions that remain in the area. Keep it brief.
Literature Cited	Your instructor will give you a minimum number of references that you must use and cite in your paper.  Typically, at least 8-10 references are required. Click here for how to handle citing sources.

Article review format – how to apply it correctly

• Title page
• Title
• Your name
• Date
• Abstract: It should contain approximately 200 to 300 words. It includes a summary of the review question, the primary study reviewed and conclusions of the study. Note that you should not cite references in the abstract.
• Introduction: Write the topic of the study, which serves as the identification sentence. It should indicate what the article contains. Clearly outline the order in which every sub-topic will be discussed to give the reader background information needed to understand the sections in the article.
• Body: This includes the subtopics that you are addressing.
• Conclusion: It should briefly state your rationale for your review and the purpose of the article.
• Literature cited: Use a standardized reference system. Use MLA style.

Benefits of looking through article review examples

It is important to read on article review samples as this helps learners of a particular field to get introduced to the work of experts in that specific field. The article reviews examples help in different ways such as:

• To identify recent and significant advances and discoveries in a particular field of study.
• To determine the main people working in a specific field.
• To help identify essential gaps in research to find solutions.
• They are used in current debates for references
• They are good for generating ideas about next field of research
• They also help the learner to become an expert in a particular area of study.

Useful information: Read the best essay writing service review from experts.

How to write a good article review?

For an excellent article review, one should first prepare then write the review.

Preparation includes the following steps:

• Step 1: Understanding what the article review is.

You should be aware that the audience of the review has knowledge on the subject matter and is not just a general audience.

You need to summarize the main ideas of the article, arguments, positions, and findings. Also, critique the contributions of the material and overall effectiveness of the field. Note that,

1. The review only responds to the research of the author and does not involve new research.
2. It evaluates and summarizes the article.

• Step 2: Identify the organization of the review.

You need to know the setup of your article review to understand how to read the article. Following these steps will help you in writing a useful review:

•  Summarize the article.

It includes essential points, claims and information in the article.

• Discuss the positive aspects.

It entails the author’s good points and insight observations

• Identify the gaps, contradictions, and inconsistencies in the article done by the author. Also, identify if there is enough research or data to support the claims of the author.

Look for unanswered questions in the article.

• Step 3: Preview the article.

Look at the title of the article, abstract, introduction, headings, opening sentences of paragraphs and conclusion.

Read the first few paragraphs and conclusion to note the author’s main points and arguments.

Read the article entirely.

• Step 4: Read the article carefully.

Read it several times making notes on essential sections. Just highlight central points and the supporting facts. You should write notes and state cross-references on the essential points.

• Step 5: Put the article in your own words.

Ensure you write all the essential points accurately in a clear and logical manner.

Review your summary to remove unnecessary items.

• Step 6: Create your evaluation outline.

After reviewing the summary outline, identify the significant aspects such as instances of effective writing, contributions to the field and areas which are to be improved in the article. Also, indicate strengths and weaknesses. For instance, an advantage may be the way the author presents an issue while a gap may be that the article does not offer solutions to a problem or lacks enough information on a particular subject.

Make sure that you use specific references and examples.

Read also: How do you write an evaluation essay?

After the preparation, you can finally write the review, and it includes the following steps:

Step 1: Write the title.

A title can either be a descriptive one, a declarative or an interrogative one. It depends on the focus of your review.

Step 2: Cite the article.

Write the citation of the article in a proper style just after the title of your review. For instance, in MLA citation, your example will look like this: Abraham John. “The World of Dreams.” Virginia Quarterly 60.2(1991): 125-67. Print.

Step 3: Article identification. Write it by stating:

• Title of the article
• Author of the article
• Title of the journal
• Year of publication

Write this in the first paragraph.

An example will look like this: The report, “Poverty increases school drop-outs,” was written by Brian Faith, a Health officer. 2000.

Step 4: Write the introduction.

It starts with the identification sentence. The introduction of the article review also entails the central themes of the article. You should include the author’s claims and arguments, too.

Things to note when writing an introduction:

1. You may need to determine the thesis yourself since it may not be evident in the article and sometimes the argument has multiple choices.
2. You should not write the statements in the first person (“I”)
3. Overall impression of the article should be written using the third person (“he” or “she”), and it should have the formal academic style.
4. The introduction should only take 10% to 25% of your whole review.
5. It should end with your thesis which must address the above issues. For instance, an example of the argument should look like this:

Although there are good points in the article, it contains misinterpretation of data and bias from others authors’ analysis on the causes of school drop-outs.

Step 5: Write the summary of the article.

Write the main points, arguments, and findings in your own words. Also, show how the article supports its claims and write the conclusion.

Things to note in writing the summary:

• Write in several paragraphs, the length depending on the publisher’s or instructor’s requirements.
• Include specific examples, statistics or background information familiar to the experts of the particular field you are focusing on.
• Make sure to write the main points of every section.
• Use direct quotes from the author sparingly.
• For accuracy, reread your summary several times correcting every mistake.

Step 6: Write the critique.

Write how well the author addressed the topic using your opinions.

Also, write your opinion on how thorough and useful the explanation of the subject you found in the article is. Indicate the contributions and the importance of the article to the field. Write arguments and central points in the article. Also, write if the points of the author assisted in the argument. Indicate if there are any biases. Specify whether you agree with the writer and if yes, give reasons why you support him/her and if no also give cause for your decision. Indicate the type of audience that would benefit from reading the article.

Step 7: Write the conclusion of the article review.

Summarize the main points in a paragraph. Write your opinions about the clarity, accuracy, and significance of the article in this paragraph. You can also comment on the implications if relevant. It can be helpful for further research. Note that the conclusion should only be 10% of your overall essay.

Step 8: Proofread your work.

Reread your article review to check on grammar, mechanics and any mistakes and then correct them where possible. Remove any unnecessary information. Note that for a good review, you should identify and discuss 3-4 critical issues in the article.

With this guide you are sure to come up with the best article review.

Literature Reviews, Introduction to Different Types of

There are many different types of literature reviews, each with its own approach, analysis, and purpose. To confuse matters, these types aren't named consistently. The following are some of the more common types of literature reviews.

These are more rigorous, with some level of appraisal:

• The Systematic Review is important to health care and medical trials, and other subjects where methodology and data are important. Through rigorous review and analysis of literature that meets a specific criteria, the systematic review identifies and compares answers to health care related questions. The systematic review may include meta-analysis and meta-synthesis, which leads us to...
• The Quantitative or Qualitative Meta-analysis Review can both make up the whole or part of systematic review(s). Both are thorough and comprehensive in condensing and making sense of a large body of research. The quantitative meta-analysis reviews quantitative research, is objective, and includes statistical analysis. The qualitative meta-analysis reviews qualitative research, is subjective (or evaluative, or interpretive), and identifies new themes or concepts.

These don't always include a formal assessment or analysis:

• The Literature Review (see our Literature Review video) or Narrative Review often appears as a chapter in a thesis or dissertation. It describes what related research has already been conducted, how it informs the thesis, and how the thesis fits into the research in the field. (See https://student.unsw.edu.au/writing-critical-review for more information.)
• The Critical Review is like a literature review, but requires a more detailed examination of the literature, in order to compare and evaluate a number of perspectives.
• The Scoping Review is often used at the beginning of an article, dissertation or research proposal. It is conducted before the research begins, and sets the stage for this research by highlighting gaps in the literature, and explaining the need for the research about to be conducted, which is presented in the remainder of the article.
• The Conceptual Review groups articles according to concepts, or categories, or themes. It identifies the current 'understanding' of the given research topic, discusses how this understanding was reached, and attempts to determine whether a greater understanding can be suggested. It provides a snapshot of where things are with this particular field of research.
• The State-of-the-Art Review is conducted periodically, with a focus on the most recent research. It describes what is currently known, understood, or agreed upon regarding the research topic, and highlights where are there still disagreements.

What is a review article?

A review article, also called a literature review, is a survey of previously published research on a topic. It should give an overview of current thinking on the theme and, unlike an original research article, won’t present new experimental results.

By analyzing a large body of data from existing studies, some systematic reviews can come to new conclusions. Review articles can also provide recommendations for potential research areas to explore next.

Not all journals accept review articles, however there are also journals which are solely dedicated to publishing them.

Why write a review article?

If you’ve been working on a topic for a while, writing a review article gives you the opportunity to share what you’ve learnt. This will then be incredibly useful for other researchers, introducing them to the key existing literature and summarizing the current state of the field.

Alternatively, the process of writing a review article can be a great way to help yourself get into a topic you’re not so familiar with.

How do you write a review article?

So how to approach writing a review article? What do you need to consider? Here’s 8 tips of some key things to consider:

1. Check the journals Aim’s and Scope

Make sure you have read the Aim’s & 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.

Did you know…

There are some journals which publish only review articles (here’s an example). But not all journals with ‘review’ in the title will be reviews journals, so make sure you read the Aims & Scope of the journal before getting started.

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 and reports on new ideas that haven’t already been investigated.

As award-winning author Angus Crake told us, you’ll also need to “define the scope of your review so that it is manageable, not too large or small; it may be necessary to focus on recent advances if the field is well established.”

3. Finding sources to evaluate

When finding sources to evaluate, Angus Crake says that it’s critical that you “use multiple search engines/databases so you don’t miss any important ones.” For finding studies for a systematic review in medical sciences, read advice from NCBI.

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, ensuring the right readers find your research. Your title and abstract should be clear, concise, accurate, and informative.

For more guidance on getting these right, read our researcher’s guide to search engine optimization.

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 to resolve conflict between contradictory studies.

“Once you have the core review section written, take a step back and look for common trends that emerge. Highlight key advances that have been made and areas where more focused research may lead to high impact. These are crucial to show where the field is heading, and any common pitfalls people have struggled with.” – Angus Crake, researcher

7. Sum it up

This can include making suggestions for future research on the topic as part of your conclusion.

“You should aim to write a review that leaves a clear impression of what is ‘well understood’, and what still remains a ‘mystery’ to be solved.” – Diptak Bhattacharya, researcher

8. Use a critical friend

One last check! 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. Find out more about the Taylor & Francis Editing Services.