comprehensive literature review research

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

• Knowledge Base

Methodology

• How to Write a Literature Review | Guide, Examples, & Templates

How to Write a Literature Review | Guide, Examples, & Templates

Published on January 2, 2023 by Shona McCombes . Revised on September 11, 2023.

What is a literature review? A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources on a specific topic. It provides an overview of current knowledge, allowing you to identify relevant theories, methods, and gaps in the existing research that you can later apply to your paper, thesis, or dissertation topic .

There are five key steps to writing a literature review:

• Search for relevant literature
• Evaluate sources
• Identify themes, debates, and gaps
• Outline the structure
• Write your literature review

A good literature review doesn’t just summarize sources—it analyzes, synthesizes , and critically evaluates to give a clear picture of the state of knowledge on the subject.

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Upload your document to correct all your mistakes in minutes

Table of contents

What is the purpose of a literature review, examples of literature reviews, step 1 – search for relevant literature, step 2 – evaluate and select sources, step 3 – identify themes, debates, and gaps, step 4 – outline your literature review’s structure, step 5 – write your literature review, free lecture slides, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions, introduction.

• Quick Run-through
• Step 1 & 2

When you write a thesis , dissertation , or research paper , you will likely have to conduct a literature review to situate your research within existing knowledge. The literature review gives you a chance to:

• Demonstrate your familiarity with the topic and its scholarly context
• Develop a theoretical framework and methodology for your research
• Position your work in relation to other researchers and theorists
• Show how your research addresses a gap or contributes to a debate
• Evaluate the current state of research and demonstrate your knowledge of the scholarly debates around your topic.

Writing literature reviews is a particularly important skill if you want to apply for graduate school or pursue a career in research. We’ve written a step-by-step guide that you can follow below.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Writing literature reviews can be quite challenging! A good starting point could be to look at some examples, depending on what kind of literature review you’d like to write.

• Example literature review #1: “Why Do People Migrate? A Review of the Theoretical Literature” ( Theoretical literature review about the development of economic migration theory from the 1950s to today.)
• Example literature review #2: “Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines” ( Methodological literature review about interdisciplinary knowledge acquisition and production.)
• Example literature review #3: “The Use of Technology in English Language Learning: A Literature Review” ( Thematic literature review about the effects of technology on language acquisition.)
• Example literature review #4: “Learners’ Listening Comprehension Difficulties in English Language Learning: A Literature Review” ( Chronological literature review about how the concept of listening skills has changed over time.)

You can also check out our templates with literature review examples and sample outlines at the links below.

Download Word doc Download Google doc

Before you begin searching for literature, you need a clearly defined topic .

If you are writing the literature review section of a dissertation or research paper, you will search for literature related to your research problem and questions .

Make a list of keywords

Start by creating a list of keywords related to your research question. Include each of the key concepts or variables you’re interested in, and list any synonyms and related terms. You can add to this list as you discover new keywords in the process of your literature search.

• Social media, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok
• Body image, self-perception, self-esteem, mental health
• Generation Z, teenagers, adolescents, youth

Search for relevant sources

Use your keywords to begin searching for sources. Some useful databases to search for journals and articles include:

• Your university’s library catalogue
• Google Scholar
• Project Muse (humanities and social sciences)
• Medline (life sciences and biomedicine)
• EconLit (economics)
• Inspec (physics, engineering and computer science)

You can also use boolean operators to help narrow down your search.

Make sure to read the abstract to find out whether an article is relevant to your question. When you find a useful book or article, you can check the bibliography to find other relevant sources.

You likely won’t be able to read absolutely everything that has been written on your topic, so it will be necessary to evaluate which sources are most relevant to your research question.

For each publication, ask yourself:

• What question or problem is the author addressing?
• What are the key concepts and how are they defined?
• What are the key theories, models, and methods?
• Does the research use established frameworks or take an innovative approach?
• What are the results and conclusions of the study?
• How does the publication relate to other literature in the field? Does it confirm, add to, or challenge established knowledge?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the research?

Make sure the sources you use are credible , and make sure you read any landmark studies and major theories in your field of research.

You can use our template to summarize and evaluate sources you’re thinking about using. Click on either button below to download.

Take notes and cite your sources

As you read, you should also begin the writing process. Take notes that you can later incorporate into the text of your literature review.

It is important to keep track of your sources with citations to avoid plagiarism . It can be helpful to make an annotated bibliography , where you compile full citation information and write a paragraph of summary and analysis for each source. This helps you remember what you read and saves time later in the process.

Here's why students love Scribbr's proofreading services

Discover proofreading & editing

To begin organizing your literature review’s argument and structure, be sure you understand the connections and relationships between the sources you’ve read. Based on your reading and notes, you can look for:

• Trends and patterns (in theory, method or results): do certain approaches become more or less popular over time?
• Themes: what questions or concepts recur across the literature?
• Debates, conflicts and contradictions: where do sources disagree?
• Pivotal publications: are there any influential theories or studies that changed the direction of the field?
• Gaps: what is missing from the literature? Are there weaknesses that need to be addressed?

This step will help you work out the structure of your literature review and (if applicable) show how your own research will contribute to existing knowledge.

• Most research has focused on young women.
• There is an increasing interest in the visual aspects of social media.
• But there is still a lack of robust research on highly visual platforms like Instagram and Snapchat—this is a gap that you could address in your own research.

There are various approaches to organizing the body of a literature review. Depending on the length of your literature review, you can combine several of these strategies (for example, your overall structure might be thematic, but each theme is discussed chronologically).

Chronological

The simplest approach is to trace the development of the topic over time. However, if you choose this strategy, be careful to avoid simply listing and summarizing sources in order.

Try to analyze patterns, turning points and key debates that have shaped the direction of the field. Give your interpretation of how and why certain developments occurred.

If you have found some recurring central themes, you can organize your literature review into subsections that address different aspects of the topic.

For example, if you are reviewing literature about inequalities in migrant health outcomes, key themes might include healthcare policy, language barriers, cultural attitudes, legal status, and economic access.

Methodological

If you draw your sources from different disciplines or fields that use a variety of research methods , you might want to compare the results and conclusions that emerge from different approaches. For example:

• Look at what results have emerged in qualitative versus quantitative research
• Discuss how the topic has been approached by empirical versus theoretical scholarship
• Divide the literature into sociological, historical, and cultural sources

Theoretical

A literature review is often the foundation for a theoretical framework . You can use it to discuss various theories, models, and definitions of key concepts.

You might argue for the relevance of a specific theoretical approach, or combine various theoretical concepts to create a framework for your research.

Like any other academic text , your literature review should have an introduction , a main body, and a conclusion . What you include in each depends on the objective of your literature review.

The introduction should clearly establish the focus and purpose of the literature review.

Depending on the length of your literature review, you might want to divide the body into subsections. You can use a subheading for each theme, time period, or methodological approach.

As you write, you can follow these tips:

• Summarize and synthesize: give an overview of the main points of each source and combine them into a coherent whole
• Analyze and interpret: don’t just paraphrase other researchers — add your own interpretations where possible, discussing the significance of findings in relation to the literature as a whole
• Critically evaluate: mention the strengths and weaknesses of your sources
• Write in well-structured paragraphs: use transition words and topic sentences to draw connections, comparisons and contrasts

In the conclusion, you should summarize the key findings you have taken from the literature and emphasize their significance.

When you’ve finished writing and revising your literature review, don’t forget to proofread thoroughly before submitting. Not a language expert? Check out Scribbr’s professional proofreading services !

This article has been adapted into lecture slides that you can use to teach your students about writing a literature review.

Scribbr slides are free to use, customize, and distribute for educational purposes.

Open Google Slides Download PowerPoint

If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• Sampling methods
• Simple random sampling
• Stratified sampling
• Cluster sampling
• Likert scales
• Reproducibility

 Statistics

• Null hypothesis
• Statistical power
• Probability distribution
• Effect size
• Poisson distribution

Research bias

• Optimism bias
• Cognitive bias
• Implicit bias
• Hawthorne effect
• Anchoring bias
• Explicit bias

A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources (such as books, journal articles, and theses) related to a specific topic or research question .

It is often written as part of a thesis, dissertation , or research paper , in order to situate your work in relation to existing knowledge.

There are several reasons to conduct a literature review at the beginning of a research project:

• To familiarize yourself with the current state of knowledge on your topic
• To ensure that you’re not just repeating what others have already done
• To identify gaps in knowledge and unresolved problems that your research can address
• To develop your theoretical framework and methodology
• To provide an overview of the key findings and debates on the topic

Writing the literature review shows your reader how your work relates to existing research and what new insights it will contribute.

The literature review usually comes near the beginning of your thesis or dissertation . After the introduction , it grounds your research in a scholarly field and leads directly to your theoretical framework or methodology .

A literature review is a survey of credible sources on a topic, often used in dissertations , theses, and research papers . Literature reviews give an overview of knowledge on a subject, helping you identify relevant theories and methods, as well as gaps in existing research. Literature reviews are set up similarly to other  academic texts , with an introduction , a main body, and a conclusion .

An  annotated bibliography is a list of  source references that has a short description (called an annotation ) for each of the sources. It is often assigned as part of the research process for a  paper .  

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

McCombes, S. (2023, September 11). How to Write a Literature Review | Guide, Examples, & Templates. Scribbr. Retrieved July 1, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/dissertation/literature-review/

Is this article helpful?

Shona McCombes

Other students also liked, what is a theoretical framework | guide to organizing, what is a research methodology | steps & tips, how to write a research proposal | examples & templates, what is your plagiarism score.

• University of Texas Libraries

Literature Reviews

• What is a literature review?
• Steps in the Literature Review Process
• Define your research question
• Determine inclusion and exclusion criteria
• Choose databases and search
• Review Results
• Synthesize Results
• Analyze Results
• Librarian Support
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools

What is a Literature Review?

A literature or narrative review is a comprehensive review and analysis of the published literature on a specific topic or research question. The literature that is reviewed contains: books, articles, academic articles, conference proceedings, association papers, and dissertations. It contains the most pertinent studies and points to important past and current research and practices. It provides background and context, and shows how your research will contribute to the field. 

A literature review should: 

• Provide a comprehensive and updated review of the literature;
• Explain why this review has taken place;
• Articulate a position or hypothesis;
• Acknowledge and account for conflicting and corroborating points of view

From  S age Research Methods

Purpose of a Literature Review

A literature review can be written as an introduction to a study to:

• Demonstrate how a study fills a gap in research
• Compare a study with other research that's been done

Or it can be a separate work (a research article on its own) which:

• Organizes or describes a topic
• Describes variables within a particular issue/problem

Limitations of a Literature Review

Some of the limitations of a literature review are:

• It's a snapshot in time. Unlike other reviews, this one has beginning, a middle and an end. There may be future developments that could make your work less relevant.
• It may be too focused. Some niche studies may miss the bigger picture.
• It can be difficult to be comprehensive. There is no way to make sure all the literature on a topic was considered.
• It is easy to be biased if you stick to top tier journals. There may be other places where people are publishing exemplary research. Look to open access publications and conferences to reflect a more inclusive collection. Also, make sure to include opposing views (and not just supporting evidence).

Source: Grant, Maria J., and Andrew Booth. “A Typology of Reviews: An Analysis of 14 Review Types and Associated Methodologies.” Health Information & Libraries Journal, vol. 26, no. 2, June 2009, pp. 91–108. Wiley Online Library, doi:10.1111/j.1471-1842.2009.00848.x.

Meryl Brodsky : Communication and Information Studies

Hannah Chapman Tripp : Biology, Neuroscience

Carolyn Cunningham : Human Development & Family Sciences, Psychology, Sociology

Larayne Dallas : Engineering

Janelle Hedstrom : Special Education, Curriculum & Instruction, Ed Leadership & Policy ​

Susan Macicak : Linguistics

Imelda Vetter : Dell Medical School

For help in other subject areas, please see the guide to library specialists by subject .

Periodically, UT Libraries runs a workshop covering the basics and library support for literature reviews. While we try to offer these once per academic year, we find providing the recording to be helpful to community members who have missed the session. Following is the most recent recording of the workshop, Conducting a Literature Review. To view the recording, a UT login is required.

• October 26, 2022 recording
• Last Updated: Jun 18, 2024 1:00 PM
• URL: https://guides.lib.utexas.edu/literaturereviews

Libraries | Research Guides

Literature reviews, what is a literature review, learning more about how to do a literature review.

• Planning the Review
• The Research Question
• Choosing Where to Search
• Organizing the Review
• Writing the Review

A literature review is a review and synthesis of existing research on a topic or research question. A literature review is meant to analyze the scholarly literature, make connections across writings and identify strengths, weaknesses, trends, and missing conversations. A literature review should address different aspects of a topic as it relates to your research question. A literature review goes beyond a description or summary of the literature you have read. 

• Sage Research Methods Core Collection This link opens in a new window SAGE Research Methods supports research at all levels by providing material to guide users through every step of the research process. SAGE Research Methods is the ultimate methods library with more than 1000 books, reference works, journal articles, and instructional videos by world-leading academics from across the social sciences, including the largest collection of qualitative methods books available online from any scholarly publisher. – Publisher

• Next: Planning the Review >>
• Last Updated: May 2, 2024 10:39 AM
• URL: https://libguides.northwestern.edu/literaturereviews

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.

• << Previous: Getting Started
• Next: Research Design >>
• Last Updated: Aug 21, 2023 4:07 PM
• URL: https://guides.lib.udel.edu/researchmethods

• Collections
• Research Help
• Teaching & Learning
• Library Home

Comprehensive Literature Review

• The Basic Steps
• Advanced Searching for the Literature Review
• Writing the Literature Review
• Mini-Video Demonstrations

Elements of a Literature Review

• An overview of the subject, issue or theory under consideration, along with the objectives of the literature review
• Division of sources under review into categories (e.g. those in support of a particular position, those against, and those offering alternative theses entirely)
• Explanation of how each source is similar to and how it varies from the others
• Conclusions as to which sources are best considered in their argument, are most convincing of their opinions, and make the greatest contribution to the understanding and development of their area of research

Considerations for Assessing Each Source

Authority—What are the author's credentials? Are the author's arguments supported by evidence (e.g. primary historical material, case studies, narratives, statistics, recent scientific findings)?

Objectivity—Is the author's perspective even-handed or prejudicial? Is contrary data considered or is certain pertinent information ignored to prove the author's point?

Persuasiveness—Which of the author's theses are most/least convincing?

Value—Are the author's arguments and conclusions convincing? Does the work ultimately contribute in any significant way to an understanding of the subject?

The CRAAP Test can be a quick and easy way to evaluate sources as well, it stands for:

• Currency - When was this published, is is still relevant in terms of time to your research?
• Relevance - Does this information relate to your topic or question, and what is the audience of it?
• Authority - Who is the author, what are their credentials, are they qualified to discuss this, and can they be reached?
• Accuracy - Where did any information come from, are there sources and citations, is it unbiased?
• Purpose - Is this information to inform, teach, sell, entertain or persuade?

How to Read a Scholarly Article

• Read the abstract - What is the claim
• Check the methodology and accompanying charts and graphs - What was the study method
• Read the conclusion - How was the research question answered?
• If the paper is appropriate for your research, then read the whole paper with attention to generating questions and answering the questions in the Considerations for Assessing Each Source box.
• How to Read a Scientific Article Bonichon F. 1997. How to read a scientific article. Cancer Radiothérapie : Journal De La Société Française De Radiothérapie Oncologique. 1(5):397.

Tips for Writing Literature Reviews

These guides provide an overview of the literature review: the purpose of a literature review, what to include in one and how to organize one.

• University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Writing Center A thorough description of literature reviews, their purpose, and how to go about writing one.
• University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center Outlines the key components of a literature review.
• University of California-Santa Cruz Library Outlines how to write a literature review. Includes citations for examples of published literature reviews.
• << Previous: Advanced Searching for the Literature Review
• Next: Mini-Video Demonstrations >>
• Last Updated: Oct 4, 2023 12:50 PM
• URL: https://libguides.wvu.edu/LitReview

Last updated 27/06/24: Online ordering is currently unavailable due to technical issues. We apologise for any delays responding to customers while we resolve this. For further updates please visit our website: https://www.cambridge.org/news-and-insights/technical-incident

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings .

Login Alert

• > The Cambridge Handbook of Research Methods and Statistics for the Social and Behavioral Sciences
• > Literature Review

Book contents

• The Cambridge Handbook of Research Methods and Statistics for the Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Cambridge Handbooks in Psychology
• Copyright page
• Contributors
• Part I From Idea to Reality: The Basics of Research
• 1 Promises and Pitfalls of Theory
• 2 Research Ethics for the Social and Behavioral Sciences
• 3 Getting Good Ideas and Making the Most of Them
• 4 Literature Review
• 5 Choosing a Research Design
• 6 Building the Study
• 7 Analyzing Data
• 8 Writing the Paper
• Part II The Building Blocks of a Study
• Part III Data Collection
• Part IV Statistical Approaches
• Part V Tips for a Successful Research Career

4 - Literature Review

from Part I - From Idea to Reality: The Basics of Research

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 May 2023

A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources that establishes familiarity with and an understanding of current research in a particular field. It includes a critical analysis of the relationship among different works, seeking a synthesis and an explanation of gaps, while relating findings to the project at hand. It also serves as a foundational aspect of a well-grounded thesis or dissertation, reveals gaps in a specific field, and establishes credibility and need for those applying for a grant. The enormous amount of textual information necessitates the development of tools to help researchers effectively and efficiently process huge amounts of data and quickly search, classify, and assess their relevance. This chapter presents an assessable guide to writing a comprehensive review of literature. It begins with a discussion of the purpose of the literature review and then presents steps to conduct an organized, relevant review.

Access options

Save book to kindle.

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle .

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service .

• Literature Review
• By Rachel Adams Goertel
• Edited by Austin Lee Nichols , Central European University, Vienna , John Edlund , Rochester Institute of Technology, New York
• Book: The Cambridge Handbook of Research Methods and Statistics for the Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Online publication: 25 May 2023
• Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009010054.005

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox .

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive .

• USC Libraries
• Research Guides

Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper

• 5. The Literature Review
• Purpose of Guide
• Design Flaws to Avoid
• Independent and Dependent Variables
• Glossary of Research Terms
• Reading Research Effectively
• Narrowing a Topic Idea
• Broadening a Topic Idea
• Extending the Timeliness of a Topic Idea
• Academic Writing Style
• Applying Critical Thinking
• Choosing a Title
• Making an Outline
• Paragraph Development
• Research Process Video Series
• Executive Summary
• The C.A.R.S. Model
• Background Information
• The Research Problem/Question
• Theoretical Framework
• Citation Tracking
• Content Alert Services
• Evaluating Sources
• Primary Sources
• Secondary Sources
• Tiertiary Sources
• Scholarly vs. Popular Publications
• Qualitative Methods
• Quantitative Methods
• Insiderness
• Using Non-Textual Elements
• Limitations of the Study
• Common Grammar Mistakes
• Writing Concisely
• Avoiding Plagiarism
• Footnotes or Endnotes?
• Further Readings
• Generative AI and Writing
• USC Libraries Tutorials and Other Guides
• Bibliography

A literature review surveys prior research published in books, scholarly articles, and any other sources relevant to a particular issue, area of research, or theory, and by so doing, provides a description, summary, and critical evaluation of these works in relation to the research problem being investigated. Literature reviews are designed to provide an overview of sources you have used in researching a particular topic and to demonstrate to your readers how your research fits within existing scholarship about the topic.

Fink, Arlene. Conducting Research Literature Reviews: From the Internet to Paper . Fourth edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE, 2014.

Importance of a Good Literature Review

A literature review may consist of simply a summary of key sources, but in the social sciences, a literature review usually has an organizational pattern and combines both summary and synthesis, often within specific conceptual categories . A summary is a recap of the important information of the source, but a synthesis is a re-organization, or a reshuffling, of that information in a way that informs how you are planning to investigate a research problem. The analytical features of a literature review might:

• Give a new interpretation of old material or combine new with old interpretations,
• Trace the intellectual progression of the field, including major debates,
• Depending on the situation, evaluate the sources and advise the reader on the most pertinent or relevant research, or
• Usually in the conclusion of a literature review, identify where gaps exist in how a problem has been researched to date.

Given this, the purpose of a literature review is to:

• Place each work in the context of its contribution to understanding the research problem being studied.
• Describe the relationship of each work to the others under consideration.
• Identify new ways to interpret prior research.
• Reveal any gaps that exist in the literature.
• Resolve conflicts amongst seemingly contradictory previous studies.
• Identify areas of prior scholarship to prevent duplication of effort.
• Point the way in fulfilling a need for additional research.
• Locate your own research within the context of existing literature [very important].

Fink, Arlene. Conducting Research Literature Reviews: From the Internet to Paper. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2005; Hart, Chris. Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social Science Research Imagination . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1998; Jesson, Jill. Doing Your Literature Review: Traditional and Systematic Techniques . Los Angeles, CA: SAGE, 2011; Knopf, Jeffrey W. "Doing a Literature Review." PS: Political Science and Politics 39 (January 2006): 127-132; Ridley, Diana. The Literature Review: A Step-by-Step Guide for Students . 2nd ed. Los Angeles, CA: SAGE, 2012.

Types of Literature Reviews

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 primary studies. Third, there are the perceptions, conclusions, opinion, and interpretations that are shared informally among scholars that become part of the body of epistemological traditions within the 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 a number of approaches you could adopt depending upon the type of analysis underpinning your study.

Argumentative Review This form examines literature selectively in order to support or refute an argument, deeply embedded 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 make summary claims of the sort found in systematic reviews [see below].

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 or research problems. A well-done integrative review meets the same standards as primary research in regard to clarity, rigor, and replication. This is the most common form of review in the social sciences.

Historical Review Few things rest in isolation from historical precedent. Historical literature reviews focus 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 [findings], but how they came about saying what they say [method of analysis]. Reviewing methods of analysis provides a framework of understanding at different levels [i.e. those of theory, substantive fields, research approaches, and data collection and analysis techniques], how researchers draw upon 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. This approach helps highlight ethical issues which you should be aware of and consider as you go through your own 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 analyze data from the studies that are included in the review. The goal is to deliberately document, critically evaluate, and summarize scientifically all of the research about a clearly defined research problem . 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?" This type of literature review is primarily applied to examining prior research studies in clinical medicine and allied health fields, but it is increasingly being used in the social sciences.

Theoretical Review The purpose of this form is to examine the corpus of theory that has accumulated in regard to an issue, concept, theory, phenomena. The theoretical literature review helps to 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.

NOTE: Most often the literature review will incorporate some combination of types. For example, a review that examines literature supporting or refuting an argument, assumption, or philosophical problem related to the research problem will also need to include writing supported by sources that establish the history of these arguments in the literature.

Baumeister, Roy F. and Mark R. Leary. "Writing Narrative Literature Reviews."  Review of General Psychology 1 (September 1997): 311-320; Mark R. Fink, Arlene. Conducting Research Literature Reviews: From the Internet to Paper . 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2005; Hart, Chris. Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social Science Research Imagination . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1998; Kennedy, Mary M. "Defining a Literature." Educational Researcher 36 (April 2007): 139-147; Petticrew, Mark and Helen Roberts. Systematic Reviews in the Social Sciences: A Practical Guide . Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 2006; Torracro, Richard. "Writing Integrative Literature Reviews: Guidelines and Examples." Human Resource Development Review 4 (September 2005): 356-367; Rocco, Tonette S. and Maria S. Plakhotnik. "Literature Reviews, Conceptual Frameworks, and Theoretical Frameworks: Terms, Functions, and Distinctions." Human Ressource Development Review 8 (March 2008): 120-130; Sutton, Anthea. Systematic Approaches to a Successful Literature Review . Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications, 2016.

Structure and Writing Style

I.  Thinking About Your Literature Review

The structure of a literature review should include the following in support of understanding the research problem :

• An overview of the subject, issue, or theory under consideration, along with the objectives of the literature review,
• Division of works under review into themes or categories [e.g. works that support a particular position, those against, and those offering alternative approaches entirely],
• An explanation of how each work is similar to and how it varies from the others,
• Conclusions as to which pieces are best considered in their argument, are most convincing of their opinions, and make the greatest contribution to the understanding and development of their area of research.

The critical evaluation of each work should consider :

• Provenance -- what are the author's credentials? Are the author's arguments supported by evidence [e.g. primary historical material, case studies, narratives, statistics, recent scientific findings]?
• Methodology -- were the techniques used to identify, gather, and analyze the data appropriate to addressing the research problem? Was the sample size appropriate? Were the results effectively interpreted and reported?
• Objectivity -- is the author's perspective even-handed or prejudicial? Is contrary data considered or is certain pertinent information ignored to prove the author's point?
• Persuasiveness -- which of the author's theses are most convincing or least convincing?
• Validity -- are the author's arguments and conclusions convincing? Does the work ultimately contribute in any significant way to an understanding of the subject?

II.  Development of the Literature Review

Four Basic Stages of Writing 1.  Problem formulation -- which topic or field is being examined and what are its component issues? 2.  Literature search -- finding materials relevant to the subject being explored. 3.  Data evaluation -- determining which literature makes a significant contribution to the understanding of the topic. 4.  Analysis and interpretation -- discussing the findings and conclusions of pertinent literature.

Consider the following issues before writing the literature review: Clarify If your assignment is not specific about what form your literature review should take, seek clarification from your professor by asking these questions: 1.  Roughly how many sources would be appropriate to include? 2.  What types of sources should I review (books, journal articles, websites; scholarly versus popular sources)? 3.  Should I summarize, synthesize, or critique sources by discussing a common theme or issue? 4.  Should I evaluate the sources in any way beyond evaluating how they relate to understanding the research problem? 5.  Should I provide subheadings and other background information, such as definitions and/or a history? Find Models Use the exercise of reviewing the literature to examine how authors in your discipline or area of interest have composed their literature review sections. Read them to get a sense of the types of themes you might want to look for in your own research or to identify ways to organize your final review. The bibliography or reference section of sources you've already read, such as required readings in the course syllabus, are also excellent entry points into your own research. Narrow the Topic The narrower your topic, the easier it will be to limit the number of sources you need to read in order to obtain a good survey of relevant resources. Your professor will probably not expect you to read everything that's available about the topic, but you'll make the act of reviewing easier if you first limit scope of the research problem. A good strategy is to begin by searching the USC Libraries Catalog for recent books about the topic and review the table of contents for chapters that focuses on specific issues. You can also review the indexes of books to find references to specific issues that can serve as the focus of your research. For example, a book surveying the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict may include a chapter on the role Egypt has played in mediating the conflict, or look in the index for the pages where Egypt is mentioned in the text. Consider Whether Your Sources are Current Some disciplines require that you use information that is as current as possible. This is particularly true in disciplines in medicine and the sciences where research conducted becomes obsolete very quickly as new discoveries are made. However, when writing a review in the social sciences, a survey of the history of the literature may be required. In other words, a complete understanding the research problem requires you to deliberately examine how knowledge and perspectives have changed over time. Sort through other current bibliographies or literature reviews in the field to get a sense of what your discipline expects. You can also use this method to explore what is considered by scholars to be a "hot topic" and what is not.

III.  Ways to Organize Your Literature Review

Chronology of Events If your review follows the chronological method, you could write about the materials according to when they were published. This approach should only be followed if a clear path of research building on previous research can be identified and that these trends follow a clear chronological order of development. For example, a literature review that focuses on continuing research about the emergence of German economic power after the fall of the Soviet Union. By Publication Order your sources by publication chronology, then, only if the order demonstrates a more important trend. For instance, you could order a review of literature on environmental studies of brown fields if the progression revealed, for example, a change in the soil collection practices of the researchers who wrote and/or conducted the studies. Thematic [“conceptual categories”] A thematic literature review is the most common approach to summarizing prior research in the social and behavioral sciences. Thematic reviews are organized around a topic or issue, rather than the progression of time, although the progression of time may still be incorporated into a thematic review. For example, a review of the Internet’s impact on American presidential politics could focus on the development of online political satire. While the study focuses on one topic, the Internet’s impact on American presidential politics, it would still be organized chronologically reflecting technological developments in media. The difference in this example between a "chronological" and a "thematic" approach is what is emphasized the most: themes related to the role of the Internet in presidential politics. Note that more authentic thematic reviews tend to break away from chronological order. A review organized in this manner would shift between time periods within each section according to the point being made. Methodological A methodological approach focuses on the methods utilized by the researcher. For the Internet in American presidential politics project, one methodological approach would be to look at cultural differences between the portrayal of American presidents on American, British, and French websites. Or the review might focus on the fundraising impact of the Internet on a particular political party. A methodological scope will influence either the types of documents in the review or the way in which these documents are discussed.

Other Sections of Your Literature Review Once you've decided on the organizational method for your literature review, the sections you need to include in the paper should be easy to figure out because they arise from your organizational strategy. In other words, a chronological review would have subsections for each vital time period; a thematic review would have subtopics based upon factors that relate to the theme or issue. However, sometimes you may need to add additional sections that are necessary for your study, but do not fit in the organizational strategy of the body. What other sections you include in the body is up to you. However, only include what is necessary for the reader to locate your study within the larger scholarship about the research problem.

Here are examples of other sections, usually in the form of a single paragraph, you may need to include depending on the type of review you write:

• Current Situation : Information necessary to understand the current topic or focus of the literature review.
• Sources Used : Describes the methods and resources [e.g., databases] you used to identify the literature you reviewed.
• History : The chronological progression of the field, the research literature, or an idea that is necessary to understand the literature review, if the body of the literature review is not already a chronology.
• Selection Methods : Criteria you used to select (and perhaps exclude) sources in your literature review. For instance, you might explain that your review includes only peer-reviewed [i.e., scholarly] sources.
• Standards : Description of the way in which you present your information.
• Questions for Further Research : What questions about the field has the review sparked? How will you further your research as a result of the review?

IV.  Writing Your Literature Review

Once you've settled on how to organize your literature review, you're ready to write each section. When writing your review, keep in mind these issues.

Use Evidence A literature review section is, in this sense, just like any other academic research paper. Your interpretation of the available sources must be backed up with evidence [citations] that demonstrates that what you are saying is valid. Be Selective Select only the most important points in each source to highlight in the review. The type of information you choose to mention should relate directly to the research problem, whether it is thematic, methodological, or chronological. Related items that provide additional information, but that are not key to understanding the research problem, can be included in a list of further readings . Use Quotes Sparingly Some short quotes are appropriate if you want to emphasize a point, or if what an author stated cannot be easily paraphrased. Sometimes you may need to quote certain terminology that was coined by the author, is not common knowledge, or taken directly from the study. Do not use extensive quotes as a substitute for using your own words in reviewing the literature. Summarize and Synthesize Remember to summarize and synthesize your sources within each thematic paragraph as well as throughout the review. Recapitulate important features of a research study, but then synthesize it by rephrasing the study's significance and relating it to your own work and the work of others. Keep Your Own Voice While the literature review presents others' ideas, your voice [the writer's] should remain front and center. For example, weave references to other sources into what you are writing but maintain your own voice by starting and ending the paragraph with your own ideas and wording. Use Caution When Paraphrasing When paraphrasing a source that is not your own, be sure to represent the author's information or opinions accurately and in your own words. Even when paraphrasing an author’s work, you still must provide a citation to that work.

V.  Common Mistakes to Avoid

These are the most common mistakes made in reviewing social science research literature.

• Sources in your literature review do not clearly relate to the research problem;
• You do not take sufficient time to define and identify the most relevant sources to use in the literature review related to the research problem;
• Relies exclusively on secondary analytical sources rather than including relevant primary research studies or data;
• Uncritically accepts another researcher's findings and interpretations as valid, rather than examining critically all aspects of the research design and analysis;
• Does not describe the search procedures that were used in identifying the literature to review;
• Reports isolated statistical results rather than synthesizing them in chi-squared or meta-analytic methods; and,
• Only includes research that validates assumptions and does not consider contrary findings and alternative interpretations found in the literature.

Cook, Kathleen E. and Elise Murowchick. “Do Literature Review Skills Transfer from One Course to Another?” Psychology Learning and Teaching 13 (March 2014): 3-11; Fink, Arlene. Conducting Research Literature Reviews: From the Internet to Paper . 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2005; Hart, Chris. Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social Science Research Imagination . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1998; Jesson, Jill. Doing Your Literature Review: Traditional and Systematic Techniques . London: SAGE, 2011; Literature Review Handout. Online Writing Center. Liberty University; Literature Reviews. The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Onwuegbuzie, Anthony J. and Rebecca Frels. Seven Steps to a Comprehensive Literature Review: A Multimodal and Cultural Approach . Los Angeles, CA: SAGE, 2016; Ridley, Diana. The Literature Review: A Step-by-Step Guide for Students . 2nd ed. Los Angeles, CA: SAGE, 2012; Randolph, Justus J. “A Guide to Writing the Dissertation Literature Review." Practical Assessment, Research, and Evaluation. vol. 14, June 2009; Sutton, Anthea. Systematic Approaches to a Successful Literature Review . Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications, 2016; Taylor, Dena. The Literature Review: A Few Tips On Conducting It. University College Writing Centre. University of Toronto; Writing a Literature Review. Academic Skills Centre. University of Canberra.

Writing Tip

Break Out of Your Disciplinary Box!

Thinking interdisciplinarily about a research problem can be a rewarding exercise in applying new ideas, theories, or concepts to an old problem. For example, what might cultural anthropologists say about the continuing conflict in the Middle East? In what ways might geographers view the need for better distribution of social service agencies in large cities than how social workers might study the issue? You don’t want to substitute a thorough review of core research literature in your discipline for studies conducted in other fields of study. However, particularly in the social sciences, thinking about research problems from multiple vectors is a key strategy for finding new solutions to a problem or gaining a new perspective. Consult with a librarian about identifying research databases in other disciplines; almost every field of study has at least one comprehensive database devoted to indexing its research literature.

Frodeman, Robert. The Oxford Handbook of Interdisciplinarity . New York: Oxford University Press, 2010.

Another Writing Tip

Don't Just Review for Content!

While conducting a review of the literature, maximize the time you devote to writing this part of your paper by thinking broadly about what you should be looking for and evaluating. Review not just what scholars are saying, but how are they saying it. Some questions to ask:

• How are they organizing their ideas?
• What methods have they used to study the problem?
• What theories have been used to explain, predict, or understand their research problem?
• What sources have they cited to support their conclusions?
• How have they used non-textual elements [e.g., charts, graphs, figures, etc.] to illustrate key points?

When you begin to write your literature review section, you'll be glad you dug deeper into how the research was designed and constructed because it establishes a means for developing more substantial analysis and interpretation of the research problem.

Hart, Chris. Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social Science Research Imagination . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1 998.

Yet Another Writing Tip

When Do I Know I Can Stop Looking and Move On?

Here are several strategies you can utilize to assess whether you've thoroughly reviewed the literature:

• Look for repeating patterns in the research findings . If the same thing is being said, just by different people, then this likely demonstrates that the research problem has hit a conceptual dead end. At this point consider: Does your study extend current research?  Does it forge a new path? Or, does is merely add more of the same thing being said?
• Look at sources the authors cite to in their work . If you begin to see the same researchers cited again and again, then this is often an indication that no new ideas have been generated to address the research problem.
• Search Google Scholar to identify who has subsequently cited leading scholars already identified in your literature review [see next sub-tab]. This is called citation tracking and there are a number of sources that can help you identify who has cited whom, particularly scholars from outside of your discipline. Here again, if the same authors are being cited again and again, this may indicate no new literature has been written on the topic.

Onwuegbuzie, Anthony J. and Rebecca Frels. Seven Steps to a Comprehensive Literature Review: A Multimodal and Cultural Approach . Los Angeles, CA: Sage, 2016; Sutton, Anthea. Systematic Approaches to a Successful Literature Review . Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications, 2016.

• << Previous: Theoretical Framework
• Next: Citation Tracking >>
• Last Updated: Jun 18, 2024 10:45 AM
• URL: https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide

How to Write a Literature Review: Six Steps to Get You from Start to Finish

Writing-a-literature-review-six-steps-to-get-you-from-start-to-finish.

Tanya Golash-Boza, Associate Professor of Sociology, University of California

February 03, 2022

Writing a literature review is often the most daunting part of writing an article, book, thesis, or dissertation. “The literature” seems (and often is) massive. I have found it helpful to be as systematic as possible when completing this gargantuan task.

Sonja Foss and William Walters* describe an efficient and effective way of writing a literature review. Their system provides an excellent guide for getting through the massive amounts of literature for any purpose: in a dissertation, an M.A. thesis, or preparing a research article for publication  in any field of study. Below is a  summary of the steps they outline as well as a step-by-step method for writing a literature review.

How to Write a Literature Review

Step One: Decide on your areas of research:

Before you begin to search for articles or books, decide beforehand what areas you are going to research. Make sure that you only get articles and books in those areas, even if you come across fascinating books in other areas. A literature review I am currently working on, for example, explores barriers to higher education for undocumented students.

Step Two: Search for the literature:

Conduct a comprehensive bibliographic search of books and articles in your area. Read the abstracts online and download and/or print those articles that pertain to your area of research. Find books in the library that are relevant and check them out. Set a specific time frame for how long you will search. It should not take more than two or three dedicated sessions.

Step Three: Find relevant excerpts in your books and articles:

Skim the contents of each book and article and look specifically for these five things:

1. Claims, conclusions, and findings about the constructs you are investigating

2. Definitions of terms

3. Calls for follow-up studies relevant to your project

4. Gaps you notice in the literature

5. Disagreement about the constructs you are investigating

When you find any of these five things, type the relevant excerpt directly into a Word document. Don’t summarize, as summarizing takes longer than simply typing the excerpt. Make sure to note the name of the author and the page number following each excerpt. Do this for each article and book that you have in your stack of literature. When you are done, print out your excerpts.

Step Four: Code the literature:

Get out a pair of scissors and cut each excerpt out. Now, sort the pieces of paper into similar topics. Figure out what the main themes are. Place each excerpt into a themed pile. Make sure each note goes into a pile. If there are excerpts that you can’t figure out where they belong, separate those and go over them again at the end to see if you need new categories. When you finish, place each stack of notes into an envelope labeled with the name of the theme.

Step Five: Create Your Conceptual Schema:

Type, in large font, the name of each of your coded themes. Print this out, and cut the titles into individual slips of paper. Take the slips of paper to a table or large workspace and figure out the best way to organize them. Are there ideas that go together or that are in dialogue with each other? Are there ideas that contradict each other? Move around the slips of paper until you come up with a way of organizing the codes that makes sense. Write the conceptual schema down before you forget or someone cleans up your slips of paper.

Step Six: Begin to Write Your Literature Review:

Choose any section of your conceptual schema to begin with. You can begin anywhere, because you already know the order. Find the envelope with the excerpts in them and lay them on the table in front of you. Figure out a mini-conceptual schema based on that theme by grouping together those excerpts that say the same thing. Use that mini-conceptual schema to write up your literature review based on the excerpts that you have in front of you. Don’t forget to include the citations as you write, so as not to lose track of who said what. Repeat this for each section of your literature review.

Once you complete these six steps, you will have a complete draft of your literature review. The great thing about this process is that it breaks down into manageable steps something that seems enormous: writing a literature review.

I think that Foss and Walter’s system for writing the literature review is ideal for a dissertation, because a Ph.D. candidate has already read widely in his or her field through graduate seminars and comprehensive exams.

It may be more challenging for M.A. students, unless you are already familiar with the literature. It is always hard to figure out how much you need to read for deep meaning, and how much you just need to know what others have said. That balance will depend on how much you already know.

For people writing literature reviews for articles or books, this system also could work, especially when you are writing in a field with which you are already familiar. The mere fact of having a system can make the literature review seem much less daunting, so I recommend this system for anyone who feels overwhelmed by the prospect of writing a literature review.

*Destination Dissertation: A Traveler's Guide to a Done Dissertation

Image Credit/Source: Goldmund Lukic/Getty Images

Watch our Webinar to help you get published

Please enter your Email Address

Please enter valid email address

Please Enter your First Name

Please enter your Last Name

Please enter your Questions or Comments.

Please enter the Privacy

Please enter the Terms & Conditions

How research content supports academic integrity

Finding time to publish as a medical student: 6 tips for Success

Software to Improve Reliability of Research Image Data: Wiley, Lumina, and Researchers at Harvard Medical School Work Together on Solutions

Driving Research Outcomes: Wiley Partners with CiteAb

ISBN, ISSN, DOI: what they are and how to find them

Image Collections for Medical Practitioners with TDS Health

How do you Discover Content?

Writing for Publication for Nurses (Mandarin Edition)

Get Published - Your How to Webinar

Finding time to publish as a medical student: 6 tips for success

Related articles.

Learn how Wiley partners with plagiarism detection services to support academic integrity around the world

Medical student Nicole Foley shares her top tips for writing and getting your work published.

Wiley and Lumina are working together to support the efforts of researchers at Harvard Medical School to develop and test new machine learning tools and artificial intelligence (AI) software that can

Learn more about our relationship with a company that helps scientists identify the right products to use in their research

What is ISBN? ISSN? DOI? Learn about some of the unique identifiers for book and journal content.

Learn how medical practitioners can easily access and search visual assets from our article portfolio

Explore free-to-use services that can help you discover new content

Watch this webinar to help you learn how to get published.

How to Easily Access the Most Relevant Research: A Q&A With the Creator of Scitrus

Atypon launches Scitrus, a personalized web app that allows users to create a customized feed of the latest research.

Effectively and Efficiently Creating your Paper

FOR INDIVIDUALS

FOR INSTITUTIONS & BUSINESSES

WILEY NETWORK

ABOUT WILEY

Corporate Responsibility

Corporate Governance

Leadership Team

Cookie Preferences

Copyright @ 2000-2024  by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., or related companies. All rights reserved, including rights for text and data mining and training of artificial technologies or similar technologies.

Rights & Permissions

Privacy Policy

Terms of Use

Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library

• Collections
• Research Help

YSN Doctoral Programs: Steps in Conducting a Literature Review

• Biomedical Databases
• Global (Public Health) Databases
• Soc. Sci., History, and Law Databases
• Grey Literature
• Trials Registers
• Data and Statistics
• Public Policy
• Google Tips
• Recommended Books
• Steps in Conducting a Literature Review

What is a literature review?

A literature review is an integrated analysis -- not just a summary-- of scholarly writings and other relevant evidence related directly to your research question.  That is, it represents a synthesis of the evidence that provides background information on your topic and shows a association between the evidence and your research question.

A literature review may be a stand alone work or the introduction to a larger research paper, depending on the assignment.  Rely heavily on the guidelines your instructor has given you.

Why is it important?

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.
• Discovers relationships between research studies/ideas.
• Identifies major themes, concepts, and researchers on a topic.
• Identifies critical gaps and points of disagreement.
• Discusses further research questions that logically come out of the previous studies.

APA7 Style resources

APA Style Blog - for those harder to find answers

1. Choose a topic. Define your research question.

Your literature review should be guided by your central research question.  The literature represents background and research developments related to a specific research question, interpreted and analyzed by you in a synthesized way.

• Make sure your research question is not too broad or too narrow.  Is it manageable?
• Begin writing down terms that are related to your question. These will be useful for searches later.
• If you have the opportunity, discuss your topic with your professor and your class mates.

2. Decide on the scope of your review

How many studies do you need to look at? How comprehensive should it be? How many years should it cover? 

• This may depend on your assignment.  How many sources does the assignment require?

3. Select the databases you will use to conduct your searches.

Make a list of the databases you will search. 

Where to find databases:

• use the tabs on this guide
• Find other databases in the Nursing Information Resources web page
• More on the Medical Library web page
• ... and more on the Yale University Library web page

4. Conduct your searches to find the evidence. Keep track of your searches.

• Use the key words in your question, as well as synonyms for those words, as terms in your search. Use the database tutorials for help.
• Save the searches in the databases. This saves time when you want to redo, or modify, the searches. It is also helpful to use as a guide is the searches are not finding any useful results.
• Review the abstracts of research studies carefully. This will save you time.
• Use the bibliographies and references of research studies you find to locate others.
• Check with your professor, or a subject expert in the field, if you are missing any key works in the field.
• Ask your librarian for help at any time.
• Use a citation manager, such as EndNote as the repository for your citations. See the EndNote tutorials for help.

Review the literature

Some questions to help you analyze the research:

• What was the research question of the study you are reviewing? What were the authors trying to discover?
• Was the research funded by a source that could influence the findings?
• What were the research methodologies? Analyze its literature review, the samples and variables used, the results, and the conclusions.
• Does the research seem to be complete? Could it have been conducted more soundly? What further questions does it raise?
• If there are conflicting studies, why do you think that is?
• How are the authors viewed in the field? Has this study been cited? If so, how has it been analyzed?

Tips: 

• Review the abstracts carefully.  
• Keep careful notes so that you may track your thought processes during the research process.
• Create a matrix of the studies for easy analysis, and synthesis, across all of the studies.
• << Previous: Recommended Books
• Last Updated: Jun 20, 2024 9:08 AM
• URL: https://guides.library.yale.edu/YSNDoctoral

• Privacy Policy

Home » Literature Review – Types Writing Guide and Examples

Literature Review – Types Writing Guide and Examples

Table of Contents

Literature Review

Definition:

A literature review is a comprehensive and critical analysis of the existing literature on a particular topic or research question. It involves identifying, evaluating, and synthesizing relevant literature, including scholarly articles, books, and other sources, to provide a summary and critical assessment of what is known about the topic.

Types of Literature Review

Types of Literature Review are as follows:

• Narrative literature review : This type of review involves a comprehensive summary and critical analysis of the available literature on a particular topic or research question. It is often used as an introductory section of a research paper.
• Systematic literature review: This is a rigorous and structured review that follows a pre-defined protocol to identify, evaluate, and synthesize all relevant studies on a specific research question. It is often used in evidence-based practice and systematic reviews.
• Meta-analysis: This is a quantitative review that uses statistical methods to combine data from multiple studies to derive a summary effect size. It provides a more precise estimate of the overall effect than any individual study.
• Scoping review: This is a preliminary review that aims to map the existing literature on a broad topic area to identify research gaps and areas for further investigation.
• Critical literature review : This type of review evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the existing literature on a particular topic or research question. It aims to provide a critical analysis of the literature and identify areas where further research is needed.
• Conceptual literature review: This review synthesizes and integrates theories and concepts from multiple sources to provide a new perspective on a particular topic. It aims to provide a theoretical framework for understanding a particular research question.
• Rapid literature review: This is a quick review that provides a snapshot of the current state of knowledge on a specific research question or topic. It is often used when time and resources are limited.
• Thematic literature review : This review identifies and analyzes common themes and patterns across a body of literature on a particular topic. It aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the literature and identify key themes and concepts.
• Realist literature review: This review is often used in social science research and aims to identify how and why certain interventions work in certain contexts. It takes into account the context and complexities of real-world situations.
• State-of-the-art literature review : This type of review provides an overview of the current state of knowledge in a particular field, highlighting the most recent and relevant research. It is often used in fields where knowledge is rapidly evolving, such as technology or medicine.
• Integrative literature review: This type of review synthesizes and integrates findings from multiple studies on a particular topic to identify patterns, themes, and gaps in the literature. It aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the current state of knowledge on a particular topic.
• Umbrella literature review : This review is used to provide a broad overview of a large and diverse body of literature on a particular topic. It aims to identify common themes and patterns across different areas of research.
• Historical literature review: This type of review examines the historical development of research on a particular topic or research question. It aims to provide a historical context for understanding the current state of knowledge on a particular topic.
• Problem-oriented literature review : This review focuses on a specific problem or issue and examines the literature to identify potential solutions or interventions. It aims to provide practical recommendations for addressing a particular problem or issue.
• Mixed-methods literature review : This type of review combines quantitative and qualitative methods to synthesize and analyze the available literature on a particular topic. It aims to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the research question by combining different types of evidence.

Parts of Literature Review

Parts of a literature review are as follows:

Introduction

The introduction of a literature review typically provides background information on the research topic and why it is important. It outlines the objectives of the review, the research question or hypothesis, and the scope of the review.

Literature Search

This section outlines the search strategy and databases used to identify relevant literature. The search terms used, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and any limitations of the search are described.

Literature Analysis

The literature analysis is the main body of the literature review. This section summarizes and synthesizes the literature that is relevant to the research question or hypothesis. The review should be organized thematically, chronologically, or by methodology, depending on the research objectives.

Critical Evaluation

Critical evaluation involves assessing the quality and validity of the literature. This includes evaluating the reliability and validity of the studies reviewed, the methodology used, and the strength of the evidence.

The conclusion of the literature review should summarize the main findings, identify any gaps in the literature, and suggest areas for future research. It should also reiterate the importance of the research question or hypothesis and the contribution of the literature review to the overall research project.

The references list includes all the sources cited in the literature review, and follows a specific referencing style (e.g., APA, MLA, Harvard).

How to write Literature Review

Here are some steps to follow when writing a literature review:

• Define your research question or topic : Before starting your literature review, it is essential to define your research question or topic. This will help you identify relevant literature and determine the scope of your review.
• Conduct a comprehensive search: Use databases and search engines to find relevant literature. Look for peer-reviewed articles, books, and other academic sources that are relevant to your research question or topic.
• Evaluate the sources: Once you have found potential sources, evaluate them critically to determine their relevance, credibility, and quality. Look for recent publications, reputable authors, and reliable sources of data and evidence.
• Organize your sources: Group the sources by theme, method, or research question. This will help you identify similarities and differences among the literature, and provide a structure for your literature review.
• Analyze and synthesize the literature : Analyze each source in depth, identifying the key findings, methodologies, and conclusions. Then, synthesize the information from the sources, identifying patterns and themes in the literature.
• Write the literature review : Start with an introduction that provides an overview of the topic and the purpose of the literature review. Then, organize the literature according to your chosen structure, and analyze and synthesize the sources. Finally, provide a conclusion that summarizes the key findings of the literature review, identifies gaps in knowledge, and suggests areas for future research.
• Edit and proofread: Once you have written your literature review, edit and proofread it carefully to ensure that it is well-organized, clear, and concise.

Examples of Literature Review

Here’s an example of how a literature review can be conducted for a thesis on the topic of “ The Impact of Social Media on Teenagers’ Mental Health”:

• Start by identifying the key terms related to your research topic. In this case, the key terms are “social media,” “teenagers,” and “mental health.”
• Use academic databases like Google Scholar, JSTOR, or PubMed to search for relevant articles, books, and other publications. Use these keywords in your search to narrow down your results.
• Evaluate the sources you find to determine if they are relevant to your research question. You may want to consider the publication date, author’s credentials, and the journal or book publisher.
• Begin reading and taking notes on each source, paying attention to key findings, methodologies used, and any gaps in the research.
• Organize your findings into themes or categories. For example, you might categorize your sources into those that examine the impact of social media on self-esteem, those that explore the effects of cyberbullying, and those that investigate the relationship between social media use and depression.
• Synthesize your findings by summarizing the key themes and highlighting any gaps or inconsistencies in the research. Identify areas where further research is needed.
• Use your literature review to inform your research questions and hypotheses for your thesis.

For example, after conducting a literature review on the impact of social media on teenagers’ mental health, a thesis might look like this:

“Using a mixed-methods approach, this study aims to investigate the relationship between social media use and mental health outcomes in teenagers. Specifically, the study will examine the effects of cyberbullying, social comparison, and excessive social media use on self-esteem, anxiety, and depression. Through an analysis of survey data and qualitative interviews with teenagers, the study will provide insight into the complex relationship between social media use and mental health outcomes, and identify strategies for promoting positive mental health outcomes in young people.”

Reference: Smith, J., Jones, M., & Lee, S. (2019). The effects of social media use on adolescent mental health: A systematic review. Journal of Adolescent Health, 65(2), 154-165. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2019.03.024

Reference Example: Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title of article. Title of Journal, volume number(issue number), page range. doi:0000000/000000000000 or URL

Applications of Literature Review

some applications of literature review in different fields:

• Social Sciences: In social sciences, literature reviews are used to identify gaps in existing research, to develop research questions, and to provide a theoretical framework for research. Literature reviews are commonly used in fields such as sociology, psychology, anthropology, and political science.
• Natural Sciences: In natural sciences, literature reviews are used to summarize and evaluate the current state of knowledge in a particular field or subfield. Literature reviews can help researchers identify areas where more research is needed and provide insights into the latest developments in a particular field. Fields such as biology, chemistry, and physics commonly use literature reviews.
• Health Sciences: In health sciences, literature reviews are used to evaluate the effectiveness of treatments, identify best practices, and determine areas where more research is needed. Literature reviews are commonly used in fields such as medicine, nursing, and public health.
• Humanities: In humanities, literature reviews are used to identify gaps in existing knowledge, develop new interpretations of texts or cultural artifacts, and provide a theoretical framework for research. Literature reviews are commonly used in fields such as history, literary studies, and philosophy.

Role of Literature Review in Research

Here are some applications of literature review in research:

• Identifying Research Gaps : Literature review helps researchers identify gaps in existing research and literature related to their research question. This allows them to develop new research questions and hypotheses to fill those gaps.
• Developing Theoretical Framework: Literature review helps researchers develop a theoretical framework for their research. By analyzing and synthesizing existing literature, researchers can identify the key concepts, theories, and models that are relevant to their research.
• Selecting Research Methods : Literature review helps researchers select appropriate research methods and techniques based on previous research. It also helps researchers to identify potential biases or limitations of certain methods and techniques.
• Data Collection and Analysis: Literature review helps researchers in data collection and analysis by providing a foundation for the development of data collection instruments and methods. It also helps researchers to identify relevant data sources and identify potential data analysis techniques.
• Communicating Results: Literature review helps researchers to communicate their results effectively by providing a context for their research. It also helps to justify the significance of their findings in relation to existing research and literature.

Purpose of Literature Review

Some of the specific purposes of a literature review are as follows:

• To provide context: A literature review helps to provide context for your research by situating it within the broader body of literature on the topic.
• To identify gaps and inconsistencies: A literature review helps to identify areas where further research is needed or where there are inconsistencies in the existing literature.
• To synthesize information: A literature review helps to synthesize the information from multiple sources and present a coherent and comprehensive picture of the current state of knowledge on the topic.
• To identify key concepts and theories : A literature review helps to identify key concepts and theories that are relevant to your research question and provide a theoretical framework for your study.
• To inform research design: A literature review can inform the design of your research study by identifying appropriate research methods, data sources, and research questions.

Characteristics of Literature Review

Some Characteristics of Literature Review are as follows:

• Identifying gaps in knowledge: A literature review helps to identify gaps in the existing knowledge and research on a specific topic or research question. By analyzing and synthesizing the literature, you can identify areas where further research is needed and where new insights can be gained.
• Establishing the significance of your research: A literature review helps to establish the significance of your own research by placing it in the context of existing research. By demonstrating the relevance of your research to the existing literature, you can establish its importance and value.
• Informing research design and methodology : A literature review helps to inform research design and methodology by identifying the most appropriate research methods, techniques, and instruments. By reviewing the literature, you can identify the strengths and limitations of different research methods and techniques, and select the most appropriate ones for your own research.
• Supporting arguments and claims: A literature review provides evidence to support arguments and claims made in academic writing. By citing and analyzing the literature, you can provide a solid foundation for your own arguments and claims.
• I dentifying potential collaborators and mentors: A literature review can help identify potential collaborators and mentors by identifying researchers and practitioners who are working on related topics or using similar methods. By building relationships with these individuals, you can gain valuable insights and support for your own research and practice.
• Keeping up-to-date with the latest research : A literature review helps to keep you up-to-date with the latest research on a specific topic or research question. By regularly reviewing the literature, you can stay informed about the latest findings and developments in your field.

Advantages of Literature Review

There are several advantages to conducting a literature review as part of a research project, including:

• Establishing the significance of the research : A literature review helps to establish the significance of the research by demonstrating the gap or problem in the existing literature that the study aims to address.
• Identifying key concepts and theories: A literature review can help to identify key concepts and theories that are relevant to the research question, and provide a theoretical framework for the study.
• Supporting the research methodology : A literature review can inform the research methodology by identifying appropriate research methods, data sources, and research questions.
• Providing a comprehensive overview of the literature : A literature review provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge on a topic, allowing the researcher to identify key themes, debates, and areas of agreement or disagreement.
• Identifying potential research questions: A literature review can help to identify potential research questions and areas for further investigation.
• Avoiding duplication of research: A literature review can help to avoid duplication of research by identifying what has already been done on a topic, and what remains to be done.
• Enhancing the credibility of the research : A literature review helps to enhance the credibility of the research by demonstrating the researcher’s knowledge of the existing literature and their ability to situate their research within a broader context.

Limitations of Literature Review

Limitations of Literature Review are as follows:

• Limited scope : Literature reviews can only cover the existing literature on a particular topic, which may be limited in scope or depth.
• Publication bias : Literature reviews may be influenced by publication bias, which occurs when researchers are more likely to publish positive results than negative ones. This can lead to an incomplete or biased picture of the literature.
• Quality of sources : The quality of the literature reviewed can vary widely, and not all sources may be reliable or valid.
• Time-limited: Literature reviews can become quickly outdated as new research is published, making it difficult to keep up with the latest developments in a field.
• Subjective interpretation : Literature reviews can be subjective, and the interpretation of the findings can vary depending on the researcher’s perspective or bias.
• Lack of original data : Literature reviews do not generate new data, but rather rely on the analysis of existing studies.
• Risk of plagiarism: It is important to ensure that literature reviews do not inadvertently contain plagiarism, which can occur when researchers use the work of others without proper attribution.

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

You may also like

Research Recommendations – Examples and Writing...

What is a Hypothesis – Types, Examples and...

Research Techniques – Methods, Types and Examples

Tables in Research Paper – Types, Creating Guide...

Research Results Section – Writing Guide and...

Thesis – Structure, Example and Writing Guide

University Libraries - Engineering Library

Comprehensive literature reviews.

• Lichtenberger Engineering Library
• College of Engineering
• Contact the Engineering Library
• Engineering Library staff
• Tool Library
• Circulation Policies
• Course Reserves
• Engineering Citation Guide
• Overview of the Creative Space
• Group Study Rooms
• Engineering Ethics Guide
• Engineering Resource Guide for Faculty and Researchers
• History of the Engineering Library at Iowa
• Events & Competitions

Do you need help with conducting a comprehensive literature review? Let’s start with…

Which types of reviews would be appropriate for your research topic? 

• Literature Reviews aim to summarize the critical points of current knowledge of a particular topic.
• Scoping/Mapping Reviews aim to address an exploratory research question by mapping key concepts, types of evidence, and gaps in research related to a defined area or field.
• Systematic Review is a research method that “aims to locate and summarize all available evidence for a specific question in order to guide decisions and practices” (Cochrane).

What are main stages of conducting a review?

The figure below is about a systematic review. Depending on the review type, the review process may vary.

What can the library help?

• Provide feedback on systematic review project protocols
• Identify sources, design search strategies, and manage search results
• Get you familiar with EndNote citation software for managing references
• Write up a method section describing search strategies for your report

Recorded Tutorials

Provide the following information when email Marina Zhang ([email protected]) and get your project started today!

• Title and which type of review (comprehensive, scoping/mapping or systematic reviews)
• Authors (provide names, institutions, emails and role of each contributor)
• Rationale (describe how this review project will contribute to current knowledge on the topic, or what gap in knowledge this review project will seek to fill)
• Objectives (Provide an explicit statement of the questions the review will address with reference to population, intervention, comparison, and outcome if you use the PICO framework)
• Eligibility criteria (state which criteria will be used to determine inclusion/exclusion eligibility: examples include PICO characteristics, study design, setting, time frame, language, etc.)
• Sample articles relevant to your research question

University Libraries

Literature review.

• What is a Literature Review?
• What is Its Purpose?
• 1. Select a Topic
• 2. Set the Topic in Context
• 3. Types of Information Sources
• 4. Use Information Sources
• 5. Get the Information
• 6. Organize / Manage the Information
• 7. Position the Literature Review
• 8. Write the Literature Review

A literature review is a comprehensive summary of previous research on a topic. The literature review surveys scholarly articles, books, and other sources relevant to a particular area of research.  The review should enumerate, describe, summarize, objectively evaluate and clarify this previous research.  It should give a theoretical base for the research and help you (the author) determine the nature of your research.  The literature review acknowledges the work of previous researchers, and in so doing, assures the reader that your work has been well conceived.  It is assumed that by mentioning a previous work in the field of study, that the author has read, evaluated, and assimiliated that work into the work at hand.

A literature review creates a "landscape" for the reader, giving her or him a full understanding of the developments in the field.  This landscape informs the reader that the author has indeed assimilated all (or the vast majority of) previous, significant works in the field into her or his research. 

 "In writing the literature review, the purpose is to convey to the reader what knowledge and ideas have been established on a topic, and what their strengths and weaknesses are. The literature review must be defined by a guiding concept (eg. your research objective, the problem or issue you are discussing, or your argumentative thesis). It is not just a descriptive list of the material available, or a set of summaries.( http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/specific-types-of-writing/literature-review )

Recommended Reading

• Next: What is Its Purpose? >>
• Last Updated: Oct 2, 2023 12:34 PM

• Find My Rep

You are here

Sage online ordering services are currently unavailable due to a service outage. We are working to restore service as soon as possible. In the meantime, our books are still available widely via retailers and online. Inspection copies can be requested direct from Vitalsource and Kortext . if you need further assistance please visit our Contact us page for further information.  Thank you for your patience and we apologise for the inconvenience.

Seven Steps to a Comprehensive Literature Review A Multimodal and Cultural Approach

• Anthony J. Onwuegbuzie
• Rebecca Frels - Lamar University, USA
• Description

What makes this book unique:

• Focuses on multimodal texts and settings such as observations, documents, social media, experts in the field and secondary data so that your review covers the full research environment
• Puts mixed methods at the centre of the process
• Shows you how to synthesize information thematically, rather than merely summarize the existing literature and findings
• Brings culture into the process to help you address bias and understand the role of knowledge interpretation, guiding you through
• Teaches the CORE of the literature review – Critical thinking, Organization, Reflections and Evaluation – and provides a guide for reflexivity at the end of each of the seven steps
• Visualizes the steps with roadmaps so you can track progress and self-evaluate as you learn the steps

This book is the essential best practices guide for students and researchers, providing the understanding and tools to approach both the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of a rigorous, comprehensive, literature review.

This is by far the most comprehensive text on how to do comprehensive literature reviews!  Onwuegbuzie and Frels skilfully demonstrate that review has a methodology of its own.  Both novice and experienced scholars will benefit from detailed examples and step-by-step demonstrations of ways to maximize the effectiveness of literature reviews to build new theories and develop better explanations of behaviours and outcomes. 

This is the most comprehensive and user-friendly book I’ve seen on how to conduct a literature review. The authors take the distinction of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research seriously, showing how each adds something important and how being open-minded results in the use of literature based on all three approaches. Overall, the book provides a process theory of literature review, that is done before, during, and after each research study.  It is a must read for both PhD students and research faculty.

With noteworthy scope of content, this book  is a must-have resource for beginning and experienced researchers alike. In addition to its effective pedagogical features such as visuals and end of chapter questions, this resource enables researchers to make informed decisions about the purposes of and procedures for undertaking a literature review. In so doing, the authors innovate and advance our understandings of the processes and products involved in a comprehensive literature review and provide practical guidance for each of the steps. I have been seeking such a book and plan to make this required reading for the graduate students I instruct, mentor, and supervise.

Seven Steps to a Comprehensive Literature Review is a comprehensive text book written to instruct master’s-level students, doctoral-level students, and new and experienced researchers in the process of writing a comprehensive literature review... Hopefully, this book will become an important text used by instructors as they guide college students into the writing of the literature review.

Sadly this book never arrived despite me being very interested to adopt for my MSc students dissertation stage.

The literature review is one of the toughest parts of any proposal (or postgraduate piece of work) for students to complete successfully because it asks the student to engage with the theory they will be using from the perspective of ideas alone. IT also asks the student to investigate other academics' work in a manner that they haven't really experienced before. All these "firsts" make the literature review a very confusing and oftentimes daunting process. Fortunately, "Seven Steps" provides the specific guidance that so many students need to navigate this difficult process. The systematic way in which the book approaches a topic that can be said to change with each application (e.g. How do you go about it? What to include? What to leave out? and most importantly, Why?) is indispensable for anyone teaching students new to postgraduate work, or for researchers looking for an alternative approach to a process they are otherwise well-acquainted with.

Very accessible book for students who wish to increase their capabilites in working at the front end of their papers.

Comprehensive, well structured book, which will be very useful to students planning a literature review.

this book is more relevant for the MSc students. it will be a good supplement for the student who wants to go a little further

it was actually a little more complex than I was hoping for. the text is dense and it is big book. for my BSc students it is jut a little too much

Preview this book

Sample materials & chapters.

Chapter 1: Foundations of the Literature Review

For instructors

Select a purchasing option.

• Electronic Order Options VitalSource Amazon Kindle Google Play eBooks.com Kobo

Related Products

Get science-backed answers as you write with Paperpal's Research feature

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. 

Find academic papers related to your research topic faster. Try Research on Paperpal  

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. 

Strengthen your literature review with factual insights. Try Research on Paperpal for free!    

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. 

Write and Cite as you go with Paperpal Research. Start now for free.   

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. 

Whether you’re exploring a new research field or finding new angles to develop an existing topic, sifting through hundreds of papers can take more time than you have to spare. But what if you could find science-backed insights with verified citations in seconds? That’s the power of Paperpal’s new Research feature!  

How to write a literature review faster with Paperpal?

Paperpal, an AI writing assistant, integrates powerful academic search capabilities within its writing platform. With the Research feature, you get 100% factual insights, with citations backed by 250M+ verified research articles, directly within your writing interface with the option to save relevant references in your Citation Library. By eliminating the need to switch tabs to find answers to all your research questions, Paperpal saves time and helps you stay focused on your writing.   

Here’s how to use the Research feature:  

• 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. 
• Review and Save: Paperpal summarizes the information, while citing sources and listing relevant reads. You can quickly scan the results to identify relevant references and save these directly to your built-in citations library for later access. 
• 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 . 

Paperpal is an AI writing assistant that help academics write better, faster with real-time suggestions for in-depth language and grammar correction. Trained on millions of research manuscripts enhanced by professional academic editors, Paperpal delivers human precision at machine speed.  

Try it for free or upgrade to  Paperpal Prime , which unlocks unlimited access to premium features like academic translation, paraphrasing, contextual synonyms, consistency checks and more. It’s like always having a professional academic editor by your side! Go beyond limitations and experience the future of academic writing.  Get Paperpal Prime now at just US$19 a month!

Related Reads:

• Empirical Research: A Comprehensive Guide for Academics 
• How to Write a Scientific Paper in 10 Steps 
• How Long Should a Chapter Be?
• How to Use Paperpal to Generate Emails & Cover Letters?

6 Tips for Post-Doc Researchers to Take Their Career to the Next Level

Self-plagiarism in research: what it is and how to avoid it, you may also like, how to structure an essay, leveraging generative ai to enhance student understanding of..., what’s the best chatgpt alternative for academic writing, how to write a good hook for essays,..., addressing peer review feedback and mastering manuscript revisions..., how paperpal can boost comprehension and foster interdisciplinary..., what is the importance of a concept paper..., how to write the first draft of a..., mla works cited page: format, template & examples, how to ace grant writing for research funding....

Conducting a Literature Review

• Literature Review
• Developing a Topic
• Planning Your Literature Review
• Developing a Search Strategy
• Managing Citations
• Critical Appraisal Tools
• Writing a Literature Review

Developing a Research Question

One of the hardest parts of a literature review is to develop a good research question.  You don't want a research question that is so broad it encompasses too many research areas, and can't be reasonably answered. 

Defining your topic may require an initial review of literature on your topic to get a sense of the scope about your topic.   Select a topic of interest, and do a preliminary search to see what kinds of research is being done and what is trending in that topic area.  This will give you a better sense of the topic, and help you focus your research question

In specifying your topic or research question, you should think about setting appropriate limitations on the research you are seeking. Limiting, for example, by time, personnel, gender, age, location, nationality etc. results in a more focused and meaningful topic. 

You may start with a general question:  

Why did the chicken cross the road? 

This question is so general that you could be gathering relevant research for days. 

A more precise research question might be:  

What are some of the environmental factors that occurred in New Jersey between January and June 2021 that would cause a chicken to cross Route 3?  

This research question is specific about a number of variables like time, geography, etc.  

Some Questions to Ask

Some questions to think about as you develop your literature review:

• What is known about the subject?
• Are there any gaps in the knowledge of the subject?
• Have areas of further study been identified by other researchers that you may want to consider?
• Who are the significant research personalities in this area?
• Is there consensus about the topic?
• What aspects have generated significant debate on the topic?
• What methods or problems were identified by others studying in the field and how might they impact your research?
• What is the most productive methodology for your research based on the literature you have reviewed?
• What is the current status of research in this area?
• What sources of information or data were identified that might be useful to you?
• 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?
• The Interprofessional Health Sciences Library
• 123 Metro Boulevard
• Nutley, NJ 07110
• [email protected]
• Student Services
• Parents and Families
• Career Center
• Web Accessibility
• Visiting Campus
• Public Safety
• Disability Support Services
• Campus Security Report
• Report a Problem
• Login to LibApps

• Locations and Hours
• UCLA Library
• Research Guides
• Biomedical Library Guides

Systematic Reviews

• Types of Literature Reviews

What Makes a Systematic Review Different from Other Types of Reviews?

• Planning Your Systematic Review
• Database Searching
• Creating the Search
• Search Filters and Hedges
• Grey Literature
• Managing and Appraising Results
• Further Resources

Reproduced from Grant, M. J. and Booth, A. (2009), A typology of reviews: an analysis of 14 review types and associated methodologies. Health Information & Libraries Journal, 26: 91–108. doi:10.1111/j.1471-1842.2009.00848.x

• << Previous: Home
• Next: Planning Your Systematic Review >>
• Last Updated: Apr 17, 2024 2:02 PM
• URL: https://guides.library.ucla.edu/systematicreviews

Information

• Author Services

Initiatives

You are accessing a machine-readable page. In order to be human-readable, please install an RSS reader.

All articles published by MDPI are made immediately available worldwide under an open access license. No special permission is required to reuse all or part of the article published by MDPI, including figures and tables. For articles published under an open access Creative Common CC BY license, any part of the article may be reused without permission provided that the original article is clearly cited. For more information, please refer to https://www.mdpi.com/openaccess .

Feature papers represent the most advanced research with significant potential for high impact in the field. A Feature Paper should be a substantial original Article that involves several techniques or approaches, provides an outlook for future research directions and describes possible research applications.

Feature papers are submitted upon individual invitation or recommendation by the scientific editors and must receive positive feedback from the reviewers.

Editor’s Choice articles are based on recommendations by the scientific editors of MDPI journals from around the world. Editors select a small number of articles recently published in the journal that they believe will be particularly interesting to readers, or important in the respective research area. The aim is to provide a snapshot of some of the most exciting work published in the various research areas of the journal.

Original Submission Date Received: .

• Active Journals
• Find a Journal
• Proceedings Series
• For Authors
• For Reviewers
• For Editors
• For Librarians
• For Publishers
• For Societies
• For Conference Organizers
• Open Access Policy
• Institutional Open Access Program
• Special Issues Guidelines
• Editorial Process
• Research and Publication Ethics
• Article Processing Charges
• Testimonials
• Preprints.org
• SciProfiles
• Encyclopedia

Article Menu

• Subscribe SciFeed
• Recommended Articles
• Google Scholar
• on Google Scholar
• Table of Contents

Find support for a specific problem in the support section of our website.

Please let us know what you think of our products and services.

Visit our dedicated information section to learn more about MDPI.

JSmol Viewer

Alzheimer’s disease and epilepsy: exploring shared pathways and promising biomarkers for future treatments.

1. Introduction

2. materials and methods, 3.1. epidemiological data describing the comorbidity of alzheimer’s disease and epilepsy, 3.2. risk factors implicated in both alzheimer’s disease and epilepsy, 3.2.1. shared risk factors between alzheimer’s disease and epilepsy, 3.2.2. risk factors for epilepsy in individuals with alzheimer’s disease, 3.2.3. risk factors for dementia in epileptic patients, 3.3. shared pathogenetic mechanisms between alzheimer’s disease and epilepsy, 3.3.1. amyloid-β, 3.3.2. hyperphosphorylated tau protein, 3.3.3. glutamate, 3.3.4. gamma-aminobutyric acid, 3.3.5. neuroinflammation, 3.3.6. acetylcholine—noradrenaline—serotonin activity, 3.3.7. voltage-gated ion channels, 3.3.8. mitochondria–endoplasmic reticulum stress, 3.3.9. astrocytes, 3.3.10. beta-secretase 1, 3.3.11. mechanistic target of rapamycin, 3.3.12. triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells, 3.3.13. α-synuclein, 3.3.14. neural network, 3.3.15. the role of sleep, 3.3.16. others, 3.4. seizure types, 3.5. electroencephalography, 3.6. biomarkers, 3.6.1. cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers, 3.6.2. neuroimaging findings, 3.6.3. cognitive testing, 3.6.4. genetic associations, 3.6.5. electroencephalographic markers, 3.7. therapy, 4. discussion, conflicts of interest, abbreviations.

• World Health Organization. Dementia 2023. (Updated 15 March 2023). Available online: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dementia (accessed on 30 May 2024).
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A Public Health Approach to Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias. 2019. Available online: https://www.cdc.gov/aging/services/pdf/Public-Health-Approach-to-Alzheimers-and-Other-Dementias-complete-course-508.pdf (accessed on 30 May 2024).
• World Health Organization. Epilepsy: A Public Health Imperative ; World Health Organization: Geneva, Switzerland, 2019. [ Google Scholar ]
• Vicente, M.; Addo-Osafo, K.; Vossel, K. Latest advances in mechanisms of epileptic activity in Alzheimer’s disease and dementia with Lewy Bodies. Front. Neurol. 2024 , 15 , 1277613. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Lee, D.A.; Lee, H.J.; Kim, S.E.; Park, K.M. Brain networks and epilepsy development in patients with Alzheimer disease. Brain Behav. 2023 , 13 , e3152. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Helmstaedter, C.; Lutz, T.; Wolf, V.; Witt, J.A. Prevalence of dementia in a level 4 university epilepsy center: How big is the problem? Front. Neurol. 2023 , 14 , 1217594. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Hickman, L.B.; Stern, J.M.; Silverman, D.H.S.; Salamon, N.; Vossel, K. Clinical, imaging, and biomarker evidence of amyloid- and tau-related neurodegeneration in late-onset epilepsy of unknown etiology. Front. Neurol. 2023 , 14 , 1241638. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Tan, Z.; Wang, F.Y.; Wu, W.P.; Yu, L.Z.; Wu, J.C.; Wang, L. Bidirectional relationship between late-onset epilepsy (LOE) and dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. Epilepsy Behav. 2024 , 153 , 109723. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Zhang, D.; Chen, S.; Xu, S.; Wu, J.; Zhuang, Y.; Cao, W.; Chen, X.; Li, X. The clinical correlation between Alzheimer’s disease and epilepsy. Front. Neurol. 2022 , 13 , 922535. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Zhao, N.; Chen, H.; Zhang, W.; Yao, J.; Tu, Q.; Yu, X.; Sun, X. Bidirectional influences between seizures and dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Int. J. Geriatr. Psychiatry 2022 , 37 . [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Yang, F.; Chen, L.; Yu, Y.; Xu, T.; Chen, L.; Yang, W.; Wu, Q.; Han, Y. Alzheimer’s disease and epilepsy: An increasingly recognized comorbidity. Front. Aging Neurosci. 2022 , 14 , 940515. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Chen, L.; Yang, W.; Yang, F.; Yu, Y.; Xu, T.; Wang, D.; Zhao, Q.; Wu, Q.; Han, Y. The crosstalk between epilepsy and dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Epilepsy Behav. 2024 , 152 , 109640. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Nous, A.; Seynaeve, L.; Feys, O.; Wens, V.; De Tiège, X.; Van Mierlo, P.; Baroumand, A.G.; Nieboer, K.; Allemeersch, G.J.; Mangelschots, S.; et al. Subclinical epileptiform activity in the Alzheimer continuum: Association with disease, cognition and detection method. Alzheimers Res. Ther. 2024 , 16 , 19. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Lee, H.C.; Kim, B.K.; Kang, K.; Lee, W.W.; Yoo, I.; Kim, Y.S.; Lee, J.J. Aphasic Status Epilepticus Associated with Alzheimer’s Disease: Clinical and Electrographic Characteristics. J. Epilepsy Res. 2023 , 13 , 55–58. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Lu, O.; Kouser, T.; Skylar-Scott, I.A. Alzheimer’s disease and epilepsy: Shared neuropathology guides current and future treatment strategies. Front. Neurol. 2023 , 14 , 1241339. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Dun, C.; Zhang, Y.; Yin, J.; Su, B.; Peng, X.; Liu, L. Bi-directional associations of epilepsy with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Age Ageing 2022 , 51 , afac010. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Zheng, S.F.; Hu, J.J.; Zhang, Y.B.; Chen, G.R.; Lin, Y.X.; Kang, D.Z.; Lin, Z.Y.; Yao, P.S. Lack of causal association between epilepsy and dementia: A Mendelian randomization analysis. Epilepsy Behav. 2024 , 150 , 109570. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Kawakami, O.; Koike, Y.; Ando, T.; Sugiura, M.; Kato, H.; Hiraga, K.; Kito, H.; Kondo, H. Incidence of dementia in patients with adult-onset epilepsy of unknown causes. J. Neurol. Sci. 2018 , 395 , 71–76. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Del Pozo, A.; Knox, K.M.; Lehmann, L.M.; Davidson, S.; Rho, S.L.; Jayadev, S.; Barker-Haliski, M. Chronic evoked seizures in young pre-symptomatic APP/PS1 mice induce serotonin changes and accelerate onset of Alzheimer’s disease-related neuropathology. Prog. Neurobiol. 2024 , 235 , 102591. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Haoudy, S.; Jonveaux, T.; Puisieux, S.; Epstein, J.; Hopes, L.; Maillard, L.; Aron, O.; Tyvaert, L. Epilepsy in Early Onset Alzheimer’s Disease. J. Alzheimers Dis. 2022 , 85 , 615–626. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Cano, A.; Fonseca, E.; Ettcheto, M.; Sánchez-López, E.; de Rojas, I.; Alonso-Lana, S.; Morató, X.; Souto, E.B.; Toledo, M.; Boada, M.; et al. Epilepsy in Neurodegenerative Diseases: Related Drugs and Molecular Pathways. Pharmaceuticals 2021 , 14 , 1057. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Ciliento, R.; Gjini, K.; Dabbs, K.; Hermann, B.; Riedner, B.; Jones, S.; Fatima, S.; Johnson, S.; Bendlin, B.; Lam, A.D.; et al. Prevalence and localization of nocturnal epileptiform discharges in mild cognitive impairment. Brain Commun. 2023 , 5 , fcad302. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Vöglein, J.; Noachtar, S.; McDade, E.; Quaid, K.A.; Salloway, S.; Ghetti, B.; Noble, J.; Berman, S.; Chhatwal, J.; Mori, H.; et al. Seizures as an early symptom of autosomal dominant Alzheimer’s disease. Neurobiol. Aging 2019 , 76 , 18–23. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Cortini, F.; Cantoni, C.; Villa, C. Epileptic seizures in autosomal dominant forms of Alzheimer’s disease. Seizure—Eur. J. Epilepsy 2018 , 61 , 4–7. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Nagino, N.; Kubota, Y.; Nakamoto, H.; Miyao, S.; Kodama, T.; Ito, S.; Oguni, H.; Chernov, M. Non-lesional late-onset epilepsy in the elderly Japanese patients: Presenting characteristics and seizure outcomes with regard to comorbid dementia. J. Clin. Neurosci. 2022 , 103 , 100–106. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Leitner, D.F.; Kanshin, E.; Faustin, A.; Thierry, M.; Friedman, D.; Devore, S.; Ueberheide, B.; Devinsky, O.; Wisniewski, T. Localized proteomic differences in the choroid plexus of Alzheimer’s disease and epilepsy patients. Front. Neurol. 2023 , 14 , 1221775. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Altuna, M.; Olmedo-Saura, G.; Carmona-Iragui, M.; Fortea, J. Mechanisms Involved in Epileptogenesis in Alzheimer’s Disease and Their Therapeutic Implications. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022 , 23 , 4307. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Kazim, S.F.; Seo, J.H.; Bianchi, R.; Larson, C.S.; Sharma, A.; Wong, R.K.S.; Gorbachev, K.Y.; Pereira, A.C. Neuronal Network Excitability in Alzheimer’s Disease: The Puzzle of Similar versus Divergent Roles of Amyloid β and Tau. eNeuro 2021 , 8 , 1–35. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Csernus, E.A.; Werber, T.; Kamondi, A.; Horvath, A.A. The Significance of Subclinical Epileptiform Activity in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Review. Front. Neurol. 2022 , 13 , 856500. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Horvath, A.A.; Papp, A.; Zsuffa, J.; Szucs, A.; Luckl, J.; Radai, F.; Nagy, F.; Hidasi, Z.; Csukly, G.; Barcs, G.; et al. Subclinical epileptiform activity accelerates the progression of Alzheimer’s disease: A long-term EEG study. Clin. Neurophysiol. 2021 , 132 , 1982–1989. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Yeh, W.-C.; Hsu, C.-Y.; Li, K.-Y.; Chien, C.-F.; Huang, L.-C.; Yang, Y.-H. Association between Subclinical Epileptiform Discharge and the Severity of Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Longitudinal Cohort Study. J. Alzheimer’s Dis. 2022 , 90 , 305–312. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Devulder, A.; Macea, J.; Kalkanis, A.; De Winter, F.L.; Vandenbulcke, M.; Vandenberghe, R.; Testelmans, D.; Van Den Bossche, M.J.A.; Van Paesschen, W. Subclinical epileptiform activity and sleep disturbances in Alzheimer’s disease. Brain Behav. 2023 , 13 , e3306. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Baker, J.; Libretto, T.; Henley, W.; Zeman, A. A Longitudinal Study of Epileptic Seizures in Alzheimer’s Disease. Front. Neurol. 2019 , 10 , 1266. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Lehmann, L.; Lo, A.; Knox, K.M.; Barker-Haliski, M. Alzheimer’s Disease and Epilepsy: A Perspective on the Opportunities for Overlapping Therapeutic Innovation. Neurochem. Res. 2021 , 46 , 1895–1912. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Das, M.; Mao, W.; Voskobiynyk, Y.; Necula, D.; Lew, I.; Petersen, C.; Zahn, A.; Yu, G.Q.; Yu, X.; Smith, N.; et al. Alzheimer risk-increasing TREM2 variant causes aberrant cortical synapse density and promotes network hyperexcitability in mouse models. Neurobiol. Dis. 2023 , 186 , 106263. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Fu, M.; Tran, T.; Eskin, E.; Lajonchere, C.; Pasaniuc, B.; Geschwind, D.H.; Vossel, K.; Chang, T.S. Multi-class Modeling Identifies Shared Genetic Risk for Late-onset Epilepsy and Alzheimer’s Disease. medRxiv 2024 . [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Wijaya, A.; Setiawan, N.A.; Ahmad, A.H.; Zakaria, R.; Othman, Z. Electroencephalography and mild cognitive impairment research: A scoping review and bibliometric analysis (ScoRBA). AIMS Neurosci. 2023 , 10 , 154–171. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Lyou, H.J.; Seo, K.D.; Lee, J.E.; Pak, H.Y.; Lee, J.H. Association of Alzheimer’s Disease with the Risk of Developing Epilepsy: A 10-Year Nationwide Cohort Study. Dement. Neurocogn Disord. 2018 , 17 , 156–162. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Lamoureux, L.; Marottoli, F.M.; Tseng, K.Y.; Tai, L.M. APOE4 Promotes Tonic-Clonic Seizures, an Effect Modified by Familial Alzheimer’s Disease Mutations. Front. Cell Dev. Biol. 2021 , 9 , 656521. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Keret, O.; Hoang, T.D.; Xia, F.; Rosen, H.J.; Yaffe, K. Association of Late-Onset Unprovoked Seizures of Unknown Etiology with the Risk of Developing Dementia in Older Veterans. JAMA Neurol. 2020 , 77 , 710–715. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Cretin, B.; Bousiges, O.; Hautecloque, G.; Philippi, N.; Blanc, F.; Dibitonto, L.; Martin-Hunyadi, C.; Sellal, F. CSF in Epileptic Prodromal Alzheimer’s Disease: No Diagnostic Contribution but a Pathophysiological One. Front. Neurol. 2021 , 12 , 623777. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Powell, G.; Ziso, B.; Larner, A.J. The overlap between epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease and the consequences for treatment. Expert. Rev. Neurother. 2019 , 19 , 653–661. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Emsley, H.C.A.; Parkes, L.M. Seizures in the context of occult cerebrovascular disease. Epilepsy Behav. 2020 , 104 Pt B , 106396. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Turon, M.; Abraira, L.; Cazorla, S.; Fonseca, E.; Quintana, M.; Toledo, M.; Salas-Puig, X.; Santamarina, E. Vascular risk factors as independent predictors of neurocognitive impairments in patients with late-onset epilepsy who have small-vessel disease. Epilepsy Behav. 2020 , 104 Pt B , 106443. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Huang, L.; Fu, C.; Li, J.; Peng, S. Late-onset epilepsy and the risk of dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Aging Clin. Exp. Res. 2022 , 34 , 1771–1779. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Milikovsky, D.Z.; Ofer, J.; Senatorov, V.V.; Friedman, A.R.; Prager, O.; Sheintuch, L.; Elazari, N.; Veksler, R.; Zelig, D.; Weissberg, I.; et al. Paroxysmal slow cortical activity in Alzheimer’s disease and epilepsy is associated with blood-brain barrier dysfunction. Sci. Transl. Med. 2019 , 11 , eaaw8954. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Sen, A.; Capelli, V.; Husain, M. Cognition and dementia in older patients with epilepsy. Brain 2018 , 141 , 1592–1608. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Paudel, Y.N.; Angelopoulou, E.; Jones, N.C.; O’Brien, T.J.; Kwan, P.; Piperi, C.; Othman, I.; Shaikh, M.F. Tau Related Pathways as a Connecting Link between Epilepsy and Alzheimer’s Disease. ACS Chem. Neurosci. 2019 , 10 , 4199–4212. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Xu, Y.; Lavrencic, L.; Radford, K.; Booth, A.; Yoshimura, S.; Anstey, K.J.; Anderson, C.S.; Peters, R. Systematic review of coexistent epileptic seizures and Alzheimer’s disease: Incidence and prevalence. J. Am. Geriatr. Soc. 2021 , 69 , 2011–2020. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Asadollahi, M.; Atazadeh, M.; Noroozian, M. Seizure in Alzheimer’s Disease: An Underestimated Phenomenon. Am. J. Alzheimer’s Dis. Other Dement. 2018 , 34 , 81–88. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Horváth, A.; Szűcs, A.; Hidasi, Z.; Csukly, G.; Barcs, G.; Kamondi, A. Prevalence, Semiology, and Risk Factors of Epilepsy in Alzheimer’s Disease: An Ambulatory EEG Study. J. Alzheimer’s Dis. 2018 , 63 , 1045–1054. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Tábuas-Pereira, M.; Durães, J.; Lopes, J.; Sales, F.; Bento, C.; Duro, D.; Santiago, B.; Almeida, M.R.; Leitão, M.J.; Baldeiras, I.; et al. Increased CSF tau is associated with a higher risk of seizures in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Epilepsy Behav. 2019 , 98 , 207–209. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Tai, X.Y.; Torzillo, E.; Lyall, D.M.; Manohar, S.; Husain, M.; Sen, A. Association of Dementia Risk With Focal Epilepsy and Modifiable Cardiovascular Risk Factors. JAMA Neurol. 2023 , 80 , 445–454. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Hernández, G.; Sala-Padró, J.; Adell, V.; Rico, I.; Gasa-Roqué, A.; Morandeira, F.; Campdelacreu, J.; Gascon, J.; Falip, M. Cognitive decline in adult-onset temporal lobe epilepsy: Insights from aetiology. Clin. Neurol. Neurosurg. 2024 , 237 , 108159. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Tsai, Z.R.; Zhang, H.W.; Tseng, C.H.; Peng, H.C.; Kok, V.C.; Li, G.P.; Hsiung, C.A.; Hsu, C.Y. Late-onset epilepsy and subsequent increased risk of dementia. Aging 2021 , 13 , 3573–3587. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Xu, L.; Wang, Q. The bidirectional relationship between Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and epilepsy: A Mendelian randomization study. Brain Behav. 2023 , 13 , e3221. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Mao, R.; Hu, M.; Liu, X.; Ye, L.; Xu, B.; Sun, M.; Xu, S.; Shao, W.; Tan, Y.; Xu, Y.; et al. Impairments of GABAergic transmission in hippocampus mediate increased susceptibility of epilepsy in the early stage of Alzheimer’s disease. Cell Commun. Signal 2024 , 22 , 147. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Martin, S.P.; Leeman-Markowski, B.A. Proposed mechanisms of tau: Relationships to traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer’s disease, and epilepsy. Front. Neurol. 2023 , 14 , 1287545. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Leitner, D.; Pires, G.; Kavanagh, T.; Kanshin, E.; Askenazi, M.; Ueberheide, B.; Devinsky, O.; Wisniewski, T.; Drummond, E. Similar brain proteomic signatures in Alzheimer’s disease and epilepsy. Acta Neuropathol. 2024 , 147 , 27. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Szabo, A.B.; Cretin, B.; Gérard, F.; Curot, J.; Barbeau, E.J.; Pariente, J.; Dahan, L.; Valton, L. Sleep: The Tip of the Iceberg in the Bidirectional Link Between Alzheimer’s Disease and Epilepsy. Front. Neurol. 2022 , 13 , 836292. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Hector, A.; Brouillette, J. Hyperactivity Induced by Soluble Amyloid-β Oligomers in the Early Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease. Front. Mol. Neurosci. 2020 , 13 , 600084. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Bosco, F.; Guarnieri, L.; Rania, V.; Palma, E.; Citraro, R.; Corasaniti, M.T.; Leo, A.; De Sarro, G. Antiseizure Medications in Alzheimer’s Disease from Preclinical to Clinical Evidence. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023 , 24 , 2639. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Lemus, H.N.; Sarkis, R.A. Interictal epileptiform discharges in Alzheimer’s disease: Prevalence, relevance, and controversies. Front. Neurol. 2023 , 14 , 1261136. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Toral-Rios, D.; Pichardo-Rojas, P.S.; Alonso-Vanegas, M.; Campos-Peña, V. GSK3β and Tau Protein in Alzheimer’s Disease and Epilepsy. Front. Cell Neurosci. 2020 , 14 , 19. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Sarkis, R.A.; Willment, K.C.; Pennell, P.B.; Marshall, G. Late-onset unexplained epilepsy: What are we missing? Epilepsy Behav. 2019 , 99 , 106478. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Leo, A.; Tallarico, M.; Sciaccaluga, M.; Citraro, R.; Costa, C. Epilepsy and Alzheimer’s Disease: Current Concepts and Treatment Perspective on Two Closely Related Pathologies. Curr. Neuropharmacol. 2022 , 20 , 2029–2033. [ Google Scholar ]
• Yook, Y.; Lee, K.Y.; Kim, E.; Lizarazo, S.; Yu, X.; Tsai, N.P. Hyperfunction of post-synaptic density protein 95 promotes seizure response in early-stage aβ pathology. EMBO Rep. 2024 , 25 , 1233–1255. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Banote, R.K.; Håkansson, S.; Zetterberg, H.; Zelano, J. CSF biomarkers in patients with epilepsy in Alzheimer’s disease: A nation-wide study. Brain Commun. 2022 , 4 , fcac210. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Zawar, I.; Kapur, J. Does Alzheimer’s disease with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy represent a distinct disease subtype? Alzheimers Dement. 2023 , 19 , 2697–2706. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Silva, J.C.; Vivash, L.; Malpas, C.B.; Hao, Y.; McLean, C.; Chen, Z.; O’Brien, T.J.; Jones, N.C.; Kwan, P. Low prevalence of amyloid and tau pathology in drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy. Epilepsia 2021 , 62 , 3058–3067. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Carello-Collar, G.; Bellaver, B.; Ferreira, P.C.L.; Ferrari-Souza, J.P.; Ramos, V.G.; Therriault, J.; Tissot, C.; De Bastiani, M.A.; Soares, C.; Pascoal, T.A.; et al. The GABAergic system in Alzheimer’s disease: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Mol. Psychiatry 2023 , 28 , 5025–5036. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Tang, T.; Li, X.; Yu, E.; Li, M.; Pan, X. Identification of common core ion channel genes in epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease. Ir. J. Med. Sci. 2024 , 193 , 417–424. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Liew, Y.; Retinasamy, T.; Arulsamy, A.; Ali, I.; Jones, N.C.; O’Brien, T.J.; Shaikh, M.F. Neuroinflammation: A Common Pathway in Alzheimer’s Disease and Epilepsy. J. Alzheimers Dis. 2023 , 94 , S253–s265. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Zheng, X.Y.; Zhang, H.C.; Lv, Y.D.; Jin, F.Y.; Wu, X.J.; Zhu, J.; Ruan, Y. Levetiracetam alleviates cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease animal model by ameliorating the dysfunction of the neuronal network. Front. Aging Neurosci. 2022 , 14 , 888784. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Chen, Z.R.; Huang, J.B.; Yang, S.L.; Hong, F.F. Role of Cholinergic Signaling in Alzheimer’s Disease. Molecules 2022 , 27 , 1816. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Wang, Y.; Tan, B.; Wang, Y.; Chen, Z. Cholinergic Signaling, Neural Excitability, and Epilepsy. Molecules 2021 , 26 , 2258. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Giorgi, F.S.; Saccaro, L.F.; Busceti, C.L.; Biagioni, F.; Fornai, F. Epilepsy and Alzheimer’s Disease: Potential mechanisms for an association. Brain Res. Bull. 2020 , 160 , 107–120. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Yun, H.M.; Park, K.R.; Kim, E.C.; Kim, S.; Hong, J.T. Serotonin 6 receptor controls Alzheimer’s disease and depression. Oncotarget 2015 , 6 , 26716–26728. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Tian, J.; Du, E.; Guo, L. Mitochondrial Interaction with Serotonin in Neurobiology and Its Implication in Alzheimer’s Disease. J. Alzheimers Dis. Rep. 2023 , 7 , 1165–1177. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Acquarone, E.; Argyrousi, E.K.; Arancio, O.; Watterson, D.M.; Roy, S.M. The 5HT2b Receptor in Alzheimer’s Disease: Increased Levels in Patient Brains and Antagonist Attenuation of Amyloid and Tau Induced Dysfunction. J. Alzheimers Dis. 2024 , 98 , 1349–1360. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Eremin, D.V.; Kondaurova, E.M.; Rodnyy, A.Y.; Molobekova, C.A.; Kudlay, D.A.; Naumenko, V.S. Serotonin Receptors as a Potential Target in the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease. Biochemistry 2023 , 88 , 2023–2042. [ Google Scholar ]
• Sayahi, Z.; Komaki, A.; Saidi Jam, M.; Karimi, S.A.; Raoufi, S.; Mardani, P.; Naderishahab, M.; Sarihi, A.; Mirnajafi-Zadeh, J. Effect of ramosetron, a 5-HT(3) receptor antagonist on the severity of seizures and memory impairment in electrical amygdala kindled rats. J. Physiol. Sci. 2022 , 72 , 1. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Cai, L.; Xu, Z.; Luo, H.; He, Q.; Diao, L.; Gui, X.; Wei, L. The association between 5-HT1A binding and temporal lobe epilepsy: A meta-analysis of molecular imaging studies. Epilepsy Behav. 2023 , 145 , 109354. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Rizzello, E.; Pimpinella, D.; Pignataro, A.; Titta, G.; Merenda, E.; Saviana, M.; Porcheddu, G.F.; Paolantoni, C.; Malerba, F.; Giorgi, C.; et al. Lamotrigine rescues neuronal alterations and prevents seizure-induced memory decline in an Alzheimer’s disease mouse model. Neurobiol. Dis. 2023 , 181 , 106106. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Kang, J.Q. Epileptic Mechanisms Shared by Alzheimer’s Disease: Viewed via the Unique Lens of Genetic Epilepsy. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021 , 22 , 7133. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Bosco, D.B.; Kremen, V.; Haruwaka, K.; Zhao, S.; Wang, L.; Ebner, B.A.; Zheng, J.; Dheer, A.; Perry, J.F.; Xie, M.; et al. Impaired microglial phagocytosis promotes seizure development. bioRxiv 2024 . [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Tosun, D.; Hausle, Z.; Iwaki, H.; Thropp, P.; Lamoureux, J.; Lee, E.B.; MacLeod, K.; McEvoy, S.; Nalls, M.; Perrin, R.J.; et al. A cross-sectional study of α-synuclein seed amplification assay in Alzheimer’s disease neuroimaging initiative: Prevalence and associations with Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers and cognitive function. Alzheimers Dement. 2024 . [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Horvath, A.A.; Csernus, E.A.; Lality, S.; Kaminski, R.M.; Kamondi, A. Inhibiting Epileptiform Activity in Cognitive Disorders: Possibilities for a Novel Therapeutic Approach. Front. Neurosci. 2020 , 14 , 557416. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Hanke, J.M.; Schindler, K.A.; Seiler, A. On the relationships between epilepsy, sleep, and Alzheimer’s disease: A narrative review. Epilepsy Behav. 2022 , 129 , 108609. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Sánchez, M.P.; García-Cabrero, A.M.; Sánchez-Elexpuru, G.; Burgos, D.F.; Serratosa, J.M. Tau-Induced Pathology in Epilepsy and Dementia: Notions from Patients and Animal Models. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018 , 19 , 1092. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Fang, Y.; Si, X.; Wang, J.; Wang, Z.; Chen, Y.; Liu, Y.; Yan, Y.; Tian, J.; Zhang, B.; Pu, J. Alzheimer Disease and Epilepsy: A Mendelian Randomization Study. Neurology 2023 , 101 , e399–e409. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Rey, C.; Cattaud, V.; Rampon, C.; Verret, L. What’s New on Alzheimer’s Disease? Insights From AD Mouse Models ; Elsevier: Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2019. [ Google Scholar ]
• Song, S.; Chen, J.; Xiao, P.; Duan, H.; Zhou, Y.; Wang, F.; Wang, H.; Zhao, Y.; Geng, Z. Role of Macrophages in Status Epilepticus Predisposing to Alzheimer’s Disease. J. Alzheimers Dis. 2020 , 73 , 375–382. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Lin, R.; Jones, N.C.; Kwan, P. Unravelling the Role of Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3 in Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Epileptic Seizures. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020 , 21 , 3676. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Jiang, X.; Lu, H.; Liu, W.; Wu, Z.; Wu, Q.; Li, X.; Xu, Z.; Hui, F.; Zhao, Q. The overlap between Alzheimer’s disease and epilepsy uncovered by transcriptome sequencing. Clin. Transl. Med. 2020 , 10 , e169. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Fu, C.H.; Iascone, D.M.; Petrof, I.; Hazra, A.; Zhang, X.; Pyfer, M.S.; Tosi, U.; Corbett, B.F.; Cai, J.; Lee, J.; et al. Early Seizure Activity Accelerates Depletion of Hippocampal Neural Stem Cells and Impairs Spatial Discrimination in an Alzheimer’s Disease Model. Cell Rep. 2019 , 27 , 3741–3751.e4. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Lehmann, L.M.; Barker-Haliski, M. Loss of normal Alzheimer’s disease-associated Presenilin 2 function alters antiseizure medicine potency and tolerability in the 6-Hz focal seizure model. Front. Neurol. 2023 , 14 , 1223472. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Cope, Z.A.; Murai, T.; Sukoff Rizzo, S.J. Emerging Electroencephalographic Biomarkers to Improve Preclinical to Clinical Translation in Alzheimer’s Disease. Front. Aging Neurosci. 2022 , 14 , 805063. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Yu, T.; Liu, X.; Wu, J.; Wang, Q. Electrophysiological Biomarkers of Epileptogenicity in Alzheimer’s Disease. Front. Hum. Neurosci. 2021 , 15 , 747077. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Lam, A.D.; Sarkis, R.A.; Pellerin, K.R.; Jing, J.; Dworetzky, B.A.; Hoch, D.B.; Jacobs, C.S.; Lee, J.W.; Weisholtz, D.S.; Zepeda, R.; et al. Association of epileptiform abnormalities and seizures in Alzheimer disease. Neurology 2020 , 95 , e2259–e2270. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Musaeus, C.S.; Frederiksen, K.S.; Andersen, B.B.; Høgh, P.; Kidmose, P.; Fabricius, M.; Hribljan, M.C.; Hemmsen, M.C.; Rank, M.L.; Waldemar, G.; et al. Detection of subclinical epileptiform discharges in Alzheimer’s disease using long-term outpatient EEG monitoring. Neurobiol. Dis. 2023 , 183 , 106149. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Johnson, E.L.; Sullivan, K.J.; Schneider, A.L.C.; Simino, J.; Mosley, T.H.; Kucharska-Newton, A.; Knopman, D.S.; Gottesman, R.F. Association of Plasma Aβ(42)/Aβ(40) Ratio and Late-Onset Epilepsy: Results From the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. Neurology 2023 , 101 , e1319–e1327. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Nardi Cesarini, E.; Babiloni, C.; Salvadori, N.; Farotti, L.; Del Percio, C.; Pascarelli, M.T.; Noce, G.; Lizio, R.; Da Re, F.; Isella, V.; et al. Late-Onset Epilepsy With Unknown Etiology: A Pilot Study on Neuropsychological Profile, Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers, and Quantitative EEG Characteristics. Front. Neurol. 2020 , 11 , 199. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Lam, A.D.; Noebels, J. Night Watch on the Titanic: Detecting Early Signs of Epileptogenesis in Alzheimer Disease. Epilepsy Curr. 2020 , 20 , 369–374. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Hahm, J.; Kim, K.K.; Kim, D.W. Seizure-Related Cortical Volume Alterations in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Preliminary Study. J. Epilepsy Res. 2018 , 8 , 33–40. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Kaestner, E.; Reyes, A.; Chen, A.; Rao, J.; Macari, A.C.; Choi, J.Y.; Qiu, D.; Hewitt, K.; Wang, Z.I.; Drane, D.L.; et al. Atrophy and cognitive profiles in older adults with temporal lobe epilepsy are similar to mild cognitive impairment. Brain 2021 , 144 , 236–250. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Zhang, X.; Li, W.; Shen, W.; Zhang, L.; Pu, X.; Chen, L. (Eds.) Automatic Identification of Alzheimer’s Disease and Epilepsy Based on MRI. In Proceedings of the 2019 IEEE 31st International Conference on Tools with Artificial Intelligence (ICTAI), Portland, OR, USA, 4–6 November 2019; pp. 614–620. [ Google Scholar ]
• Purushotham, M.; Tashrifwala, F.; Jena, R.; Vudugula, S.A.; Patil, R.S.; Agrawal, A. The Association Between Alzheimer’s Disease and Epilepsy: A Narrative Review. Cureus 2022 , 14 , e30195. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Marcus, C.; Mena, E.; Subramaniam, R.M. Brain PET in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Clin. Nucl. Med. 2014 , 39 , e413–e422, quiz e423–e426. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Colom-Cadena, M.; Spires-Jones, T.; Zetterberg, H.; Blennow, K.; Caggiano, A.; DeKosky, S.T.; Fillit, H.; Harrison, J.E.; Schneider, L.S.; Scheltens, P.; et al. The clinical promise of biomarkers of synapse damage or loss in Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s Res. Ther. 2020 , 12 , 21. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Horvath, A.; Kiss, M.; Szucs, A.; Kamondi, A. Precuneus-Dominant Degeneration of Parietal Lobe Is at Risk of Epilepsy in Mild Alzheimer’s Disease. Front. Neurol. 2019 , 10 , 878. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Novak, A.; Vizjak, K.; Gacnik, A.; Rakusa, M. Cognitive impairment in people with epilepsy: Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) as a screening tool. Acta Neurol. Belg. 2023 , 123 , 451–456. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Filippov, M.A.; Vorobyov, V.V. Detrimental and synergistic role of epilepsy — Alzheimer’s disease risk factors. Neural Regen. Res. 2019 , 14 , 1376–1377. [ Google Scholar ] [ PubMed ]
• Wu, J.; Zhu, S.; Zhao, C.; Xu, X. A Comprehensive Investigation of Molecular Signatures and Pathways Linking Alzheimer’s Disease and Epilepsy via Bioinformatic Approaches. Curr. Alzheimer Res. 2022 , 19 , 146–160. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Juźwik, C.A.; Drake, S.S.; Zhang, Y.; Paradis-Isler, N.; Sylvester, A.; Amar-Zifkin, A.; Douglas, C.; Morquette, B.; Moore, C.S.; Fournier, A.E. microRNA dysregulation in neurodegenerative diseases: A systematic review. Progress. Neurobiol. 2019 , 182 , 101664. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Jiang, X.-w.; Lu, H.-y.; Xu, Z.; Liu, T.-y.; Wu, Q.; Yang, Y.; Zhao, Q.-c.; Gao, H.-y. In Silico Analyses for Key Genes and Molecular Genetic Mechanism in Epilepsy and Alzheimer’s Disease. CNS Neurol. Disord.—Drug Targets 2018 , 17 , 608–617. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Harutyunyan, A.; Jones, N.C.; Kwan, P.; Anderson, A. Network Preservation Analysis Reveals Dysregulated Synaptic Modules and Regulatory Hubs Shared Between Alzheimer’s Disease and Temporal Lobe Epilepsy. Front. Genet. 2022 , 13 , 821343. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Vossel, K.A.; Ranasinghe, K.G.; Beagle, A.J.; Mizuiri, D.; Honma, S.M.; Dowling, A.F.; Darwish, S.M.; Van Berlo, V.; Barnes, D.E.; Mantle, M.; et al. Incidence and impact of subclinical epileptiform activity in Alzheimer’s disease. Ann. Neurol. 2016 , 80 , 858–870. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Musaeus, C.S.; Engedal, K.; Høgh, P.; Jelic, V.; Mørup, M.; Naik, M.; Oeksengaard, A.R.; Snaedal, J.; Wahlund, L.O.; Waldemar, G.; et al. EEG Theta Power Is an Early Marker of Cognitive Decline in Dementia due to Alzheimer’s Disease. J. Alzheimers Dis. 2018 , 64 , 1359–1371. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Kitchigina, V.F. Alterations of Coherent Theta and Gamma Network Oscillations as an Early Biomarker of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy and Alzheimer’s Disease. Front. Integr. Neurosci. 2018 , 12 , 36. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Tombini, M.; Boscarino, M.; Di Lazzaro, V. Tackling seizures in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Expert. Rev. Neurother. 2023 , 23 , 1131–1145. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Hautecloque-Raysz, G.; Sellal, F.; Bousiges, O.; Phillipi, N.; Blanc, F.; Cretin, B. Epileptic Prodromal Alzheimer’s Disease Treated with Antiseizure Medications: Medium-Term Outcome of Seizures and Cognition. J. Alzheimers Dis. 2023 , 94 , 1057–1074. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Lin, C.Y.; Chang, M.C.; Jhou, H.J. Effect of Levetiracetam on Cognition: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Double-Blind Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trials. CNS Drugs 2024 , 38 , 1–14. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Vossel, K.; Ranasinghe, K.G.; Beagle, A.J.; La, A.; Ah Pook, K.; Castro, M.; Mizuiri, D.; Honma, S.M.; Venkateswaran, N.; Koestler, M.; et al. Effect of Levetiracetam on Cognition in Patients With Alzheimer Disease With and Without Epileptiform Activity: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Neurol. 2021 , 78 , 1345–1354. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Isla, A.G.; Balleza-Tapia, H.; Chu, F.; Chen, G.; Johansson, J.; Nilsson, P.; Fisahn, A. Low dose of levetiracetam counteracts amyloid β-induced alterations of hippocampal gamma oscillations by restoring fast-spiking interneuron activity. Exp. Neurol. 2023 , 369 , 114545. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Vossel, K. Putting the Brakes on Accelerated Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer’s Disease with Epileptic Activity. J. Alzheimers Dis. 2023 , 94 , 1075–1077. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Musaeus, C.S.; Nilsson, C.; Cooper, C.; Kramberger, M.G.; Verdelho, A.; Stefanova, E.; Religa, D.; Waldemar, G.; Frederiksen, K.S. Pharmacological Medical Treatment of Epilepsy in Patients with Dementia: A Systematic Review. Curr. Alzheimer Res. 2021 , 18 , 689–694. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Rohracher, A.; Kalss, G.; Kuchukhidze, G.; Neuray, C.; Leitinger, M.; Höfler, J.; Kreidenhuber, R.; Rossini, F.; Volna, K.; Mauritz, M.; et al. New anti-seizure medication for elderly epilepsy patients — A critical narrative review. Expert. Opin. Pharmacother. 2021 , 22 , 621–634. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Zhang, L.; Jiang, H.Y.; Liu, W.J. Anti-seizure medication exposure and the risk of dementia: A meta-analysis of observational studies. Front. Neurol. 2023 , 14 , 1133816. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Dusanter, C.; Houot, M.; Mere, M.; Denos, M.; Samson, S.; Herlin, B.; Navarro, V.; Dupont, S. Cognitive effect of antiseizure medications in medial temporal lobe epilepsy. Eur. J. Neurol. 2023 , 30 , 3692–3702. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Schnier, C.; Duncan, S.; Wilkinson, T.; Mbizvo, G.K.; Chin, R.F.M. A nationwide, retrospective, data-linkage, cohort study of epilepsy and incident dementia. Neurology 2020 , 95 , e1686–e1693. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Rayala, H.; Kapur, J.; El-Haija, H.A.; Parikh, P.; Zawar, I. Memantine’s double duty? Investigating its impact on epilepsy control in Alzheimer’s disease. Epileptic Disord. 2024 , 26 , 261–263. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Vico Varela, E.; Etter, G.; Williams, S. Excitatory-inhibitory imbalance in Alzheimer’s disease and therapeutic significance. Neurobiol. Dis. 2019 , 127 , 605–615. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Gourmaud, S.; Stewart, D.A.; Irwin, D.J.; Roberts, N.; Barbour, A.J.; Eberwine, G.; O’Brien, W.T.; Vassar, R.; Talos, D.M.; Jensen, F.E. The role of mTORC1 activation in seizure-induced exacerbation of Alzheimer’s disease. Brain 2022 , 145 , 324–339. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Gourmaud, S.; Shou, H.; Irwin, D.J.; Sansalone, K.; Jacobs, L.M.; Lucas, T.H.; Marsh, E.D.; Davis, K.A.; Jensen, F.E.; Talos, D.M. Alzheimer-like amyloid and tau alterations associated with cognitive deficit in temporal lobe epilepsy. Brain 2020 , 143 , 191–209. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Ranasinghe, K.G.; Kudo, K.; Hinkley, L.; Beagle, A.; Lerner, H.; Mizuiri, D.; Findlay, A.; Miller, B.L.; Kramer, J.H.; Gorno-Tempini, M.L.; et al. Neuronal synchrony abnormalities associated with subclinical epileptiform activity in early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Brain 2022 , 145 , 744–753. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• He, M.; Kolesar, T.A.; Goertzen, A.L.; Ng, M.C.; Ko, J.H. Do Epilepsy Patients with Cognitive Impairment Have Alzheimer’s Disease-like Brain Metabolism? Biomedicines 2023 , 11 , 1108. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Fernandes, M.; Manfredi, N.; Aluisantonio, L.; Franchini, F.; Chiaravalloti, A.; Izzi, F.; Di Santo, S.; Schillaci, O.; Mercuri, N.B.; Placidi, F.; et al. Cognitive functioning, cerebrospinal fluid Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers and cerebral glucose metabolism in late-onset epilepsy of unknown aetiology: A prospective study. Eur. J. Neurosci. 2022 , 56 , 5384–5396. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Zhang, X.; Ahmed, R.; Thayer, Z.; Breen, N.; McMillan, J.; Fulham, M.; Nikpour, A. Late-onset epilepsy with cognitive symptoms: Comparison of cognitive and imaging profiles with probable Alzheimer’s disease. Epilepsy Behav. 2023 , 146 , 109371. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]

Click here to enlarge figure

Share and Cite

Kalyvas, A.-C.; Dimitriou, M.; Ioannidis, P.; Grigoriadis, N.; Afrantou, T. Alzheimer’s Disease and Epilepsy: Exploring Shared Pathways and Promising Biomarkers for Future Treatments. J. Clin. Med. 2024 , 13 , 3879. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13133879

Kalyvas A-C, Dimitriou M, Ioannidis P, Grigoriadis N, Afrantou T. Alzheimer’s Disease and Epilepsy: Exploring Shared Pathways and Promising Biomarkers for Future Treatments. Journal of Clinical Medicine . 2024; 13(13):3879. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13133879

Kalyvas, Athanasios-Christos, Maria Dimitriou, Panagiotis Ioannidis, Nikolaos Grigoriadis, and Theodora Afrantou. 2024. "Alzheimer’s Disease and Epilepsy: Exploring Shared Pathways and Promising Biomarkers for Future Treatments" Journal of Clinical Medicine 13, no. 13: 3879. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13133879

Article Metrics

Article access statistics, further information, mdpi initiatives, follow mdpi.

Subscribe to receive issue release notifications and newsletters from MDPI journals