On Writing Review Articles

Hello again. Special greetings to those observing spring holidays (for example, Easter or Passover).

Last week someone who attended the Sri Lanka AuthorAID workshop asked for advice on converting a literature review into a journal article. Here are some thoughts.

A literature review can sometimes be the basis of a review article—in other words, an article that summarizes and integrates the research literature about a subject.

Basic tips for preparing review articles include the following:

• Before writing, consider potential publication sites. Some journals publish review articles, and some do not. And different journals have different requirements for review articles; therefore check the instructions to authors.
• Review the literature in a systematic way. For example, decide carefully what databases to search, what keywords to use, and what languages and dates to include. (A university librarian often can help.) In the article, perhaps say how you reviewed the literature.
• Organize the review article carefully.
• Integrate what you found; do not just catalogue. A review article should show "the big picture”. It should not merely resemble a series of abstracts.
• Write in an easy-to-read style. Remember that readers include students new to the topic.
• Check references carefully, especially as the reference list is an important part of a review article.

Links to 2 articles on writing review articles have now been added to the AuthorAID Resource Library. Also, the earlier blog post “Review Articles: A Resource and an Opportunity” might be of interest.

Until next week –Barbara