This textbook guides the reader on how to undertake high-quality literature reviews, from traditional narrative to protocol-driven reviews. The guidance covers a broad range of purposes, disciplines and research paradigms.
Whether the literature review is part of a research project, doctoral study, dissertation or a stand-alone study, the book offers approaches, methods, tools, tips and guidelines to produce more effective literature reviews in an efficient manner. The numerous examples are drawn from an array of subject areas, such as economics, healthcare, education, medicine, psychology, software engineering amongst others. This makes it worthwhile for a wide range of studies and for reviews into evidence-based interventions, policies, practices and treatments. There is attention given to presenting, reporting and publishing literature reviews. With the additional clarity brought about by explanatory tables and graphs, this textbook is a ‘must-have’ for all students,researchers, academics and practitioners at any stage of their project or career when engaging with literature.
In addition, citizens, policymakers and practitioners will benefit from the guidance with better insight into how literature reviews could and should have been conducted.
Rob Dekkers is a Reader in Industrial Management at the Adam Smith Business School (University of Glasgow). He has convened workshops and delivered seminars on literature reviews for all disciplines, and provides research seminars on other research methods, too. In addition to publishing literature reviews, he has (co)authored books, edited books, chapters in edited books, journal publications, contributions to conferences and reports, totalling more than 170. He currently chairs the Early Career Researchers and Doctoral Training Programme for the International Foundation for Production Research; in addition, he is actively involved in the mentoring of early career researchers. His activities are driven by inter-disciplinary research interests in manufacturing systems, manufacturing strategy, innovation and technology management, new product development, and industrial networks (incl. supply chains); furthermore, his activities are often inspired by system theories and evolutionary (biological) models. He holds a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and a doctoral degree, both from Delft University of Technology; and held various positions in industry before embarking on an academic career.
Lindsey Drylie Carey is a Senior Lecturer at the Glasgow School for Business and Society, Glasgow Caledonian University. She is actively involved in research in the area of consumer behaviour and sustainability, particularly within the context of ethical and organic products. She has a specialist interest in Research Methods and teaches the subject at the Masters and Doctoral level. An emerging area of research focus is well-being and social media, particularly food blogging. She has presented on these topics at conferences and published in peer-reviewed academic journals. She is also an external examiner, a reviewer for academic journals, member of the scientific committee of various conferences and is frequently invited tocomment on consumer and retail issues in the UK’s national press.
Peter Langhorne is a Professor of Stroke Care at the University of Glasgow, UK. His research work has focused on the effectiveness of different treatment strategies for stroke patients, including service delivery (e.g. stroke units and early supported discharge) and stroke rehabilitation (e.g. early rehabilitation). This has involved the use of systematic review and meta-analysis methodologies for complex interventions. He is a previous co-chair of the Cochrane Collaboration and coordinating editor of the Cochrane Stroke Group.
