Abstract – approximately 300 words
Write this once you have completed the rest of the review.
Use subheadings and include:
• Overview of the topic
• what you want to find out, i.e. the research question/aim
• method
• results
• conclusion
Table of Contents – (include the page numbers for each section of your work)
Introduction – approximately 1500 words.
Sets the scene and provides the rationale/presents the problem.
• Begin with a brief introduction and background to the topic question
Include:
• Justification/rationale for doing the review (i.e. why the topic is important/ why this study is
needed) Include subsections, highlighting the key issues and theoretical issues, surrounding
the topic
• critical debate, with analysis of some of the literature and research to support your work
(this should not include any of the studies selected as part of your systematic search).
• Include statistics and links to higher policy DH. NICE WHO NMC etc.
• Link your work to the evidence which prompted your research question
• Relate to nursing practice
• What are the key issues which stand out for you?
Conclude this section with:
• The aim (only 1) and objectives (maximum of 3). For example, a review of the literature, a
systematic review of the primary research)
• The research question, which should have only one part to it, and how you are going to
answer it i.e. a systematic review of the literature followed by a discussion of the results
(linked to nursing)
Methodology – approximately 1000 words.
• What does the literature say about Systematic Reviews and literature reviews?
• What are the benefits of a systematic review compared to a literature review?
• Why you are doing a systematic literature review rather than a straightforward literature
review
HNU 304 – Dissertation Brief –
Systematic Literature Review
(Use literature to support a critical debate here.)
• Detail PICO or PEO
• State your inclusion and exclusion criteria and discuss why you have chosen them – you can
put into a table.
• Explain what type of research you are looking for (primary research such as RCTs,
quantitative and qualitative, mixed methods) and why.
Your literature search strategy –
• Which databases have you used?
• Which keywords/search terms have you used? How did you combine them? (e.g Boolean
operators)
• You can put in a table with MEsH headings.
• State the number of results you have had and how these have been filtered (using your
inclusion/exclusion criteria).
• Explain how many articles you have filtered down to -usually 6-10, and how many patients
total are involved in these studies. You need to state the number of results you have had
after each stage of the filtering process
• This must be shown in a PRISMA flow diagram format.
Literature Review and Results – approximately 3000 words. In this chapter you analyse and review the literature/research selected as part of the systematic
search and discuss the findings and results. A systematic review should not be included as part of
the literature analysed.
Critique of the research studies
• Explain how/why you will critique each article (e.g. by using the CASP tools.)
• Include a table of results to briefly explain each of the 6-10 articles. (Authors and date
/article question/number of patients/method/ results)
• Critique (using a CASP tool or similar), and analyse each of these articles separately, e.g. no.
of participants, sampling, methodology, report of bias, reliability
• Link this to good research practice and include citation
Results and findings
• Reflect on the findings of your analysis of the research and summarise what you have found
so far.
• Make connections, discuss themes, observations, and reflections with the articles and with
the literature review, critically debating your findings supported with literature.
o What does all this information tell you?
o Are any particular themes emerging? If there are, you can use them to frame your
discussion and analysis
o What observations/themes/connections can you make?
• How does this fit/relate to some of the material in the literature review?
HNU 304 – Dissertation Brief –
Systematic Literature Review
• Are there any elements which are missing in the research that you have reviewed so far?
• What are your overall thoughts about the body of evidence? What does this mean?
• How does it fit in with the main subject matter?
• Has your original question been answered?
Recommendations, and Implications for Nursing – approximately 1000 words
• Summarise the findings relating to your research question
• What are your key findings?
• Do you have an answer to your question? – if not, why not?
• What are the implications for nursing practice?
• Highlight your recommendations – for nursing/research/practice etc.
• Include links to higher policy DH. NICE WHO NMC etc.
• What do you think needs to happen next in terms of research in this area? Does more
research need to be done? If so, what areas and what type of research?
Limitations – approximately 300 words
• What would you do differently in you had to carry this research out again? Why?
• Are there any limitations in doing this type of review?
• Consider researcher bias /time/ accessibility of articles etc.
Conclusion – approximately 900 words
• Briefly summarise your findings relating to your research question
• Do you have an answer- if not, why not?
• Highlight your recommendations – for nursing/research/practice etc.
• Was there anything in particular which influenced the process of this research?
• What do you think needs to happen next in terms of research in this area
A systematic review on the role of culture in increased mental health relapses