Publishing Workshops: Number 4 - Preparing a Manuscript – Reviewing Literature

Introduction
This paper is a further contribution to the workshop series on preparing manuscripts for publication.  For earlier articles see the 1996 July and November issues of Nursing Praxis in New Zealand.  Having previously concentrated on reporting research, both quantitative and qualitative, we now focus on reviewing literature.  A literature review can be the subject of an article in its own right, or, as is probably more common, feature as a component of a research report.  In our earlier papers (Crisp, Chick, Rodgers & Smith, 1996) attention was directed mainly at the first of these and a distinction was made in terms of whether the author was “…evaluating current research in a particular area, determining its strengths and weaknesses and identifying areas where further research is required.” (p. 26). The two are not mutually exclusive, the difference being mainly one of emphasis.