ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses literature reviewing as a form of research. Conceptual literature reviews deal with broadly defined issues in theory and the research process. Integrative literature reviews, the primary focus of the chapter, draw conclusions about the validity of a hypothesis based on the results of studies that have tested it. Important issues include defining the research question, finding relevant research, and deciding which studies to include in the review. When integrating the results of studies, the researcher must decide on the appropriate level of analysis, what variables to consider as potential moderators of study outcomes, and how to operationally define study outcomes. There are three primary approaches to integrative literature reviewing: Narrative literature reviews summarize the results of research in a narrative format; meta-analyses statistically combine the effect sizes to estimate the mean effect of an independent variable; and meta-syntheses employ a set of structured techniques to integrate the results of qualitative studies. Each approach has its strengths and limitations. When interpreting the results of an integrative review, one must bear in mind the effects of judgment calls, the correlational nature of moderator variable analyses, and meaning versus numbers in meta-analysis. The chapter concludes with a “walk-through” of a sample meta-analysis.
