ABSTRACT
Traditionally, cumulative knowledge in the social sciences has been built through research synthesis articles known as narrative or integrative research reviews of the literature (Cooper & Hedges, 2009; Johnson & Eagly, 2000). In fact, the “review article” is something of a staple in the social and behavioral sciences, so much so that specialized publications are often devoted to such endeavors (e.g., Communication Yearbook, Annual Review of Public Health). Review articles often aim to integrate existing studies in a line of inquiry in order to (a) create generalizations from the literature; (b) focus on applicable theories and critically analyze studies; (c) attempt to resolve conflicts in the literature; and, finally, (d) identify gaps in the literature and point to directions for future research (Cooper, 1988; Cooper & Hedges, 2009).
