Physical Therapy

A literature review is a process of analyzing and organizing scholarly literature on a topic. In a literature review, you are not establishing your own argument. Instead, you are gathering what has already been written on your topic: synthesizing the arguments, perspectives, or themes, and summarizing the sources and how they apply to your research question. 

Access the tutorial below for instructions and tips on how to write a literature review. Learn how to read and organize your sources, determine the scope of your paper, and write your content.

The Literature Review is a written narrative that examines, critically evaluates, summarizes, and synthesizes information from the selected research studies with the intent of developing a clear response and answer to the proposed research question. 

When writing a literature review:

• define and clarify the problem/question you're addressing
• summarize current understanding of the topic, highlighting different studies and how the authors addressed the problem/question
• identify similarities, contradictions, gaps, and inconsistencies in the literature
• suggest next steps in addressing or fixing the problem/issue

Literature review elements can be arranged in various ways by grouping research by:

• similarities in topics of interest or themes
• methodological similarities
• historical development of the field

NYU Libraries. (2025). Roadmap for Evidence Synthesis [graphic]. https://guides.nyu.edu/pt/doing-a-literature-review 

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