Thomas’ (2025) 5 types of ‘narrative’ literature review structures

Historical: Similar to the chronological approach, a historical review traces the development of ideas over a specific period, often focusing on key events, intellectual movements, or figures that shaped the field.

Linear vs. Recursive Approaches to Research

The distinction between linear and recursive approaches is a conceptual framework for the research process itself.

Linear Approach: This is a sequential, step-by-step process. The researcher completes one stage before moving to the next. For example, a linear research model would involve: defining the problem ➡️ conducting a literature review ➡️ formulating a hypothesis ➡️ collecting data ➡️ analyzing data ➡️ drawing a conclusion. In this model, the process is a one-way street, with each step completed in order. It's often associated with quantitative research and is seen as rigid but provides a clear, structured path.

Recursive Approach: This is a more cyclical and iterative process. The researcher may move back and forth between different stages of the research. For instance, the initial literature review might lead to data collection, which then prompts the researcher to go back and refine their research question or conduct another, more focused literature search. It's a continuous loop of exploration, analysis, and refinement. This approach is more common in qualitative research and exploratory studies where the research question may evolve as new insights are gained.

Components of Your Literature Review

A literature review is typically structured like an essay, with a distinct introduction, main body, and conclusion.

Introduction

The introduction sets the stage for your review. It should:

Define the topic and its significance: Briefly introduce the subject area and explain why the topic is important.

State the scope: Specify the boundaries of your review. What will you include (e.g., studies from a certain time period, a particular geographical region) and what will you exclude?

Provide the purpose: Explain the goal of the review, such as identifying a research gap, synthesizing current findings, or establishing a theoretical framework for your own study.

Outline the structure: Give the reader a roadmap of the review's organization (e.g., "This review will first discuss theoretical approaches, then examine empirical studies on X and Y, and finally identify the existing gaps in the literature.").

Main Body

The main body is where you critically engage with the literature. It should not be a simple list of summaries. Instead, you should:

Organize by themes, not source by source: Group the literature by key themes, sub-topics, or methodologies. Each section should have a clear topic sentence and use subheadings to guide the reader.

Synthesize and evaluate: Go beyond summarizing by finding connections, contradictions, and debates between sources. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different studies, methodologies, and arguments.

Sample Answer

Based on academic sources, here is a breakdown of different aspects of research and literature reviews.

Thomas’ (2025) 5 Types of 'Narrative' Literature Review Structures

Please note that a specific academic source from "Thomas (2025)" detailing five narrative review structures is not widely cited or established. However, based on the general academic consensus on how narrative literature reviews are structured, the most common methods are:

Chronological: This structure organizes research by publication date, showing how a field of study has evolved over time. It helps to illustrate the development of theories, methodologies, and findings.

Thematic: Thematic reviews organize research by recurring topics or themes. This is the most common approach as it allows the writer to synthesize different studies that may have used different methodologies but addressed similar concepts.

Methodological: This structure focuses on the research methods used in the literature, for example, comparing qualitative studies with quantitative ones or experimental designs with observational studies.

Theoretical: A theoretical review examines different theories or theoretical frameworks that have been applied to a topic. It compares and contrasts how different theories explain the same phenomena.