When doing research for your review, here is a list of questions to consider as you read through articles to potentially include:
- What is the thesis or problem being addressed in this paper?
- What are the strengths and limitations of the study? Is there a better way to answer the research question?
- How does the author approach the study - from a theoretical, experimental, interpretive, or clinical (etc.) standpoint? Did they choose the best approach?
- Is the author using an assumed theoretical framework such as, for example, psychoanalytic or developmental? How does this affect the conclusions they draw?
- How does the author engage with other literature in the field? Is literature that both contradicts and supports his/her findings mentioned?
- Did the researchers choose appropriate methods of experimentation and data analysis for the research question?
- Do you think that the conclusions they draw based upon the data they present are valid and reasonable? Or are there gaps in the logic or assumptions being made?
- Does this particular research study contribute to the knowledge base of the field around which you're centering your review? Is it worth including in your discussion, and does it fit your main thesis?
Adapted from the UCLA Undergraduate Science Journal