Mini-Literature Review

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Headshot of Ted Chauvin, PhD · Associate Professor
Ted Chauvin
PhD · Associate Professor
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Headshot of Anne Grossman, MD, FACP · Assistant Professor, Medical Education and Clinical Sciences
Anne Grossman
MD, FACP · Assistant Professor, Medical Education and Clinical Sciences
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Table of Contents

Requirements

  • Minimum 1,000 words.
  • Minimum 10 citations

Mini-reviews are essential when you

A mini-literature review should

How to

How do I do that?

  • Journals: Primary, recent.
  • Peer-reviewed e-journals: Reliable web sources.
  • Conference proceedings: Cutting-edge, though preliminary.
  • Industrial/Government reports: Useful for commissioned research.
  • Books/reviews: Good for background and context.
  • What is known? (Key concepts/variables)
  • How do these concepts relate?
  • What are prevailing theories?
  • Any gaps/controversies?
  • Any methodological issues?
  • What needs further research?
  • Why is your contribution important?

Avoid common mistakes

  • Don’t plan on reading everything. Focus on relevant, influential studies.
  • Don’t read passively. Write as you go, draft often.
  • Keep careful bibliographies (you will need them later)! Consider using an organizing systems such as Zotero.
  • Organize by themes (not by author or chronology).
  • Include a descriptive abstract summarizing the topic and your approach.
  • Structure your sections by theme or method.
  • Write in paragraphs that explain ideas and are not just a list of summaries.
  • Integrate and compare findings, highlighting trends or debates.
  1. Did you answer your guiding questions?
  2. What remains unanswered?
  3. Is the organization logical and clear?
  4. Is there a balance between summary and critical evaluation?
  1. Refine the abstract.
  2. Double check all citations for accuracy and formatting.
  3. Double check references list.
  4. Proofread carefully for flow and clarity.

Mini-review structure example

  1. Define your topic.
  2. What the topic’s significance.
  3. Review the scope.
  1. Cover key themes/debates.
  2. Start each section with a topic sentence that indicates theme/trend.
  3. Summarize and critically compare multiple studies.
  1. Synthesize findings.
  2. Emphasize gaps.
  1. Describe how this sets up your current work/proposal/scholarly question.
  2. What is missing?
  3. What will your work address?

Note

Stick to this plan and your mini-literature review will be purposeful, well-organized, and enjoyable to read!