GUIDELINES FOR QUALITY COVERAGE OF CONTINUING EDUCATION ISSUES

Abstract

The aim of this article is twofold: first, to elucidate the importance and value of conducting a literature review, and second, to provide practical guidance and suggestions for effectively planning and executing such a review. To provide an overview of the findings from previous studies, a systematic approach to scientific research was employed. The material for this systematic review consists of publications that provide practical guidance on the writing of review articles. The purpose of a literature review is to synthesize existing scholarly works on a specific topic or research question, contextualizing them within the current state of knowledge on that topic. It is not uncommon for literature reviews to fall short of the standards expected of scientific research. In such cases, they may be regarded as mere summaries of previous work in a given field. To circumvent such a scenario, it is advised that a determination be made at the outset of the project regarding the type of review to be conducted. It is recommended that a classification system be employed which divides literature reviews into three categories: systematic review, semi-systematic review, and integrative review. The efficacy of each type of literature review depends on the objective being pursued. In the context of a literature review, a number of methods may be employed to facilitate a comprehensive analysis. Given the plethora of methodological alternatives at their disposal, researchers may encounter the challenge of selecting an appropriate method. The most commonly utilized methodological approaches in this field are bibliometric analysis, content analysis, critical analysis, meta-analysis, multiple correspondence analysis, and homogeneity analysis through alternating least squares. A researcher undertaking a literature review is confronted with a range of potential challenges, including the existence of a vast number of sources, which makes it challenging to identify pertinent materials; a lack of expertise in literature search techniques, which can impede the ability of a novice researcher to fully comprehend a specific phenomenon when searching a single database; and a lack of expertise in formulating a precise and coherent research question or purpose for the review, which may result in the absence of a structured plan for data analysis, ultimately limiting the depth of analysis in the literature review to a mere descriptive summary. To ensure a comprehensive and rigorous study, researchers must select an optimal methodological approach for their literature review, one that aligns with their research question and the available resources at their disposal.