Medical Sciences Library
Welcome to the Narrative Literature Review for Medical Sciences research guide! This guide is intended to assist medical sciences students with an overview of the process involved in narrative literature reviews for class assignment and publication.
Specific questions about content, structure, and citation style should be directed to your professor.
For further assistance, please visit the TAMU University Writing Center.
A narrative literature review (also known as a narrative review or a literature review) is a way to engage in existing literature on a chosen topic (Purdue Owl). Through analyzing various resources, this allows the author to explore trends and identify any gaps in the research.
It involves the collection and thorough analysis of various sources, including journal articles, books, and electronic sources, like ebooks and ejournals (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill).
Literature reviews can be a standalone project (paper, assignment, etc) or can be part of a larger research paper.
| Narrative Literature Reviews | Systematic Literature Reviews | |
|---|---|---|
| Methodology | Flexible and adaptable | Rigid, structured, and protocol-based |
| Purpose | Conceptual or theoretical synthesis | Evidence-based evaluation and comparison |
| Search Strategy | Informal, may evolve as you go | Predefined, transparent, and replicable |
| Data Extraction | Interpretive and qualitative | Standardized and often quantitative |
| Output | Story-driven, thematic insights | Data-driven, measurable outcomes |
Source: Zarei M. How to write a powerful narrative review: A step-by-step guide. Litmaps. April 14, 2025. Accessed October 7, 2025. https://www.litmaps.com/articles/write-narrative-review.
To discover the full spectrum of review types and how they differ, check out: "A typology of reviews: An analysis of 14 review types and associated methodologies" by Maria J. Grant and Andrew Booth.