Consequently, as with primary research, there are many different approaches and methods that can be applied. Reviews can address a diverse range of research questions. Systematic reviews can therefore be defined as “a review of existing research using explicit, accountable rigorous research methods” (Gough et al. Thus, the term ‘systematic review’ is used in this chapter to refer to a family of research approaches that are a form of secondary level analysis (secondary research) that brings together the findings of primary research to answer a research question. As the methods of systematic review have been applied to different types of research questions, there has been an increasing plurality of types of systematic review. The logic of systematic reviews is that reviews are a form of research and thus can be improved by using appropriate and explicit methods. Thus, again emphasizing the importance of ‘how’ reviews are completed. Reviews of research may help address these concerns when carried on in a systematic, rigorous and transparent manner. The increased focus on the use of research evidence to inform policy and practice decision-making in Evidence Informed Education (Hargreaves 1996 Nelson and Campbell 2017) has increased the attention given to contextual and methodological limitations of research evidence provided by single studies. Therefore, it seems reasonable to conclude that ‘how’ we conduct a review of research is important. Literature reviews can be used for making claims about what we know and do not know about a phenomenon and also about what new research we need to undertake to address questions that are unanswered.

As we have noted, reviews also share the same purposes of generating knowledge but historically we have not paid as much attention to the methods used for reviewing existing literature as we have to the methods used for primary research. When we use the term research in an academic sense it is widely accepted that we mean a process of asking questions and generating knowledge to answer these questions using rigorous accountable methods.

Reviews to find out what is already known from pre-existing research about a phenomena, subject or topic new primary research to provide answers to questions about which existing research does not provide clear and/or complete answers. However, both reviews and research are undertaken in order to find things out. Consider the standard format of research proposals, which usually have some kind of ‘review’ of existing knowledge presented distinctly from the methods of the proposed new primary research. Traditionally in education ‘reviewing the literature’ and ‘doing research’ have been viewed as distinct activities. It will typically include substantive findings, as well as theoretical and methodological contributions to a particular topic (Hart 2018, p. xiii).

A literature review is a scholarly paper which provides an overview of current knowledge about a topic.

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