How to write and publish a scientific paper - Barbara Gastel, Robert A. Day 2022

Additional tips for writing review articles
How to write a review paper
Doing other writing for publication

Other pointers for writing review articles include the following:

· Consider using a spreadsheet to keep track of articles for potential inclusion. The spreadsheet can include columns for bibliographic information and for elements such as methods, main findings, and comments.

·  Do not feel compelled to cite everything written on a topic. If a paper is obscure for good reason, let it remain so. If, however, a prominent paper has substantial limitations, include it, but tactfully note the limitations.

·  Integrate rather than catalog. For example, include paragraphs that combine different studies’ findings on a given topic and reflect on the similarities and differences. Do not just summarize each study in a separate paragraph; a review article is not a string of abstracts.

·  If appropriate, include figures or tables. Systematic reviews often contain flowcharts showing the literature selection process and tables summarizing the studies included. Depending on their content, conventional (narrative) reviews also can benefit from figures and tables; possibilities include drawings of structures and diagrams of processes. At some major journals, scientific illustrators prepare final versions of such graphics.

· Indicate not only what the literature contains, but also what it doesn’t; an important function of review articles can be to identify gaps in knowledge. Such identification can lead to new research, producing new scientific papers and ultimately more complete reviews.

A review article is both scholarship and service. By giving its preparation the attention it deserves, you can produce an informative, insightful, accessible article that increases your prominence as a scholar and serves your readers well.