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Which review is that? A guide to review types

A typology of literature reviews

Meta-narrative Review

 

Meta-narrative reviews 'look historically at how particular research traditions have unfolded over time and shaped the kind of questions being asked and the methods used to answer them' [67]. They examine the range of approaches to studying an issue, interpret and create an account of the development of these separate 'meta-narratives' and then create an overarching meta-narrative summary. (Gough, D. 2013)

 

Further Reading/Resources

Guidance 
Gough, D. Meta-narrative and realist reviews: guidance, rules, publication standards and quality appraisal. BMC Med 11, 22 (2013). Fuil Text

Other
Wong, G., Greenhalgh, T., Westhorp, G. et al. RAMESES publication standards: meta-narrative reviews. BMC Med 11, 20 (2013). Full Text

Greenhalgh, T., Robert, G., Macfarlane, F., Bate, P., Kyriakidou, O., & Peacock, R. (2005). Storylines of research in diffusion of innovation: a meta-narrative approach to systematic review. Social science & medicine61(2), 417-430. Full Text

Thorne S. (2019). On the Evolving World of What Constitutes Qualitative Synthesis. Qualitative health research29(1), 3–6. Full Text

 

Example

Day, G., Robert, G., & Rafferty, A. M. (2020). Gratitude in Health Care: A Meta-narrative Review. Qualitative health research30(14), 2303–2315. Full Text

 

References
Gough, D. Meta-narrative and realist reviews: guidance, rules, publication standards and quality appraisal. BMC Med 11, 22 (2013). Fuil Text


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