In urban planning research, systematic literature reviews are the norm when publishing comprehensive analyses. Narrative reviews, while prevalent in fields like medicine, are less common in our discipline. In medicine, narrative reviews offer flexible and practical syntheses of diverse literature, providing readable and relevant overviews.
Though less prevalent in our field, narrative reviews remain vital for urban planning research. They offer unique advantages that are crucial for a holistic understanding of complex urban phenomena. Some of the most informative reviews in our field are narrative in nature (example here), offering nuanced insights that systematic approaches might overlook.
Most researchers prefer narrative reviews because unlike systematic reviews, which stick to strict protocols, narrative reviews give researchers more freedom in how they approach their analysis. This flexibility allows them to explore new themes, draw from different fields, and adjust their focus.
Since narrative reviews aren’t widely used in our field, I thought it would be helpful to create a guide on how to get started with one. I hope these tips will help you avoid the endless rounds of journal publication revisions and make the process much smoother.
Steps for Writing a Narrative Review
Writing a narrative review is a process that requires careful planning, clear structure, and thoughtful analysis. Here’s a guide to help you craft a review that is both rigorous and insightful.
- Preparation: Set Yourself Up for Success
Before you dive in, there are a few things you can do to set yourself up for a smooth writing process:
- Select a Focused Topic: Choose a topic that is specific enough to provide depth but broad enough to encompass key studies and findings.
- Seek Feedback Early: It’s always a good idea to get input from experienced writers early on. Whether it’s a mentor or a peer, their insights will be invaluable as you work through the review.
- Preliminary Search: Clarify the Scope of Your Review
Conduct a quick preliminary literature search to get a sense of what’s already been written on your topic (I have written previously on how to do this in this article). This step will help you refine your topic and determine if your review is needed. It will also guide your objective, ensuring that you’re contributing something novel to the field.
- Best-Evidence Synthesis: Present the Best Available Information
Narrative reviews don’t require rigid guidelines, but it’s helpful to use a best-evidence synthesis approach. This means you’ll highlight the most reliable and relevant studies, synthesizing them into a coherent narrative that covers the key findings and trends. Remember, this is not just a collection of summaries—it’s about interpreting the evidence and providing meaningful insights.
- Structure: Organize Your Review Effectively
A well-structured review is essential to making your argument clear and logical. Here’s a breakdown of the sections you should include:
- Abstract: Start with a structured abstract that clearly states the objective, background, methods, discussion, and conclusion.
- Introduction: The introduction should provide the rationale for why your review matters. What gaps does it fill? Why is it needed now?
- Body: This is where you’ll synthesize the literature. Present the best evidence you’ve found, summarize key studies, and draw connections between them.
- Conclusion: Wrap up by summarizing what your review contributes to the literature. Highlight the main takeaways and suggest where further research is needed.
- Objectivity: Stay Neutral
A key element of a narrative review is objectivity. Avoid writing an opinion-based argument; instead, focus on presenting the evidence in an impartial manner. Your goal is to draw conclusions that are grounded in the literature, not to push a particular viewpoint.
- Illustrations: Use Visuals Wisely
Incorporate tables, figures, or charts to support your key points. These visuals should add clarity and enhance the reader’s understanding of complex information.
Key Points to Remember:
- A narrative review is not just a list of summaries—it’s a synthesis and interpretation of the literature.
- Think of the review as a coherent essay, not just a collection of disconnected annotations.
- Make sure there are clear and logical links between sections to guide the reader through your review.
- Conclude with a summary of the major themes you’ve identified, and be sure to highlight any gaps in the existing research.
- Always provide a rationale for why you chose the studies and material included in your review. This shows that your approach is deliberate and based on sound reasoning.
By following these steps, you’ll have a structured, objective, and insightful narrative review that adds value to the field. Whether you’re working on your own review or offering feedback to others, these tips will help you stay focused and avoid the traps of unnecessary revisions.
What should you include in a narrative review?
- Introduction: An introduction should include the following elements:
- Context and Significance: Begin by establishing the context of your topic and its significance. For example, you can mention current challenges, like climate change and population aging, or urban growth and sprawl. This helps the reader understand why the topic is important and why your review is needed.
- Research Question: Clearly state the research question that your review aims to address. This provides a focused purpose for your work. For instance, one source asks, “What is the ideal density for environmentally sustainable urban growth?”, and another asks, “How might residential location and character aggravate or ameliorate the effects of climate change on older adults’ well-being?”.
- Key Concepts: Introduce the key concepts that will be discussed in your paper. For instance, in a review about urban growth, key concepts may include “sprawl,” “density,” and “compact urban form”. In a review about climate change and aging, key concepts might include “climate change,” “planning,” “housing,” “seniors,” and “well-being”.
- Scope: Explain the scope of your review. It might include the scales of analysis (e.g., urban, rural, neighborhood, home), and the specific populations or areas being considered. You can also outline the boundaries of your review. For example, one source explains it will focus on the environmental aspects of sustainable development in correlation with CO2.
- Approach: Briefly describe your approach to the review, including the methodology (e.g., narrative review). The introduction can also mention the type of sources and literature that were analyzed.
- Main Argument: Set out the main argument or thesis of your review. For instance, one paper proposes that the residential setting moderates older people’s vulnerability to climate change