Formulate the research topic. Decide from the outset what aspects of electronic health records will be addressed by the review. Determine whether the literature review will cover the entire field of research on the subject, focus on a particular dimension of the problem or the evolution of the technology.
Determine the best source of materials based on the focused research topic. In order to refine the scope of the literature review decide from which disciplines to draw for materials. The topic of electronic health records has been researched and discussed by scholars in multiple fields, such as nursing, health administration, and clinical practice. Each discipline takes a different approach to research and evaluation.
Decide how to structure the review. Literature reviews are most commonly organized according to either the chronology of research on the topic or according to themes. The structure of a review of electronic health records should reflect the guiding research question or topic. For example, a review of the problems associated with electronic health records should structure the paper according to the different limitations in the technology. Alternatively, a review of the history of electronic health records should organize the paper to highlight changes over time.
Write summaries of individual materials. Read each scholarly book or article with the objective of identifying the author's main arguments. Describe the research methods used and the central findings. Assess the authors' credentials in making their respective arguments, taking note of their institutional affiliations and possible biases. A well-executed literature review will also make critical note of the research findings and identify possible limitations in the authors' theories, evaluations, and conclusions.
Summarize the review. Identify the larger themes emerging in the literature review, and highlight major similarities and differences in the materials. Explain which research materials or arguments are strongest, and describe their particular merits. Draw conclusions about the state of scholarship on electronic health records, and what research makes the greatest contribution to understanding the technology.
Identify questions for further research. After creating a comprehensive summary of the research conducted about electronic health records, conclude by calling attention to unresolved questions that deserve further investigation or analysis.