What is the best way to conclude your literature review?

I find this to be true but brief restatements and explanations are best, Audiences for these types of reviews are primary educated individuals who do not need you to hold their hand and rework them through your analysis . In fact, if done indelicately,, some are offended and/or bored.it does not help to say "I won't bore/offend you by..,." .

Restating the objectives is key when concluding a literature review. I have observed that when you structure your literature review around specific objectives, the summary in your conclusion should effectively reiterate those objectives and highlight the key literature. This approach allows individuals who may not have read the entire body of literature review to pick out highlights of your review by simply reading the summary or conclusion of your literature review.

Firstly, the process of finding credible research papers is crucial. Once identified, it's essential to scrutinize the paper's purpose and objectives. Evaluate whether the chosen methodology is appropriate for data collection and analysis. In cases where the methodology is not explicitly stated, assess the overall coherence of the research publication. If the argumentation follows a systematic and logical flow, it suggests that the publication merits a closer review to extract valuable insights or potential elements for integration into your own study. Such studies offer a variety of gaps, skills, and knowledges to proceed by applying them to your study.

While restating objectives is useful for clarity, I think we should also aim for synthesis in our conclusions. This goes beyond summary by integrating key findings to offer new insights. It's not just about what we found, but why it matters. This approach makes the conclusion more impactful and accessible to a broader audience, from experts to the engaged public.

Concluding a literature review effectively is crucial to anchor your research. I suggest the following: Synthesize Major Themes: Recapitulate key findings, showcasing the interplay between different studies. Highlight Gaps: Identify areas less explored or inconsistencies in the current literature, hinting at the need for further research. Connect to Your Research: Seamlessly bridge the reviewed literature to your study's objectives or hypotheses. Provide Insight: Offer a critical perspective, shedding light on the relevance and significance of your forthcoming study in the context of existing literature. Remember, the conclusion should not just summarize but provide a roadmap for your research journey.

Some ways of concluding a literature review is to find a synergy in the diverse arguments you discussed from different authors in the literature and connect their viewpoints to the research question you trying to study. Thereafter, conclude by restating the why your research question will add value in the literature you have discussed or why it is necessary.

This is effective because it helps provide clarity to the readers about what you aim to investigate and achieve in your research. It's like reminding them, "Okay, these are the main goals and questions." So, you could say that this approach is quite effective in showing that you've covered all the necessary aspects in the literature review and are ready to move on to the next steps in your research.

In my experience, teaching my students to “zoom out” of the problem and first look at it at from a global scale, and then gradually “zoom in” to highlight the local areas of interest - would help them understand how to use their own resources - to build a literature review process that would naturally lead them to think about “what” they want to do and “how” they want to do it.

I resonate with the proposed statement. From my experience, by employing different phrasing than in the introduction, you offer a fresh perspective and demonstrate the evolution of your understanding throughout the review. Additionally, summarizing the main themes or categories explored in the body of your literature review, while highlighting their relevance to your research question and objectives, underscores the significance of your findings. In essence, this final step encapsulates your entire journey through the literature, signaling a strong conclusion and leaving your audience with a clear understanding of how your research has contributed to the field.

Tell them what you told them! The conclusion is the best place to encapsulate the essence of your findings from The literature while tying it back to your research questions and objectives

While summing up your main findings is essential, consider adding a section on real-world applications. This helps to show how your research could actually make a difference in areas like healthcare or policy. It not only enriches your conclusion but also makes it more relevant and useful to a wider audience.

For me this works as an alternative too. It's like giving an overview of what we've learned from the literature. This is also really effective because it helps the reader grasp the key points of our literature review without having to go through all the details. So, you could say this approach makes the ending of our literature review strong and provides a better understanding of our research topic.

Synthesizes is extremely important and it is not just extrapolation of what had been said before but in the end it requires your own unique voice, creativity and perspective. All three of these elements will be combined to give readers a feel of what is new, which has been surely contributed by you and you only.

Summarize the Essentials: Start by giving a brief rundown of the key findings and insights you've gathered from all that reading. Think of it as a highlight reel of the most important stuff.

Just comparing and contrasting the major findings with the previously conducted studies. Additionally, forwarding the possible reasons for why the current findings aligned with the previous studies and vice versa.

While evaluating the quality and relevance of your sources is crucial, don't overlook the importance of temporal context. Academic fields are always evolving, and what was considered groundbreaking yesterday may be outdated today. Consider discussing how the age of your sources impacts their relevance and reliability. This adds another layer of depth to your review and informs the reader on the currentness of the discussed research.

One key piece of information to consider when assessing the quality of a source is the number of citations it has received. Research tools such as Google Scholar allow you to assess the relative importance of a publication by comparing its "Cited by" number to similar works on the topic. It's also valuable to consider the citation chain for a publication, by tracing the sources that it cites backwards through time, as well as the works that refer to it as a primary source forwards through time. The quality and relevance of these connected works can be used to construct the case for the content of the publication that you intend to use.

Evaluation of the relevance of the sources will essentially go back to your research objectives and questions, however looking into quality is somewhat tricky. One can obviously take into account all quantitative matrices of quality readily available but then she be missing out on rich qualitative factors like trajectory of researchers' research arc, reputation of the academic departments researcher(s) are associated with and latent expertise in an emerging field etc.

Adding a section on 'interdisciplinary potential' could elevate your conclusion. This would discuss how your findings might interest researchers in fields beyond your own. Whether it's public health, ethics, or technology, identifying these broader applications could spark unexpected collaborations and enrich the impact of your work.

I tend to do this in nearly all my studies. It's like saying, "Alright, here's what we've found so far, and here are some ideas for where researchers can take it from here." This is super effective because it shows that our research isn't just about what's been done; it's also about what could be explored in the future. So, in a way, it kind of sets the stage for the next steps in the research journey.

Future recommendations are straight forward and those might be constrained by your vision and expertise, however implications require use of those faculties which harness subtle art of possibilities, no matter how miniscule.

A well-written literature review with a strong conclusion saves other people a lot of work when they get started. As a result, literature review articles are highly cited, particularly in emerging fields. Summarising the key themes maps the landscape and concluding by identifying gaps and future directions provides a justification for further research.

Highlight the Research Gap: It's like shining a spotlight on what's missing. Talk about any gaps in the existing research that you've uncovered. Where are the unanswered questions lurking?

I think a summarizing figure or table is an insighful approach to conclude a literature review. This figure or table can propose a framework to help readers take away the key ideas and findings of the literature review. However, there is no set rule as conclusion of the review depends on the type of literature review conducted. For example, the conclusions of systematic review are well-evidenced and can provide a more sound and adaptable framework than a narrative review.

It might be worth considering similar studies to the current one towards the end of the review while revealing the niche area (knowledge gap) that the current study is positioned in. This approach will allow for expanding on the gap mentioned in earlier sections, but in a more finegrained way than an introduction section/chapter would (now that key concepts have also been unpacked). When the literature review is completed as part of an empirical study, it is worthwhile concluding it in a way that clearly links to the components of the current study focus. This shapes the review to align with the rest of the document, and paves the way for the methodology in one of the next sections/chapters.

An essential component of research is the accuracy and validity of the statistical method used. In my experience, the gaps in research are simpler to find when you ask yourself “what are the limitations?” The answer can stem from varying elements of the study, most notably from the sampling and data analysis methods.

One thing that I can add in this is after reviewing the main idea that is linked to our research matter. What he done previously and what are the consequences.

Dive into Real-World Implications: Get practical. Discuss how the findings you've gathered might actually be used in the real world. Think about how they could shape policies, practices, or future research. Show why it all matters.

@anurag, I agree with you: emphasizing the research gap in your literature review is a crucial conclusion because it provides a roadmap for future research, showcases your scholarly ability, justifies your research, encourages collaboration, prevents redundancy, and highlights practical implications. In essence, it not only summarizes existing knowledge but also guides and advances the field of study.