Thoughts About Conceptual Models, Theories, and Literature Reviews

Fawcett, Jacqueline RN; PhD; FAAN

¹Professor and Chairperson, Department of Nursing, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, ME, USA

Contributing Editor:

Jacqueline Fawcett, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey

Boulevard, Boston, ME 02125-3393, USA.

Nursing Science Quarterly 26(3):p 285-288, July 2013. | DOI: 10.1177/0894318413489156

Abstract

This essay focuses on various types of literature reviews, including scoping reviews, realist reviews, and integrative reviews. As contributions to understanding the state of nursing science about a particular topic, each literature review should be but rarely is guided by a nursing conceptual model, and the research findings should be but rarely are interpreted as theories that were generated or tested. Examples that are exceptions to usual literature reviews are given.