Selecting the Literature for Systematic Review: Process and Implications

This article discusses the process of selecting literature for systematic review, including data extraction and thematic analysis. It also explores the implications for practice and future research, particularly in the context of breast cancer phobia and fear of recurrence. The article highlights the importance of educating patients and healthcare professionals, as well as the need for further research to develop evidence-based interventions. Subject: Literature Review, Course Code: N/A, Course Name: N/A, College/University: N/A

Running head: SELECTING THE LITERATURE
Selecting the literature
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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SELECTING THE LITERATURE
Selection of the Literatures
A literature search is defined as a process of systematic search undertaken to search
for all the articles that were already published over certain specific topic. Search of the
literary articles can be done quickly but requires a systematic yet organised approach.
Therefore it is important to have records of all the searchers made and the subsequent
information elucidated (Wakefield 2015).
One of the first steps of the systematic review process is selection of appropriate study
that falls under the scope of the chosen topic based on multiple database search. The search
process is mainly based on the inclusion criteria selected by the reviewers before they start
the process of selecting, locating and retrieving the research articles in order to address the
problems of the evidence-based practice. The inclusion and the exclusion criteria selected for
the literature search for systematic review is subject to change but some criteria are
fundamental and are essential for collecting rigorous and defensible set of data for the
projected systematic review. The eligibility criteria are liberally selected in the beginning of
the article search in order to ensure that relevant studies which fall under the scope of the
research are included and no study is excluded without thorough evaluation. At the beginning
the studies are only excluded from the search if they failed to meet one or more of the
exclusion criteria (Pompeo et al. 2009).
Data extraction
The data extraction sheet offers a framework to focus over the structure that will be
used to examine the quality of the articles in an organised and in a consistent manner. Thus,
via examining the articles in the same approach indentified via employing the same
framework eradicates the chance of missing the information. While employing the data

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extraction sheet, the crucial details that must be taken into account are the focus group of the
study, sample size, the nature of study, the study approach used, how the main themes or the
statistical data are represented in the study. Via summarising the information of the study in a
structure manner, the researcher will be able to identify the patterns of ideas presented in the
literature (Wakefiled 2014).
Thematic analysis
Thematic analysis is a popular method used for the analysis of the qualitative
research. Braun and Clarke (2006) are of the opinion that the thematic analysis is the
foundational method for data analysis. However, it is required to be defined and described in
order to solidify its place in the qualitative research.
Thematic analysis is easy to use and thus can be easily employed by the novice
researchers who are not familiar with the complex qualitative or quantitative research design.
Thematic analysis enables flexibility over the choice of the researcher over the theoretical
framework of the study. The main aim of thematic approach is to identify the patterns in the
data representation and to address the research questions. A good thematic analysis helps in
easy summarizing of data. However, researchers make mistakes via using the interview
questions and themes of the research and this reflects that the data is organised and
summarise and not analysed (Clarke and Braun 2013).
Thematic review describes particular area of literature of a definite educational
approach or learning model. The main purpose of the outcome is to identify weakness
followed by the dissemination of the principal steps for the overall improvement of any
particular issue. It also provides provision for in-depth examination of the procedures and
principles of the research via evaluation of relevant objectives. It focuses over the central
element of the research which is taken under consideration from different viewpoints. It can

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be a form of comparative study undertaken to analyze one specific domain or to be filled up
via experiences gathered from different angles in order to elucidate creative approaches and
thereby providing a diverse range of inputs.
Wakefield (2015) is of the opinion that it is important to be familiar with the content
and the purpose of the research while examining the literature. Sylvester et al. (2013) stated
that grouping articles into different categories and making different notes about the topics is
the basic pillar of the systematic review process and is stringently designed to formulate a
cogent debate. In order to establish a robust synthesis of literature, Torraaco (2005) proposed
deconstruction of the topic into basic components. The preliminary analysis may initially
observe the development of the topic in order to establish how the overall process has
developed during the course of time. During analysis phase, it is important to decide what
kind of themes are originating from the literature and which of them are relevant enough to
get recruited in the research. This analysis phase mainly deals with subthemes. Subthemes are
concepts that mainly originate from main theme analysis. However, subthemes are often
small and repetitive in order to address as an individual entities and so they are best grouped
under a bigger over aching themes. This help in the observance of meaningful debate
(Wakefield 2015).
Implications for practice
Breast cancer phobia generates immobilizing emotions that prevents the recuperation
of the patient. Thus, it is imperative to educate the patients about the coping strategies.
According to the previously published research, nurses are repeatedly identified as the
principal players to instrument the overall process of change via implementation of the
patient’s counselling and cognitive behavioural therapy education. If the unpredictable nature
of the disease outcomes is discusses by the nursing professionals before then it will be helpful

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for the cancer patients to effectively work through their fear with a positive approach. The
fear of disease relapse cast significant negative impact on the quality of life of the patients
and their family members. Thus it is important to develop specific interventions that address
the fear of relapse (FOR) and quality of life (QOL) of the patients (Thewes et al. 2013,
Taylor et al. 2012 and Thewes et al. 2012).
 The present study elucidates that the young women with breast cancer (> 34 years) are
vulnerable to FCR and are in urgent requirement for screening of FCR and subsequent
intervention to help them manage these fears (Lebel et al. 2013).
 The research also observed inversely proportional relationship with age and FCR. The
increase behind this is high level of stress and anxiety among the younger adults.
According to Level et al. (2013), proper management of anxiety might be helpful to
decrease FCR.
5.4 Implications for Future Research
Eleven of the research articles which were included in the study employed Cross-
Sectional research design and this does not allow specification of the directions of observed
relationships or subsequent determination of causality. Thus, replication of this study in a
longitudinal design is important while taking into account of the methodological
considerations about the best possible questionnaires to analyse the risk factors. A greater
understanding of the factors associated with FCR will help in the development of evidence-
based screening programs that can be used for the treatment of FRC (Taylor et al. 2012 and
Thewes et al. 2013).
 Future course of research must aim towards the direction of relationships and
possibility of the bidirectional relationships within the model in order to strengthen
the theoretical knowledge for FOR (McGinty et al. 2016).

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 Ares et al. (2014) is of the opinion that parenting adolescent children increases the
level of stress along with illness intrusiveness among the mothers. Thus, future
research must investigate over the challenges that are associated with the parenting
adolescents under the context of breast cancer and parenting stress.
 It is curial to note the patients are aware of their changing physical appearance arising
out of the disease and FCR is triggered by the information about the prevailing cases
of cancer in the surrounding environment. Healthcare professionals may procure
tailored yet authentic information about individual’s disease status and proper
education about the symptoms that will require immediate attentions along with the
information of the symptoms, which can be neglected. Once the patients are educated
with this information, they might get adapted with the disease prognosis and will hold
patience to observe the therapy outcome (Custers et al. 2017).
 Future research I required to investigate the different aspects for FCR interventions
along with evaluation of the improvement process that can be sustained over longer
period of time (Dun et al. 2015)
 The study confirms that cognitive behavioural therapeutic approach might be
considered as a promising intervention in order to treat high FOR. More specifically,
it can be said that the results of this study highlighted that the interventions targeting
FOR benefits from the incorporation of the new module plan. This will further help to
refine the behaviours.
 More studies are required to be undertaken in order to analyse the fear among
different socio-demographic levels like age and other qualitative studies to explore
BCS experience of the survivorship in Phase I and Phase III (Ziner et al. 2012).

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 It is also important to examine the proper definition of survivorship along with
different types of fears they express in various phases. These explorations will help in
the process of generation of innovative strategy to manage FOR.
 Further research will help in the identification and development of evidence-based
interventions to decrease the overall fear of BCS.
As a whole the results highlighted that FOR is an important stigma for long-term breast
cancer survivors. Younger women are more prone to get affected with FOR and thus it is
important to remain attentive about their needs. Under present day scenario, the numbers of
long term cancer survivors are increasing. Thus the proper research and transfer of the
important results to the healthcare professionals are required in order to guarantee the highest
possible well-being and QoL of the breast cancer patients.
Under the light of this integrative literature review, it can be said that factors like phobia
of recurrence among the survivors of breast cancer is an important domain which demands
more research. Notably all the research articles employed in this study were relevant enough
to undertake this review.

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