How can I understand the research trends in my chosen field through a literature review?

A systematic literature review enables the identification of prevailing themes, emerging topics, and shifts in scholarly focus over time within a specific research field. This analysis reveals key trajectories and indicates future directions. Effective trend identification requires comprehensive retrieval of relevant peer-reviewed publications spanning an appropriate timeframe. Bibliometric analyses track publication volume, author/institutional contributions, and citation patterns to discern influential works and growing subfields. Content analysis synthesizes recurring concepts, methodological approaches, theoretical frameworks, and unresolved debates; explicit attention to shifts in terminology or dominant paradigms is crucial. The inclusion criteria, database selection, and chosen analytical techniques must align with the research scope to ensure validity and mitigate bias. Researchers begin by defining precise research questions and selecting authoritative databases (e.g., Scopus, Web of Science). Subsequent steps involve systematic searching, screening studies against inclusion/exclusion criteria, extracting thematic and temporal data (publication dates, key findings), and applying content/bibliometric analysis (e.g., keyword co-occurrence, citation networks). The synthesized findings highlight evolving priorities, knowledge gaps, and prospective research avenues, ultimately guiding strategic research planning.