Guidance for Literature Review Assignment

Literature Review Assignment
Guidance for Literature Review Assignment
You are required to demonstrate understanding of clinical research approaches within the discipline of
aesthetic practice, whilst maintaining academic standards when writing a literature review report based on a
subject within the field of aesthetic practice.
Task
Produce a literature review report.
For this assignment you are required to criticaly evaluate scientific literature on a clinicaly related topic
relevant to aesthetic practice.
To achieve this assignment you wil:
Select a minimum of two research articles or conference paper publications on which to focus your
evaluation
Consider the design methodologies utilised within the clinical and scientific research
Consider the extent to which the research methodologies contribute to the reliability of the
findings in the clinical and scientific literature
General guidance on presentation
Project Length:
The report should contain between 1,500 and 2,000 words. We strongly recommend keeping your word
count within 80 – 120% of the suggested limit. The words which form part of the count include all words
in the text of the assignment including headings, quotes and references. The following are excluded
from the word count; tables, diagrams, reference list and appendices. You must state the actual word
count on the title page of the submission.
Presentation:
The report must be presented electronically in typewritten form. VTCT Skills recommends that the
report should be double line spaced, except for block quotations, notes, captions or long headings. A
uniform font should be used throughout. Your submission should be a single PDF file that includes your
essay and a list of references at the end.
Layout of the report:
Title
Introduction (including a brief background/aims)
Methodology
Literature review/Discussion
Limitations
Conclusions/Recommendations
List of references
Appendices (if relevant)
References:
Harvard Style referencing should be used throughout for in-text referencing and the reference list.
Guidance on content
Overall requirements:
Ensure your topic is appropriate—it should be a clinically related topic relevant to aesthetic medicine
practice. You must provide a critical analysis of two or more articles related to your chosen topic. Your
literature review should be between 1500–2000 words.
Check that your structure is appropriate, ensuring it includes the following sections: Title, Introduction,
Methodology, Literature Review/Discussion, Limitations, Conclusions/Recommendations, and a List of
References. All of these sections are required to pass. Additionally, make sure your paragraphs are well
constructed and of suitable length.
Make sure your information is effectively presented, criticaly analysed, and sufficiently concluded. Use a
clear, logical structure to communicate your points, show the connections between them, and use
transitional phrases to link ideas and maintain a smooth progression of thought.
Include appropriate and sufficient in-text references in Harvard Style. You’re expected to reference
sources beyond just the articles you chose to review.
Ensure your writing is coherent and appropriate for an academic essay. Avoid grammatical errors that
could affect the clarity of your writing.
Overview of how to approach the assignment
Conducting a research review of medical publications involves a few key steps. Through the completion of
this assignment you wil demonstrate you can:
Clearly Define a Research Question: Demonstrate the ability to articulate a focused and wel-defined
research question or topic for investigation.
Conduct a Comprehensive Literature Search: Show proficiency in using medical databases (e.g.,
PubMed, MEDLINE) to locate relevant studies and articles related to the research question.
Critica ly Select Studies: Exhibit discernment in selecting appropriate studies based on relevance,
providing justification for inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Analyse Research Findings: Demonstrate the capability to analyse selected studies by identifying key
findings, assessing methodologies, and recognising limitations.
Synthesise Findings into a Coherent Summary: Organise the main findings from reviewed studies into a
clear and cohesive summary, emphasising key results and trends.
Critica ly Discuss Results: Showcase analytical ski ls by comparing and contrasting the findings across
different studies, explaining agreements, discrepancies, and their potential reasons.
Identify Research Gaps and Implications: Demonstrate insight by highlighting gaps in existing research
and discussing the broader significance of the review’s findings within the field.
Develop a Wel-Organised Review Paper: Display effective writing skils by synthesising the analysis,
discussions, and conclusions into a structured and comprehensive review.
Adhere to Academic Integrity: Exhibit attention to detail and ethical scholarship by accurately citing al
referenced studies and articles.
Things to consider when structuring your report
1.
Constructing an appropriate question
To start a great literature review, first define the problem with a clear and structured question or hypothesis.
For Level 7, this wil relate to aesthetic injectables. Here are example titles from successful student
submissions:
Common Complications Associated with Tear Trough Filer Treatment in Non-Surgical Aesthetic
Practice
Clinical Efficacy of Botulinum Toxin Type A in Treatment of Rhytids in the Glabelar Complex
Delayed Onset Nodules folowing Hyaluronic Acid Dermal Filers
Prevention of Infection Associated with Soft Tissue Filer Use in Non-Surgical Aesthetic Practice
Clinical Evaluation of Aspiration as a Preventative Technique in Dermal Filer Injections
The folowing are examples of literature review titles that were not successful:
Botulinum Toxin in the Management of Chronic Migraine
The Psychological Effects of Botox on Depression and Mood Disorders
The Use of Dermal Filers for Facial Paralysis and Reconstructive Purposes
Facial Asymmetry Caused by Neurological Disorders: A Review of Treatment Options
2. Searching for relevant articles:
When searching for relevant articles, prioritise high-level evidence such as randomised controled trials
(RCTs). However, if the research available in your area is limited, including lower-level studies is appropriate.
PubMed or MEDLINE is the most suitable starting point for biomedical literature searches. MEDLINE
contains milions of citations and is freely accessible through PubMed, which offers advanced search
features useful for refining results.
While Google Scholar also indexes many of the same articles and includes literature from other disciplines, it
lacks some of the advanced search capabilities available in PubMed, making PubMed the preferred tool for
ski led, targeted searches.
How to structure a Literature Review
Title
A clearly articulated statement focusing on a specific clinical topic in aesthetic medicine.
Introduction
Structura ly, the introduction should be succinct and specific. A competent introduction should include at
least the folowing key concepts:
Significance of the Topic
Briefly state why the topic is important, aiming to capture the reader’s interest.
Rationale for the Review
Explain why the review is being conducted, highlighting the information gap in the available literature
associated with the topic. Identifying what is known, specificaly to make evident what is not known.
Aims and Hypotheses
Clearly state the aims and objectives of the review. If applicable, include hypotheses. The main objective
should be to address the identified gap in the literature.
Methodology
The methodology section should focus on the process used to conduct the review, rather than on the
methods employed in the studies being reviewed. It should clearly describe how the literature was identified,
selected, and analysed. This includes outlining the search strategy, specifying any limitations, and ensuring
the process is transparent and replicable.
Key details include the databases searched (e.g., PubMed, MEDLINE), the search terms used—along with
how they were connected using appropriate Boolean operators—and the range of publication years
considered. You should also define the inclusion and exclusion criteria used to determine which studies were
relevant for review. This section ensures the rigour and reproducibility of your literature review.
Literature Review/Discussion
In this section, summarise and criticaly compare and analyse the papers you have selected. Identify the
methodologies used in the original research to contextualise their findings. Highlight the key outcomes, note
any gaps in the research, and address conflicting evidence within the existing literature. Discuss the
limitations of the studies under review, considering factors such as sample size, study design, or potential
biases. Explain the significance of the findings within the broader field and evaluate whether your own
observations support or contradict those of earlier research. Where discrepancies arise, clearly distinguish
your work and offer reasoned explanations for these differences.
Limitations
This section is intended to discuss the limitations specific to your own literature review, not those of the
individual studies included—those should be addressed within the main body of the review (Literature
Review/Discussion). Limitations reflect potential weaknesses in study design, data colection, analysis, and
interpretation that may influence the conclusions drawn.
Begin by identifying any limitations in your review process that could affect how the results are interpreted.
These might include constraints such as limited access to ful-text articles, the exclusion of non-English
studies, or restrictions in the time frame or databases searched. Explain how these limitations may have
impacted your findings and describe any steps you took to minimise their effect. If nothing could be done to
address a particular limitation, clarify why it was not expected to significantly affect the outcome.
Some authors also include a brief mention of the strengths of their review to provide balance and context.
Conclusions/Recommendations
The conclusion serves to summarise the key findings of your literature review and demonstrate how they
address your research question or contribute to the wider field. Begin by briefly recapping your main points.
Clearly state how your findings respond to your original research question or hypothesis. Discuss the
significance of these findings, outlining their implications for the field. Acknowledge any limitations of your
review and consider how these may have influenced the results. Consider adding your own personal insight
into the topic you have discussed. Finaly, suggest directions for future research, particularly in relation to any
gaps or unresolved issues identified through your review.
Common essay fail areas for literature review:
You may fail this assignment for several reasons, including:
1.
Poor Organisation or Inappropriate Structure:
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Failing to include a l required sections, i.e. Title, Introduction, Methodology, Literature
Review/Discussion, Limitations, Conclusions/Recommendations, and a List of References
A lack of clear structure or organisation in presenting the findings which can impact the clarity of the
argument
The evaluation not being wel-supported by evidence, or the paper lacking logical flow
Failing to explicitly select at least 2 studies/papers to review – these should be named in the
Methodology
Using the Methodology just to explain the methodologies of the studies selected – instead, you must
use the methodology to explain your own research strategy and approach in an academic manner
Failing to explain your goals in the Introduction
Failure to Select Appropriate Sources or Focus:
Failing to select relevant or credible sources. The research articles or conference papers chosen may
not be related to aesthetic practice, or you might not meet the required academic standards, such as
peer-reviewed journals or reputable conferences
Inadequate Analysis and Critical Evaluation:
The assignment specificaly asks for a critical evaluation, which requires you to go beyond summarising
the articles. If you merely restate the research findings without analysing the methodology, validity,
biases, and limitations of the studies, it would be insufficient
If the evaluation does not consider how the methodologies affect reliability or does not chalenge or
question the research’s conclusions, the assignment might not demonstrate critical thinking, again,
making it insufficient
You must evaluate the design methodologies you utilised within your own research in the Literature
Review/Discussion section of the assignment. If you do not sufficiently explain how the methodology
(e.g., sample size, control groups, statistical analysis) impacts the results or validity of the studies, then
you might miss a significant aspect of the assignment. If the evaluation does not consider how the
methodologies affect reliability or does not chalenge or question the research’s conclusions, the
assignment might not demonstrate critical thinking
You could also fail to connect the research design to the practical relevance of aesthetic practices
Inadequate Consideration of Reliability:
You may overlook how reliable the findings are. If you do not explain how the study’s design influences
the generalisability of the findings or the degree to which the results can be trusted within the aesthetic
practice context, this would be a critical gap
Superficial Conclusions/Recommendations
You might fail to draw meaningful conclusions or fail to synthesise information effectively. The
assignment isn’t just about pointing out flaws or strengths but also about drawing connections
between research findings, their practical implications in aesthetic practice, and their impact on future
research
Failure to Stay on Topic:
If you veer off-topic or provide irrelevant information that doesn’t relate to the aesthetic practice or the
scientific evaluation of the research, this could affect your grade negatively
Failure to Cite Properly:
The assignment requires critical evaluation of literature, meaning proper citation and referencing are
key. If you fail to cite your sources accurately or do not adhere to the prescribed referencing style
(Harvard in this case), it could lead to accusations of plagiarism or academic dishonesty issues, which
could result in overturning a pass mark at a later stage

Literature Review Assignment Brief_MAY25