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- PLoS Comput Biol
- v.9[7]; 2013 Jul
- PMC3715443
PLoS Comput Biol. 2013 Jul; 9[7]: e1003149.
Published online 2013 Jul 18. doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1003149
PMCID: PMC3715443
PMID: 23874189
How to write a superb literature review
Nature speaks to old hands and first timers about the work they did to make their reviews sing.
- Andy Tay 0
- Andy Tay
Andy Tay is a freelance writer based in Singapore.
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Literature reviews are important resources for scientists. They provide historical context for a field while offering opinions on its future trajectory. Creating them can provide inspiration for one’s own research, as well as some practice in writing. But few scientists are trained in how to write a review — or in what constitutes an excellent one. Even picking the appropriate software to use can be an involved decision [see ‘Tools and techniques’]. So Nature asked editors and working scientists with well-cited reviews for their tips.