Occupational Therapy: Research vs. Review Articles

Research articles are journal articles where the authors report on their findings. These articles have primary research outputs meaning the authors have drawn conclusions from their investigation and are contributing to the research environment on that topic.

It's important to note that these types of articles can be also be referred to as:

• Empirical studies / research
• Primary studies / research

Research articles often have a specific structure and can be easily recognised.

Below are some examples of primary research articles:

Why are we waiting? Patients' perspectives for accessing emergency department services with non-urgent complaints

Effects of phantom exercises on pain, mobility, and quality of life among lower limb amputees; a randomized controlled trial

Parents' experiences of managing their child's diabetes using an insulin pump: a qualitative study

Once you know the difference between research and review articles, you then need to identify which type of information you require. 

• When you want to to find out specific information about a particular intervention or condition 
• When you want to learn about a population's attitudes towards something
• When you want to stay up to date and current in a particular area

• When you want an overview of the scope of research conducted on a particular topic 
• When you want to identify gaps in the literature and discover which areas are either under-researched or haven't been investigated
• When you want to find prominent and impactful research articles within that field

Review articles are articles which provide an overview of the research environment on a particular topic. For example, a review article on chronic low back pain would map the research studies which have been performed on this topic.

It's important to note that these types of articles can also be known as secondary research. 

Review articles are particularly helpful in providing the scope of research on a specific discipline and can be used to justify why more research is needed in a particular field.

Below are some examples of review articles (secondary research):

Managing type 2 diabetes in children and young people: Challenges and solutions

Patellar tendinopathy - does injection therapy have a role? A systematic review of randomised control trials

Mindfulness-based interventions to reduce stress and burnout in nurses: an integrative review