8 strong examples of integrative literature review format examples

An integrative literature review goes beyond summarizing individual studies. It integrates findings from diverse methods and perspectives to build a new conceptual understanding of a topic. That might mean combining qualitative and quantitative research, clinical and theoretical work, or policy and practice papers into one coherent argument.

Unlike a purely systematic review, the integrative approach allows more flexibility in sources and analysis, but it still needs a transparent method and a logical structure. The best examples of integrative literature review format examples share three traits:

• A clearly stated purpose or guiding question
• An organized method for searching, selecting, and appraising sources
• A synthesized narrative that groups studies into meaningful themes or models

Let’s walk through concrete examples so you can see how that looks in practice.

Health sciences: examples of integrative literature review format examples

Health and nursing journals have produced some of the clearest examples of integrative literature review format examples because they often mix clinical trials, qualitative interviews, and policy documents.

Example 1: Nursing burnout and patient safety

Imagine an integrative review on nurse burnout and patient safety outcomes in U.S. hospitals, modeled on formats often seen in journals indexed in PubMed and CINAHL.

A typical structure might look like this:

Introduction and purpose
The opening frames burnout as a persistent workforce and safety problem, referencing national data from sources like the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The purpose statement might read:

“This integrative review synthesizes empirical research on the relationship between nurse burnout and patient safety outcomes in acute care settings in the United States between 2013 and 2024.”

Methods
Instead of a rigid PRISMA-style section, the methods explain:

• Databases searched (PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO)
• Years covered (e.g., 2013–2024)
• Inclusion criteria (licensed RNs, acute care, burnout measured with validated tools)
• Exclusion criteria (student samples, non-acute settings)

This section often includes a simple table summarizing the search terms and number of articles at each step.

Results organized by themes
Here’s where the integrative part shows up. Rather than listing studies one by one, the author groups them into themes such as:

• Direct associations between burnout and safety indicators (falls, medication errors)
• Mediating factors (staffing levels, leadership style)
• Organizational interventions (mindfulness programs, schedule redesign)

Within each theme, the review compares study designs, effect sizes, and limitations, weaving qualitative and quantitative findings together.

Discussion and implications
The discussion highlights:

• Consistent evidence linking burnout to specific safety outcomes
• Gaps in longitudinal and intervention research
• Policy implications for staffing ratios and wellness programs

This is a clean example of integrative literature review format examples in a clinical context: clear question, transparent method, and a thematic synthesis that informs practice.

Example 2: Telehealth adoption after COVID-19

Another health-focused example of integrative literature review formatting centers on telehealth adoption since 2020.

The structure might be:

• Background: Brief overview of the COVID-19 public health emergency and rapid telehealth expansion, citing HHS data and policy changes.
• Purpose: Integrate evidence on patient outcomes, clinician satisfaction, and equity issues in telehealth.
• Methods: Inclusion of mixed-methods studies, policy analyses, and implementation reports from 2020–2025.
• Thematic findings: Organized into access, quality of care, digital divide, and provider workload.
• Model or framework: A proposed conceptual model linking policy, technology, and patient-level outcomes.

This shows how integrative reviews can combine policy, practice, and empirical research in one narrative.

Education: real examples of integrative literature review format in teaching and learning

Education research is full of examples of integrative literature review format examples because scholars often blend classroom studies, policy documents, and psychological theory.

Example 3: Integrative review on project-based learning in K–12

In an education journal, an integrative review on project-based learning (PBL) might use this format:

Framing the problem
The introduction briefly sketches the rise of PBL in U.S. standards and curricula, citing sources like Harvard Graduate School of Education and major meta-analyses.

Guiding questions
Instead of a single research question, the author poses three:

• How is PBL defined and operationalized in K–12 research?
• What outcomes are most consistently associated with PBL?
• What implementation challenges are reported across contexts?

Search and selection
The methods describe database searches (ERIC, Education Source), gray literature (policy reports), and inclusion of both qualitative case studies and quasi-experimental trials.

Integrated synthesis by dimension
The findings are organized by dimensions rather than chronology:

• Instructional design (scaffolding, assessment strategies)
• Student outcomes (achievement, engagement, collaboration)
• Teacher factors (professional development, beliefs)
• Equity and access (resource gaps, tracking)

Across each dimension, the review compares how different studies define PBL, what measures they use, and where results converge or conflict.

Implications for practice and policy
The review closes with concrete recommendations for school leaders and teacher educators, plus a call for more long-term, mixed-methods research.

This is one of the best examples of integrative literature review format examples for teacher education students, because it models how to move from classroom-level findings to system-level implications.

Example 4: Online learning effectiveness in higher education

A more recent 2024–2025 trend is integrative reviews on online and hybrid learning in universities.

A typical format:

• Context: Post-pandemic normalization of online courses; enrollment trends; references to national reports from organizations like the National Center for Education Statistics.
• Purpose: Integrate research on academic outcomes, student engagement, and equity in online vs. face-to-face courses.
• Methods: Inclusion of randomized trials, large-scale institutional data analyses, and qualitative studies of student experience.
• Themes: Course design quality, instructor presence, technology access, and support services.
• Cross-cutting synthesis: Identification of conditions under which online learning performs similarly or better than in-person.

Again, the integrative format shines by bringing together very different types of evidence into a single, organized argument.

Psychology and social sciences: examples include theory-building formats

Psychology and social sciences often use integrative reviews to build or refine theories. These examples of integrative literature review format examples lean heavily on conceptual integration.

Example 5: Social media use and adolescent mental health

A 2024 integrative review on social media and adolescent mental health might look like this:

Introduction
The author briefly outlines rising concerns about youth mental health, citing data from the CDC Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System.

Purpose and scope
The review clarifies that it will integrate:

• Longitudinal surveys
• Experimental studies on social comparison
• Qualitative interviews with teens

Conceptual lenses
Before describing methods, the author introduces key theories (social comparison, displacement, uses-and-gratifications) that will guide the integration. This is common in psychology.

Methods
The methods section is transparent but not hyper-technical: databases, years, age range, and mental health outcomes (depression, anxiety, well-being).

Thematic integration
Findings are organized by mechanisms rather than outcomes:

• Exposure and time spent (screen time debates)
• Content and context (positive vs. negative interactions)
• Individual differences (gender, baseline mental health)

The integrative move is to map which mechanisms are supported across methods, and where evidence is mixed.

Proposed model
The review ends with a conceptual model explaining when social media is most likely to harm or help adolescent mental health, pointing to future research directions.

This is a strong example of integrative literature review format examples that students in psychology can emulate when they need to connect theory and data.

Example 6: Workplace diversity and team performance

In organizational psychology or management, an integrative review on workplace diversity and team performance might:

• Start with business and legal context (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidelines, major corporate trends).
• Explain the mixed evidence on diversity’s impact on performance.
• Combine quantitative meta-analyses, field experiments, and qualitative case studies.
• Organize findings by moderators: leadership style, task complexity, psychological safety, and industry.
• Propose a framework showing under what conditions diversity supports or undermines performance.

Here, the integrative format helps reconcile apparently conflicting findings by showing how context and management practices matter.

Step-by-step structure: example of a generic integrative literature review format

If you’re writing your own paper, it helps to see a generic example of integrative literature review format that you can adapt to your field. Think of this as a flexible template:

1. Title and abstract
A good title signals both topic and method, for example:

“Student Mental Health Services in U.S. Universities: An Integrative Review of Access, Utilization, and Outcomes (2010–2024)”

The abstract briefly notes the purpose, data sources, number of studies, and main themes.

2. Introduction
The introduction:

• Frames the problem with recent data (e.g., from NIMH or national surveys)
• Explains why an integrative review is appropriate
• States the guiding question(s) or objectives

3. Methods
Even though integrative reviews are more flexible than systematic reviews, readers still expect:

• Databases and time frame
• Inclusion and exclusion criteria
• Types of studies included (qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods)
• Basic process for screening and quality appraisal

4. Results / Findings organized by themes
Instead of listing studies chronologically, group them into themes or dimensions. This is where you imitate the best examples of integrative literature review format examples:

• Thematic headings that match your research questions
• Within each theme, a mix of summary and critical comparison
• Occasional tables to show study characteristics or key findings

5. Discussion
Use this section to:

• Summarize what the integrated evidence suggests
• Explain inconsistencies or gaps
• Connect back to theory or practice

6. Implications and future research
Close with specific implications for policy, practice, or theory, plus realistic directions for future studies.

This generic example of integrative literature review format is widely adaptable across disciplines, from public health to business.

Advanced variations: best examples for graduate-level work

Graduate students and early-career researchers often need more sophisticated structures. Some of the best examples of integrative literature review format examples at this level use:

Conceptual scaffolding
Before presenting findings, the author lays out a conceptual map or framework that will organize the themes. For instance, a public health review on food insecurity and chronic disease might use the social-ecological model (individual, interpersonal, community, policy) as the organizing structure.

Methodological integration
Rather than separating qualitative and quantitative studies, advanced examples include both within each theme, showing how they complement or challenge each other.

Explicit attention to bias and limitations
High-quality integrative reviews openly discuss:

• Publication bias
• Over-representation of certain populations (e.g., WEIRD samples)
• Methodological weaknesses in commonly used measures

Link to guidelines or practice standards
In fields like nursing, medicine, or counseling, strong integrative reviews often connect their synthesis to practice guidelines from organizations like NIH, CDC, or professional associations.

FAQ: examples of integrative literature review format questions students ask

What are some real examples of integrative literature review format I can read?
Look for integrative reviews in journals in your field. In health and nursing, search PubMed for “integrative review” plus your topic. In education, try ERIC with “integrative review” or “integrative literature review.” Many articles clearly label themselves as such in the title or abstract.

What is one simple example of an integrative literature review structure for a thesis chapter?
A straightforward example of structure is:

• Intro and purpose
• Methods (databases, criteria)
• Three to five thematic sections (e.g., Definitions, Outcomes, Moderators, Interventions)
• Discussion and implications

How are integrative reviews different from systematic reviews, in format?
Systematic reviews usually follow strict reporting standards and may focus only on quantitative studies. Integrative reviews are more flexible in format and often include qualitative research, theory papers, and policy documents. The methods section is still transparent, but the findings section is usually more narrative and thematic.

Are tables required in examples of integrative literature review format examples?
Tables are not required, but many of the best examples use at least one table to summarize study characteristics (sample, design, measures) or key findings. They make it easier for readers to see patterns and gaps.

Can I use an integrative review format for a capstone or master’s project?
Yes. Many master’s programs in nursing, education, public health, and social work accept an integrative literature review as a final project. Just make sure your format follows your department’s guidelines and clearly explains your search and selection process.

If you treat these as living, real-world examples of integrative literature review format examples rather than rigid templates, you’ll have a much easier time organizing your own review. Start with a clear purpose, build a transparent method, and let your themes do the heavy lifting in the narrative.