Literature Synthesis Methodology (amann-literature-synthesis)

When to trigger

• The proposal was invited and it is time to read the field thoroughly and transparently
• Reading feels unsystematic; you fear missing streams a referee could name
• You have many papers but no way to code, compare, or reconcile them
• You must decide whether this review is narrative, systematic, or bibliometric in method

At Annals you synthesize — you do not run primary research

The folder name says "data analysis," but an Annals review reports no data of its own. Your "analysis" is the systematic appraisal and integration of a literature. The credibility of the whole review rests on the reader's belief that you read everything that matters and coded it consistently. Build coverage as a transparent process, not from memory.

Choose the integration method first