A companion to the SLR Search Coach. Once you’ve built your search strategy, these are the methods and exemplars for actually conducting and writing the review. Curated from the Human Resource Development Review (HRDR) methodology literature, 2016–2026.
Choosing your review type
Not every review is a systematic review. Match the review type to your purpose:
| Review type | Use when… | Anchor reference |
|---|---|---|
| Integrative review | You want to critique and synthesize a mature literature and generate new framings | Torraco (2016) |
| Systematic review (SLR) | You need a transparent, reproducible, protocol-driven answer to a focused question | Rocco et al. (2023) |
| Theoretical review | You are tracing a theory’s life cycle (verified/falsified propositions) | Turner et al. (2018) |
| Conceptual vs. theory article | You are clarifying whether you’re building a model or a theory | Rocco, Plakhotnik, & Silberman (2022) |
Core reading list (annotated)
Cornerstone — literature review methodology
- Torraco (2016) — Writing integrative literature reviews. The 11-point checklist; one of HRDR’s most-cited. Start here.
- Rocco, Plakhotnik, McGill, Huyler, & Collins (2023) — HRD’s definitive structured/systematic literature review guide.
- Cho (2022) — Distinguishing integrative from systematic reviews — settles the “which review am I doing?” question.
Software & workflow for reviews
- O’Kane, Ott, Smith, & Brown (2023) — CAQDAS for systematic reviews.
- Paulus (2023) — QDA software for digital review workflows.
Theory building & “what counts as theory”
- Seo, Noh, & Ardichvili (2019) — HRD theory maturity across 668 articles.
- Lee (2025) — “So what is theory?” — a 4-outcome continuum (concept → model → mid-range → grand).
- Turner et al. (2018) — theoretical literature review; tracing a theory’s verified/falsified propositions.
- Kuchinke (2023) — three-criteria framework for selecting supporting literature.
Research rigor, ethics & writing
- Reio (2021) — Ten Research Questions — an analytic tool for critiquing studies.
- Reio (2023) — the four Rs: rigor, relevance, replicability, refutability.
- Park, Kim, & Han (2024) — HRD research-method rigor.
- Werner (2022) / Russ-Eft (2018) — academic integrity & the AHRD Standards on Ethics.
How this connects to the SLR Search Coach
- SLR Search Coach → builds your problem statement, framework, and search strategy.
- This guide → helps you pick the review type and conduct/write the synthesis.
- Student Toolkit → the worksheet that captures it all.
Source: HRDR “Research Methodology and Theory Building” cluster.
📄 Download this guide as a PDF
References
Cho, Y. (2022). Comparing integrative and systematic literature reviews. Human Resource Development Review, 21(2), 147–151.
Lee, J. (2025). So, what is theory? Human Resource Development Review, 24(2), 225–241. https://doi.org/10.1177/15344843241313150
O’Kane, P., Ott, D., Smith, A., & Brown, T. (2023). Understanding computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software as a tool to enhance systematic literature reviews in HRD. Human Resource Development Review, 22(2), 291–307.
Park, J. J., Kim, Y., & Han, S. J. (2024). The landscape of research method rigor in the field of human resource development: An analysis of empirical research from 2016 to 2023. Human Resource Development Review, 23(3), 345–375. https://doi.org/10.1177/15344843241255410
Paulus, T. M. (2023). Using qualitative data analysis software to support digital research workflows. Human Resource Development Review, 22(1), 139–148.
Reio, T. G., Jr. (2021). The ten research questions: An analytic tool for critiquing empirical studies and teaching research rigor. Human Resource Development Review, 20(3), 374–390.
Reio, T. G., Jr. (2023). An editor’s learning journey: Lessons for moving the field forward. Human Resource Development Review, 22(3), 321–332.
Rocco, T. S., Plakhotnik, M. S., & Silberman, D. (2022). Differentiating between conceptual and theory articles: Focus, goals, and approaches. Human Resource Development Review, 21(1), 113–140.
Rocco, T. S., Plakhotnik, M. S., McGill, C. M., Huyler, D., & Collins, J. C. (2023). Conducting and writing a structured literature review in human resource development. Human Resource Development Review, 22(1), 104–125.
Russ-Eft, D. F. (2018). Second time around: AHRD standards on ethics and integrity. Human Resource Development Review, 17(2), 123–127.
Seo, J., Noh, K. B., & Ardichvili, A. (2019). Theory building and testing in human resource development: Current advancements and future directions. Human Resource Development Review, 18(4), 411–436.
Torraco, R. J. (2016). Writing integrative literature reviews: Using the past and present to explore the future. Human Resource Development Review, 15(4), 404–428. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534484316671606
Turner, J. R., Baker, R., & Kellner, F. (2018). Theoretical literature review: Tracing the life cycle of a theory and its verified and falsified statements. Human Resource Development Review, 17(1), 34–61.
Werner, J. M. (2022). Academic integrity and human resource development: Being and doing. Human Resource Development Review, 21(2), 249–257.