webster & watson - How to write a LR - MISQ How To Write A Literature Review | Page 2

Webster & Watson/Guest Editorial

lenging process because we often need to draw on theories from a variety of fields. Moreover, we have
so few theories of our own. Nevertheless, the literature review represents the foundation for research in
IS. As such, review articles are critical to strengthening IS as a field of study.
Another challenge relates to methods of structuring and presenting these reviews. As the initial senior
editors for MISQ Review, we quickly learned that many IS scholars are not familiar with the structure and
format of reviews, which provided the motivation for this article. Unfortunately, this finding is not uncommon
in other areas, as has been noted:
Authors of literature reviews are at risk for producing mind-numbing lists of citations and
findings that resemble a phone book—impressive case, lots of numbers, but not much
plot. [In contrast] a coherent review emerges only from a coherent conceptual structuring of the topic itself. For most reviews, this requires a guiding theory, a set of
competing models, or a point of view about the phenomenon under discussion [Bem
1995, p. 172].
Like Bem in psychology, we seek to encourage more conceptual structuring of reviews in IS. Drawing on
our editorial experiences, as well as other editors’ experiences in related areas (e.g., Daft 1985; Sutton
and Staw 1995; Whetten 1989), we believe that we can help prospective MISQ Review authors and IS
scholars in general by setting forth some guidelines and thoughts on how to write a review article.2
In this paper, we first consider who should write for MISQ Review and identify the types of articles that are
appropriate. Next, we spend most of the paper providing advice to would-be authors based on what we
have learned from our experiences. We then discuss the reviewing process. Finally, we conclude by
summarizing our expectations for a review article.

Prospective Authors and Topics
There are two points in a scholar’s life that lend themselves naturally to writing a literature review. First,
those who have completed or made substantial progress on a stream of research are well positioned to
tell their colleagues what they have learned and where the field can most fruitfully direct its attention.
Second, scholars who have completed a literature review prior to embarking on a project and have
developed some theoretical models derived from this review are also potential authors.
From another angle, two types of reviews exist. First, authors could deal with a mature topic where an
accumulated body of research exists that needs analysis and synthesis. In this case, they would conduct
a thorough literature review and then propose a conceptual model that synthesizes and extends existing
research. Second, authors could tackle an emerging issue that would benefit from exposure to potential
theoretical