Literature reviews as independent studies

Review articles or literature reviews are a critical part of scientific research. While numerous guides on literature reviews exist, these are often limited to the phi- losophy of review procedures, protocols, and nomenclatures, triggering non-par- simonious reporting and confusion due to overlapping similarities. To address the aforementioned limitations, we adopt a pragmatic approach to demystify and shape the academic practice of conducting literature reviews. We concentrate on the types, focuses, considerations, methods, and contributions of literature reviews as inde- pendent, standalone studies. As such, our article serves as an overview that scholars can rely upon to navigate the fundamental elements of literature reviews as stand- alone and independent studies, without getting entangled in the complexities of review procedures, protocols, and nomenclatures