What is the primary purpose of review articles in scientific literature?

The primary purpose of review articles in scientific literature is to summarize current research on a particular topic. Review articles offer a comprehensive overview of existing studies and findings, synthesizing information from various sources to give readers a clearer understanding of the trends, gaps, and progress in that area of research. This allows researchers to quickly familiarize themselves with the state of knowledge without having to read numerous original research papers.

Review articles are essential for keeping scholars and practitioners up-to-date with developments in their fields, highlighting key discoveries, and suggesting future directions for research. They do not focus on original research findings or detail specific research methods, as these aspects are typically found in original research articles. Also, while providing background information can be a component of a review article, it is not their primary focus, which is to synthesize and evaluate the current literature in a coherent way.