Post on 03-Apr-2018
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Review of Literature
Before considering what literature to use in a project, first
identify a topic to study and reflect on whether it is practical
and useful to undertake the study.
Describe the topic in a few words or in a short phrase.
One way is to draft a brief title to the study and it should be
done early in the projects.
In the authors opinion the working or draft title becomes a
major road sign in research-a tangible idea that the researcher
can keep refocusing on and changing as the project goes on,she finds that in her research the topic grounds her and
provides a sign of who she is and to convey to others the
central notion of her study.
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The Research Topic
The subject or subject matter of a proposed study
Describe in a few words
The central idea you want to learn about
The topic can be researched if You have access to participants
You have resources to collect and analyze information
The topic should be researched if
The research will add to the literature about the topic
Scholars will be interested in the topic
A study of it will advance your personal goals
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The Research Topic
A common short coming of beginning researchers is that they
frame their study in complex and erudite language. This
perspective may result from reading published articles that
have undergone numerous revisions before being set in print.
Good sound research begins with straight forwarduncomplicated thoughts easy to read and understand.
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The Research Topic
Eliminate unnecessary words like an approach to.. A study
of.. Use a single or a double title.
A double title would be an ethnography: understanding a
childs perception of war.
Eliminate most articles and nouns and up to 12 words is
enough.
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The Research Topic
Actively elevating this topic to a research study calls for
reflecting on whether the topic can be and should be
researched.
The question of should is a more complex matter. Like does
the research add to the pool of research knowledge availableon the topic, replicates past studies, lifts up the voices of
underrepresented groups or individuals, helps address social
justice or transforms the ideas and beliefs of the researcher.
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The Research Topic
A first step in any project is to spend considerable time in the
library examining the research on a topic.
Given a choice between a topic that might be of limited
regional interest or one of national interest the latter might be
preferred.
Consider the time it takes to complete a project, revise it and
disseminate the results. All researchers should consider how
the study and its heavy commitment of time will pay of in
enhancing career goals, whether these goals relate to doing
more research, obtaining a future position or advancing
toward a degree.
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The Literature Review
Shares the results of other studies
Relates the study to the larger dialogue in the literature
Provides a framework for establishing the importance of the
study
Provides a benchmark for comparing the results to other
findings
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The Literature Review
The literature review accomplishes several purposes. It shares
with the readers the results of other studies that are closely
related to the one being undertaken. It relates a study to the
larger ongoing dialogue in the literature filling in the gaps and
extending prior studies.
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Steps in Conducting a Literature
Review Identify key words
Search library catalogs
Identify about 50 research reports in articles or books
Photocopy those that are central to your topic Design a literature map
Draft summaries of the relevant articles
Write a literature review, organizing it by important
concepts
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Selecting Literature Material
Start with broad syntheses (such as encyclopedias) if you arenew to the topic
Turn to journal articles in national journals
Best source for research reports
Next consider books
Then examine conference papers
Scan for dissertations
Last consider reports on the web
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Abstracting Studies
Draft abstracts that summarize selected articles
For research studies:
Mention the problem
State the central purpose
State information about the population and sample Review key results
Point out methodological flaws (if a methodological review)
For nonempirical studies (essays, opinions, etc.)
Mention the problem
State the central theme
State the major conclusions
Mention flaws in reasoning or logic (if a methodological review)
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The Literature Review
In a qualitative research inquires use the literature in a
manner consistent with the assumptions of learning from the
participant, not prescribing the questions that need to be
answered from the researchers stand point.
One of the chief reasons for conducting a qualitative study isthat the study is exploratory. This usually means that not
much has been written about the topic or the population
being studied and the researcher seeks to listen to
participants and build an understanding based on what is
heard.
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The Literature Review
In theoretically oriented studies such as ethnographies or
critical ethnographies the literature on a cultural concept or a
critical theory is introduced early in the report or proposal as
an orienting framework. In grounded theory, case studies and
phenomenological studies literature is less often used to setthe stage for study.
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The Literature Review
There are three placements for the literature in the qualitative
research
when it is placed in the introduction the literature provides a
useful backdrop for the problem or issue that has led to the
need for the study such as who has been writing about it whohas studied it and who has indicated the importance of
studying the issue. This framing is contingent upon the
availability of studies.
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The Literature Review
A second form is to review the literature in a separate section
a model typically used in quantitative research, often found in
journals with a quantitative orientation. In theory oriented
qualitative studies such as ethnography critical theory or an
advocacy or emancipatory aim the inquirer might locate thetheory discussion and literature in a separate section typically
toward the beginning of the write up.
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The Literature Review
The researcher may incorporate the related literature in the
final section where it is used to compare and contrast with
the results or themes to emerge from the study. This model is
especially popular in grounded theory studies and I
recommend it because it uses the literature inductively.
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The Literature Review
Quantitative research on the other hand includes a substantial
amount of literature at the beginning of a study to provide
direction for the research questions or hypothesis. At the end
of a study the literature is revisited by the researcher and a
comparison is made between the results with the existingfindings in the literature.
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Integrative literature review
In this approach the researcher summarize broad themes in
the literature. This model is popular in dissertation proposals
and dissertations.
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Theoretical Review
In this approach the researcher focuses on extant theory that
relates to the problems under study. This form appears in
journal articles in which the author integrates the theory into
the introduction.
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Methodological Review
In this approach, the researcher focuses on the methods and
definitions. These review may provide both a summary of
studies and a critique of the strengths and weaknesses of the
methods section.
This approach is not seen frequently in dissertations.
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Mixed methods Study
If the researcher begins with a quantitative phase then the
investigator is likely to include a substantial literature review
that helps to establish a rationale for the research questions
or hypothesis.
If the study begins with a qualitative phase then the literatureis substantially less and the researcher may incorporate it
more into the end of the study- an inductive approach.
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Summary of the qualitative
methods. In a qualitative study, use the literature sparingly in the
beginning in order to convey an inductive design, unless the
design type requires a substantial literature orientation at the
outset.
Consider the most appropriate place for the literature in aqualitative study and base the decision on the audience for
the project. Keep in mind the options: placing it at the
beginning to frame a problem, placing it in an another section
or at the end to compare and contrast with the findings.
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Summary of the quantitative
methods. Use the literature in a quantitative study deductively as a basis
for advancing research questions or hypothesis.
In a quantitative study plan use the literature to introduce
the study describe related literature in a separate section and
to compare findings. If a separate review is used consider whether the literature
will be integrative summaries, theoretical reviews or
methodological reviews.
A typical practice in dissertation writing is to advance an
integrative review.
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Summary of the Mixed
Methods In a mixed methods study, use the literature in a way that is
consistent with the major type of strategy and the qualitative
or quantitative approach most prevalent in the design.
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The Use of Literature
Quantitative studies use literature to
Provide direction to the research questions and hypotheses
Introduce a problem
Introduce a theory
Compare results with existing literature or predictions
Qualitative studies use literature to
Introduce the problem or issue
Describe an orienting framework (but not set the direction)
Compare and contrast findings
Mixed methods studies use
Either a quantitative or qualitative approach
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Design Techniques
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Design Techniques
A literature review means locating and summarizing the
studies about a topic, often these are research studies but
could be conceptual articles or thought pieces that provide
frameworks for thinking about topics.
Begin by identifying key words, useful in locating materials inan academic library at a university.
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Design Techniques
With these key words in mind next go to the library and begin
searching the catalog for holdings (journals and books).
Initially try to locate about 50 reports of research in articles or
books related to research on your topic.
Skim this initial group of articles or chapters and duplicatethose that are central to the topic.
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Design Techniques
As the useful literature is identified begin designing a
literature map. This is a visual picture of groupings of the
literature on the topic that illustrates how your particular
study will contribute to the literature, positioning your own
study within the larger body of research summarize the articles. These summaries are used in the
literature review.
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Priority for selecting literature
material Especially if you are examining a topic for the first time and
unaware of the research on it start with broad synthesis of the
literature such as overviews found in encyclopedias.
Next turn to journal articles in respected national journals
especially those that report research studies. Follow up on references at the end of the articles for more
sources to examine.
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Priority for selecting literature
material Turn to books related to the topic.
Follow this research by recent conference papers, make
contact with authors of pertinent studies, seek them out at
conferences email them.
Ask them if an instrument could be used or modified for use inyour study.
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A Literature Map of the
Research One of the first tasks for a researcher working with a new
topic is to organize the literature.
It is a useful tool for students to use when organizing their
review of the literature for making presentations to graduate
committees or summarizing the literature for a scholarlypresentation or a journal article publications.
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Literature Map
One could be a hierarchical structure with a top down
presentation of the literature ending at the bottom with the
proposed study.
Another might be similar to a flow chart in which the reader
understands the literature as unfolding from left to right withthe farthest right hand section advancing a proposed study.
A third model might be a series of circles with each circle
representing a body of literature and the intersection of the
circles the place in which the future research is indicated.
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A Quantitative or Mixed Methods
Literature Review A suggested model
Introduce the review with a statement about the organization ofthe sections
Review literature about the independent variables
Review literature about the dependent variables
Review literature that relates the independent variables to thedependent variables
Provide a summary
Highlight important studies
Capture major themes
Suggest why more research is needed
Advances how the proposed study will fill this need