CH-2 Review of Literature-1

7/28/2019 CH-2 Review of Literature-1

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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 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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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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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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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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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 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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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

CH-2 Review of Literature-1

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