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Research Methodology-4

This document discusses the importance of reviewing literature as an essential part of the research process. It outlines four main functions of reviewing literature: 1) bringing clarity and focus to the research problem, 2) improving methodology, 3) broadening knowledge in the research area, and 4) contextualizing findings by comparing them to existing literature. The document then describes procedures for searching, reviewing, and developing a theoretical framework from the literature.

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Dennis Muya
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31 views

Research Methodology-4

This document discusses the importance of reviewing literature as an essential part of the research process. It outlines four main functions of reviewing literature: 1) bringing clarity and focus to the research problem, 2) improving methodology, 3) broadening knowledge in the research area, and 4) contextualizing findings by comparing them to existing literature. The document then describes procedures for searching, reviewing, and developing a theoretical framework from the literature.

Uploaded by

Dennis Muya
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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So far we have focused on the basis of your study, the research problem.

But every study


in social sciences has a second element, the study population from whom the required
information to find answers to your research questions is obtained.
As you narrow the research problem, similarly you need to decide very specifically who
constitutes your study population, in order to select the appropriate respondents.

Step 2. Reviewing the literature:


-Essential preliminary task in order to acquaint yourself
with the available body of knowledge in your area of interest.
-Literature review is integral part of entire research process and makes valuable
contribution to every operational step.
-Reviewing literature can be time-consuming, daunting and frustrating, but is also
rewarding. Its functions are:
a. Bring clarity and focus to your research problem;
b. Improve your methodology;
c. Broaden your knowledge;
d. Contextualise your findings.
a.Bring clarity and focus to your research problem;
The process of reviewing the literature helps you to understand the subject area better and
thus helps you to conceptualise your research problem clearly and precisely. It also helps
you to understand the relationship between your research problem and the body of
knowledge in the area.
b.Improve your methodology:
A literature review tells you if others have used procedures and methods similar to the
ones that you are proposing, which procedures and methods have worked well for them,
and what problems they have faced with them. Thus you will be better positioned to select
a methodology that is capable of providing valid answer to your research questions.
c.Broaden your knowledge base in your research area:
It ensures you to read widely around the subject area in which you intend to conduct your
research study. As you are expected to be an expert in your area of study, it helps fulfill
this expectation. It also helps you to understand how the findings of your study fit into the
existing body of knowledge.
d..Contextualise your findings:
How do answers to your research questions compare with what others have found? What
contribution have you been able to make in to the existing body of knowledge? How are
your findings different from those of others? For you to be able to answer these
questions, you need to go back to your literature review. It is important to place your
findings in the context of what is already known in your field of enquiry.

Procedure for reviewing the literature:


i) search for existing literature in your area of study;
ii) review the literature selected;
iii) develop a theoretical framework;
iv) develop a conceptual framework.

Search for existing literature:


-To effectively search for literature in your field of enquiry, it is imperative that you have
in mind at least some idea of broad subject area and of the problem you wish to
investigate, in order to set parameters for your search.
-Next compile a bibliography for this broad area. Sources are:
1. books
2.journals

BOOKS
comprise a central part of any bibliography.
Advantage-material published generally is of good quality and the findings are integrated
with other research to form a coherent body of knowledge.
Disadvantage-material is not completely up to date, as it can take a few years between the
completion of a work and publication in the form of a book.
Search for books in your area of interest, prepare a final list, locate these books in the
libraries or borrow from other sources. Examine their content, if contents are not
found to be relevant to your topic, delete it from your reading list.

JOURNALS
Journals provide you with the most up-to-date information, even though there is a gap of
two to three years between the completion of a research project and the publication
in a journal.
As with books, you need to prepare a list of journals for identifying literature relevant to
your study. This can be done as follows:

-locate the hard copies of the journal that are appropriate to your study;
- use the internet
- look at the index of research abstracts in the relevant field to identify and read the
articles.

Whichever method you choose, first identify the journals you want to look at in more
detail for your review of literature. Select the latest issue, examine its content page
to see if there is an article of relevance to your research topic. If you feel a particular
article is of relevance to you, read its abstract. If you think you are likely to use it,
photocopy or prepare a summary and record it for reference for later use.
Review the literature selected:
After identifying books and articles as useful, the next step is to start reading them
critically to pull together themes and issues that are associated.
If you do not have a theoretical framework of themes in mind to start with, use separate
sheets of paper for each article or book.
Once you develop a rough framework, slot the findings from the material so far reviewed
into that framework, using a separate sheet of paper for each theme of that
framework.
As you read further, go on slotting the information where it logically belongs under the
theme so far developed. You may need to add more themes as you go.
Read critically with particular reference to the following aspects:
• Note whether the knowledge relevant to your theoretical framework is confirmed
beyond doubt.
• Note the theories put forward, the criticisms of these and their basis, the
methodologies adopted and the criticisms of them.
• Examine to what extent the findings can be generalized to other situations.
Ascertain the areas in which little or nothing is known-the gaps that exist in the body of
knowledge.

Develop a theoretical framework:

As you have limited time it is important to set parameters by reviewing the literature in
relation to some main themes pertinent to your research topic.
As you start reading the literature, you will realize that it deals with a number of aspects
that have a direct `and indirect bearing on your research topic. Use these aspects as a
basis for developing your theoretical framework.

Until you go through the literature you cannot develop a theoretical framework and until
you have developed a theoretical framework, you cannot effectively review the
literature.
Literature pertinent to your study may deal with two types of information:
- universal;
- more specific( i.e. local trends or specific program)
In writing about such information you should start with the general information,
gradually narrowing down to the specific.

Writing up the literature reviewed:

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