Scribd
Upload
16 views16 pages

2. Literature Review

The document provides an introduction to literature reviews, emphasizing their importance in research and outlining the steps to develop an effective review. It discusses various approaches to organizing literature, common mistakes to avoid, and the significance of critical analysis in connecting research to existing literature. Additionally, it highlights the importance of proper citation and maintaining a bibliography.

Uploaded by

Nuwan Thushara Wickramarathne
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
16 views16 pages

2. Literature Review

The document provides an introduction to literature reviews, emphasizing their importance in research and outlining the steps to develop an effective review. It discusses various approaches to organizing literature, common mistakes to avoid, and the significance of critical analysis in connecting research to existing literature. Additionally, it highlights the importance of proper citation and maintaining a bibliography.

Uploaded by

Nuwan Thushara Wickramarathne
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 16

Research Methods

An Introduction to Literature Review

Presented by

Rajitha Silva. PhD


Department of Human Resource
Management
Learning Outcomes
• To recognize nature and importance of the
literature review.
• To understand development process of a
literature review.
• To identify steps to develop effective literature
review
Approaches to literature review
• You are expected to ‘place’ your research in the existing
academic literature.
• Simply describing the literature should be avoided. A
critical and analytical judgement which demonstrates
how/where your work is best placed as well as work that
needs developing is essential.
• Your work should contribute to existing literature in the
field.
• Ensure consideration is given to the methodological and/or
theoretical arguments that inform the literature.
• Be aware of how research paradigms influence the
research.
Literature review?

• It is not an annotated bibliography


• Develops an argument by summarising (present key
information) and synthesis (reorganisation of
information)
• Distinguishes what has already been done and identifies
what needs to be done.
• Key developments in the literature (research landscape)
• How your work connects with current literature needs to
be explicit.
• framework where new findings are compared to previous
findings presented in the literature. This takes place in
the discussion section
Literature review?

• Establishes the terms and context. How else will you define exactly what
you’re looking at and where its limits are?
• Presents a survey of preceding literature on the topic. How else will you
know what’s been done already?
• Explores ways that others have solved similar questions/problems. How
else will you select an appropriate methodology and approach?
• Outlines the relationship of these texts to each other. How else will you
know what the different perspectives and debates are, and where you are
coming from?
• Evaluates the quality and relevance of the literature. How else will you be
able to build on or reject it?
• Establishes the gaps or inadequacies. How else will you justify your own
contribution?
• Demonstrates your scholarly rigor. How else can I have faith in your
conclusions?
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Synthesis/Creation
Evaluation
Analysis
Application
Understanding
Knowledge
Reading
• What are the relevant sources that you need?
• Produce a bibliography which will also act as your
reading list.
• Read, read and read some more!
• Once you have familiarised yourself with the literature,
annotate the bibliography. Annotation is a brief
overview/summary of the main point/s of each article.
• Once an overview of the literature has been obtained,
develop your focus. The annotation provides you with a
list of sources which needs to be turned into a review of
the literature organised around ideas.
Selecting reading sources
• What are the themes, ideas or issues
presented?
• Does there appear to be a gap missing?
• What trends/developments are evident in the
literature?
• What theoretical approaches have you
identified?
Reading and Researching
Collect and read material.
Summarize sources.
– Who is the author?
– What is the author's main purpose?
– What is the author’s theoretical perspective? Research
methodology?
– Who is the intended audience?
– What is the principal point, conclusion, thesis, contention,
or question?
– How is the author’s position supported?
– How does this study relate to other studies of the problem
or topic?
– What does this study add to your project?
Select only relevant books and articles.
Approaches to organise a Literature
Review
• Chronological: depending on the nature of your
literature and development of ideas, a
chronological approach will present the
development of a key trend and/or progressions
and changes in practices.
• Thematic/conceptual: Time is not a factor here.
The review of the literature will be around
particular topics/issues/theories.
• Methodological: This review focuses on the
methodological or paradigmatic approaches to
your material.
Literature Review

TASKS OF
LITERATURE
REVIEW

SUMMARIZE SYNTHESIZE CRITIQUE COMPARE


Mistakes in Literature Review

• Failure to link the findings of the literature review


to your own study
• Does not start the reading process early and fails to
identify suitable sources
• Does not refer to primary sources (lazy research)
• Absence of criticality and accepting findings as valid
without questioning all aspects of the research
design
• Produces an annotated bibliography
Citing Sources
If it’s not your own idea (and not common
knowledge) report immediately.
• Paraphrase key ideas.
• Use quotations sparingly.
• Introduce quotations effectively.
• Use proper in-text citation to document the source of
ideas.
• Maintain accurate bibliographic records.
Bibliography
• Boote, D. N., and P Beile. (2005). Scholars before
researchers: on the centrality of the dissertation
literature review in research preparation.
Educational Researcher, 34(6), 3-15.
• Cronin, P., Ryan, F and M Coughlan. (2008)
Undertaking a literature review: a step-by-step
approach. British Journal of Nursing, 17(1), 38-43.
• Hart, C. (1998). Doing a literature review:
Releasing the social science research imagination.
London, Sage.
Thank you!!

Questions???

Email : [email protected]

You might also like