GKA2043 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

REVIEWING THE LITERATURE

Literature Review
Source of literature
Functions of the literature
Extracting and techniques of extracting ideas
from related literature
Implications of neglecting the literature
Checklist for evaluating literature review

LITERATURE REVIEW

Literature is the main source of ideas for determining a research direction, i.e
Research problem
Rational of the study
Research questions
Research hypothesis

Literature review also is the main source of research methodology and procedures, i.e

Research design

Data collection techniques

Data analysis techniques

Literature review also is the main source for discussion about the results of data analysis,
i.e
Data interpretation

conclusion

SOURCE OF LITERATURE

Reviewing the literature becomes the most important process in any type of research.

Literature is a written document that is disseminated via printed materials and/or online
databases.

Literature provides useful information such as existing theories and/or previous research
findings that are related to particular areas of study.

A common type of literature can be found in two major forms (hard copy and online
databases):
Books
Journal articles

The literature help the researcher to develop a good understanding of insight into
previous research and knowing what is going on in that field of study.

CONTINUE

Source of literature review can be divided into three categories

Primary

Secondary

Tertiary

Reports
Theses
Emails
Conference
reports
Company reports
Some government
publication
Unpublished
manuscript
sources

Newspaper
Books
Journals
Internet
Some government
publications

Indexes
Abstracts
Catalogues
Encyclopedias
Dictionaries
Bibliographies
Citation indexes

In reality these categories often overlap. Primary sources have high level of details in
comparison with secondary and tertiary however tertiary and secondary sources have
high incidences to be published.

BOOKS PROVIDE INITIAL INFORMATION

Researcher must search the title and content of books that are related to the problem
of study.

When found the related literature, keep the name of authors (s), title, publishers, year
of publication . (can write in reference book, sketch book or computer program such
as Endnotes)

Findings from the quantitative and/or qualitative research approaches that are
reported in the related books can be used to understand salient/crucial problems,
concepts, theories and summary of research findings which are related to the
particular area of study.

Although books are importance reference, their materials are considered as not
completely up-to-date because they take a long time to be published in the form of
book.

JOURNALS- PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION

Researcher must read critically the title and content of journals articles that are related to the
problem of study.

Journal articles that are published based on qualitative/quantitative research approaches provide
up-to-date research findings.

In a good journal, researcher can find that there is a clear relationship between its topic and other
crucial problem:
main purpose of study,
research questions and hypothesis,
methodology,
procedures of collecting and analyzing data,
data presentation
Discussion about research findings
Implications and limitation
Suggestions for future research.

CONTINUE

This information can be used to develop a systematic research proposal, provide

supporting data to answer your conceptual framework, research questions and/or
hypothesis, thus lead to produce a good research report.

When find relevance journal articles, make a copy of the articles, summarize the articles
and record the names of author, titles, publishers, years of publication and page numbers.

FUNCTIONS OF THE LITERATURE

Reviewing the related literature will help the researcher to clarify and focus the research
problem, develop conceptual framework, improve the research methodology and broaden
knowledge about the area of study.

Some functions of literature are:

1. Seeking Clarification and Focus on the Research Problem

There are 4 major steps of reviewing the related literature:
Begin with choosing one interesting subject that you want to investigate.
Select one broad topic
Choose one specific topic to be declared as the crucial problem
This research problem should be supported by existing theories and/or previous
research findings.
This process can help to understand the relationship between research problem and
the related body of knowledge.

CONTINUE
2. Developing the Theoretical Framework
Reading the related literature will help us to relate a research problem with existing
theories and previous research findings.
This information can ease us to develop a conceptual framework for studying a
problem/issue.

3. Improving the Research Methodology

Put a greater effort to read carefully the related literature that can help to understand the
type , strength/weaknesses of previous methodology and procedures for investigating
similar or almost similar problems of the study.
This information will help us to select appropriate methods and procedures for conducting
our research.

CONTINUE
4. Broadening Important Knowledge in the Area of Study
After reading critically the related literature, we can identify research gap that exists in the
area of study (i.e the body of knowledge about a particular issue)
Understanding existing theories and previous research findings will help us to recognize a
crucial issue that bring effects or changes in research study.
This information gathered from the related literature can help to fit or integrate research
findings to the body of knowledge.

EXTRACTING MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS FROM

THE RELATED LITERATURE

Reviewing carefully the related literature will help a researcher to identify the most
important aspects of previous research and this information may improve the research.
These aspects include:

Previous researchers opinion related to research problem can help us to

understand new ideas, perspectives and approaches.
Previous research results that are based on qualitative/quantitative research
approaches can be used to support or improve conceptual framework.
Existing theories that are related to area of study can be used to support research
problem, conceptual framework, research questions and/or hypothesis.
Research methodology and procedures that have been used effectively in past
research can be used as a strong reason why they will be replicated or modified to
answer the research problem, conceptual framework, research questions and/or
hypothesis.
The way different researchers generalize their research findings to other situations
or organizational settings may help us to link the results of our research to previous
one.

CONTINUE
Scholars view about specific issues will reflect gap that exist in the particular body of
knowledge.
Learn the way of using academic language in your report writing, i.e :
the ways of summarizing sentences,
integrating several ideas into the same paragraphs or subheadings,
writing concise sentences,
rephrasing sentences,
rewording terms and sentences to avoid plagiarism,
writing topic sentences that present clear ideas,
putting together similar ideas in the same paragraphs or subheadings,
linking ideas from one paragraph to another paragraph and
drawing meaningful conclusions.

ESTABLISHING CRITERIA TO EVALUATE RELATED

JOURNALS
Title

Search in libraries/online databases

Abstract

It determines whether an article is relevant or not.

Introduction

Identify problem that is investigate.

Literature Review

Available theories / research findings used to support the research

problem, research questions/ research hypothesis.

Methodology

Unit of analysis, sampling procedures, research design process,

data analysis techniques, pilot study, validity and reliability analysis,
data analysis. Based on this, can develop a rigorous methodology
and procedure for your study.

Results

Results of statistical analysis or interviews.

Discussion

The authors interpret the results of data analysis and provide

additional information to support, refute and/or revise existing model
for future research.

References

List of all publications cited in the article can be used to expand your
literature.

IMPLICATION OF NEGLECTING THE RELATED

LITERATURE

Unexperienced researchers are often neglecting to read critically literature

that is related to their study.

This may occur if they do not know how to use information to determine a
research direction and design methodology and procedure to conduct
research.

Unexperienced researchers who have not referred the related literature will
have shallow knowledge about the area of study and this may motivate them
to make mistakes.

CONTINUE

The mistakes are:

1. Hypothesis that are developed based on hearsay/guess will lead to make incorrect
conclusions.
2. Research designs applied are faulty.
3. Sampling procedures that are adopted from previous studies are faulty.
4. Data collection procedures that are developed will gather inaccurate data.
5. Statistical procedures that are applied in data analysis is not appropriate
6. Conclusions drawn from data analysis are incorrect.

CHECKLIST FOR EVALUATING YOUR

LITERATURE REVIEW

Does your review start on a more general level before narrowing down?

Does the literature covered relate clearly to your research question and
objectives?

Have you covered the key theories?

Have you covered the key literature or at least a representative sample?

Are those issues where you research will provide fresh insight highlighted?

Is the literature you have included up to date?

Have you been objective in your discussion and assessment of other people
work?

CONTINUE

Have you included references that are counter to your own opinion?

Have you justified clearly your own ideas?

Is your argument coherent and cohesive do the ideas link together?

Does you review lead the reader into subsequent sections of your project
report?

Does the literature covered related gap from the theoretical perspectives?

Does the literature covered related gap from the empirical work?

Does the reading covered related gap from the practical point of view?

Have you included references from local context of study?

Have you included references from the scholars or guru in the area of study?

CONCLUSION
Literature review is the heart of academic research. A
researcher always faces a lot of problem in performing this task.
Sometimes a researcher faces difficulties in identifying the most
appropriate and up to date research activities. Researchers also
need to be alerted about research done in his/her areas of
studies from every corner of the world.
*Submission of 1st assignment in 3 weeks time.