LITERATURE REVIEW

PM Dr Rasidah Arshad
FEP, UKM
 LITERATURE REVIEW

•A literature review is an evaluative report of information

found in the literature related to your selected area of study.

•The review should describe, summarize, evaluate and clarify

(synthesize) this literature.

•It should give a theoretical base for the research and help you (the
author) determine the nature of your research.
 3 LITERATURE REVIEW

• Research involves 2 stages of literature review

(1) The preliminary review
• Helps to generate and refine research ideas,
• Helps to narrow down broad problem to develop a problem statement.
• Help to clarify your research questions

(2) Critical Literature Review

• Part of research / thesis component
• Need synthesis of the literature
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CRITICAL LITERATURE REVIEW

A step-by-step process that involves

• Searching for the literature
• The identification of research (or theories) on the topic of
interest
• Evaluating / reviewing the literature
• Writing / documenting the literature.
CRITICAL LITERATURE REVIEW

A literature review is:

“the selection of available documents (both published and unpublished) on
the topic, which contain information, ideas, data and evidence written from a
particular standpoint to fulfill certain aims or express certain views on the
nature of the topic and how it is to be investigated, and the effective
evaluation of these documents in relation to the research being proposed”
(Hart, 1998, p. 13).
 CRITICAL LITERATURE REVIEW

• The selection of available documents on the topic to be

researched
• Which contain information, ideas, data and evidence
• written to fulfill certain aims
• or express certain views on the nature of the topic and how it is to be
investigated

• And the effective evaluation of these documents in

relation to the research being proposed.
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HOW TO DO A LITERATURE REVIEW

Review earlier and recent research related to the

problem under study:
(a) Develop a conceptual / theoretical background of the
study by discussing the literature relevant to specific
problem / issue
(b) Put forward relevant findings, methodological issues,
major conclusions
(c) Clarify continuity between earlier and recent study
(d) Address any controversial issues.
 PURPOSE OF LITERATURE REVIEW

• Help the researcher to build on the work of others and on existing knowledge.
• Identifies the important variables to be considered.
• Help to develop theoretical framework and hypotheses built on previous research.
• Help researchers to get familiar with the relevant knowledge related to the problem to
be solved.
• Identification and definitions of the relevant concepts
• Introduce relevant terminology/provide definitions
• Ensures that all relevant and important variables are taken into consideration.
PURPOSE OF LITERATURE REVIEW

• Avoid “reinvent the wheel”- duplicate previous study

• Look at a problem from a specific angle
• Provide arguments for the relationships between variables in
the conceptual model
• Testability and replicability are enhanced.
• Research findings are related to findings of others.
• A theoretical framework will be structured on research
already done - add foundation to the existing knowledge.
 SOURCES OF LR
• Textbooks
• Academic and professional journals
• Theses
• Conference proceedings
• Unpublished manuscripts
• Reports of government departments and corporations
• Newspapers
• The Internet
SEARCHING FOR RESOURCES

• Most libraries have the following electronic resources at

their disposal:
• Electronic journals
• Full-text databases
• Bibliographic databases
• Abstract databases
SEARCHING FOR LITERATURE EXAMPLE:
E-JOURNAL PTSL
 SEARCHING FOR LITERATURE

How to find articles / books relevant to your study?

•Keywords
•Titles
•Abstract
•Introduction (in an article)
• provides the problem statement, research question and research objectives of
the study
•Table of contents/first chapter book
•Number of citations
 REVIEWING THE LITERATURE

• Articles and books often cited by others must be included in the LR

especially seminal article
• Can include articles / books written 30 or 40 years ago, as well a recent
ones.
• Quality of journal
• Peer-reviewed
• Impact factor
• ISI/Scopus index
 REVIEWING THE LITERATURE

For each article selected, you should identify,

highlight and annotate:

▪ The problem statement, research question, objectives

▪ The important variables and relationships
▪ Methodology
▪ Data - sampling
▪ Statistical analysis
▪ Findings
REVIEWING THE LITERATURE

Read the article in the ‘thinking-intensive’ way:

•Example:
• Any inconsistencies in current knowledge and understanding? Any gaps?
• Omissions or bias in published research?
• Research findings need to be tested further?
• Evidence is lacking, inconclusive, contradictory or limited?
REVIEWING THE LITERATURE

Annotating Your Critical Reading

• Mark up the margins of your text with words:
• ideas that occur to you,
• note about things that seem important to you,
• reminders of how issues in a text may connect with your
research questions and objectives.

• Throughoutyour research, these annotations will be useful

memory triggers.
 REVIEWING THE LITERATURE

Annotating Your Critical Reading (Example)

Authors Title Research Objec- Variables Data/c Stat Findins
Question tives ontxt analysis
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DOCUMENTING/WRITING THE LR

• Introduces the subject of study

• Identify the problem statement

• Identifies and highlight the important variables

• Document the significant findings from earlier research that

serve as foundation to develop the theoretical framework
for the current study.
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DOCUMENTING/WRITING THE LR

• Evaluate the research that has already been undertaken in the

area of your research topic.
• Show and explain the relationships between published research
findings.
• Draw out the key points and trends.
• Argue them in a logical way which also shows the relationship
to your own research.
DOCUMENTING/WRITING THE LR

• Provide readers with the necessary background knowledge to

your research questions and objectives.
• Ensure that the literature relates clearly to your research
question and objectives.
• Cover the most relevant and significant literature and theories
of recognized experts in the area.
• Included up-to-date literature.
• Referenced all the literature used.
 CRITICAL LITERATURE REVIEW

• LR is NOT just a series of article summary.

• Need to read the literature with some skepticism and be
willing to question what you read.
• Example:
• Any inconsistencies in current knowledge and understanding?
• Omissions or bias in published research?
• Research findings need to be tested further?
• Evidence is lacking, inconclusive, contradictory or limited?
 CRITICAL LITERATURE REVIEW

• The literature review should be a description and critical

analysis of what other authors have written.
• Should discuss how far existing published research can answer
your research questions
• Must also relate to your objectives.
• Should return to the key issues from the literature in your
discussion and conclusions.
CRITICAL LITERATURE REVIEW

• Show how your research question relates to previous research

reviewed.
• Assess the strengths and weaknesses of the previous research
reviewed.
• Make reasoned judgments about the value and relevance of others’
research to your own.
• Highlight those areas where new research (i.e. your research) is
needed to provide fresh insights.
• Justify your arguments by referencing correctly published research.
 WHAT IS PLAGIARISM?

Merriam-Webster online dictionary, to "plagiarize" means:

•to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own
•to use (another's production) without crediting the source
•to commit literary theft
•to present as new and original an idea or product derived from an
existing source

In other words, plagiarism is an act of fraud. It involves both

stealing someone else's work and lying about it afterward.
 PLAGIARISM : SOURCES NOT CITED
Types
“The Ghost Writer”
“The Photocopy”
“The Potluck Paper”
“The Poor Disguise”
“The Labor of Laziness”
Explanation
The work of another is copied verbatim, and pass it of as the
writer’s own.
Important parts of a particular work of another person are
copied by the writer without changing anything.
The sentences that are taken from various sources are
altered so that they would fit together, while the original
phrasing is retained. These are done in an attempt to
conceal plagiarism.
Change how the source looks like by altering the phrases
and keywords, while keeping the significant content.
Rather than spending so much effort in doing the original
work, the writer spends his or her time rephrasing the
sentences from other works and making them fit together.

“The Self-Stealer” The writer borrows, not from other person’s works, but from
his or her prior works.

Source: What is Plagiarism? from http://
www.plagiarism.org/learning_center/what_is_plagiarism.html.

 COMMON FORMS OF PLAGIARISM

Types Explanation
“The Forgotten Although the author’s name is mentioned as a source, the
Footnote” particular details about the location of the source is
disregarded.
“The Misinformer” Finding the sources are not possible because the
information given regarding the source is wrong.
“The Too-Perfect The source is cited, but the text that is copied exactly are
Paraphrase” not put in quotations. This form of plagiarism is difficult to be
detected because it is just like a well-researched paper in
appearance.
“The Resourceful Citer” All the sentences from other sources are rephrased, the
sources are all properly cited, and the quotations are used
correctly.
“The Perfect Crime” The writer gives sources to only some of the information, and
rephrase the other sentences without sources. The writer
presents the rephrased words as his or her own evaluation

Source: What is Plagiarism? from http://
www.plagiarism.org/learning_center/what_is_plagiarism.html.

 STRUCTURE OF LR

• Should start at a more general level before narrowing down.

• Organized thematically around the ideas contained in the
research being reviewed.
• Arguments are coherent and cohesive - ideas are linked in a
logical way.
 STRUCTURE OF LR

Many students have found it useful to think of the review as a

funnel.
▪ The “funnel” method:
▪ Start at a more general level before narrowing down to your specific research questions
and objectives;
▪ Provide a brief overview of key ideas and themes;
▪ Summarize, compare and contrast the research of the key writers;
▪ Narrow down to highlight previous research work most relevant to your own research;
▪ Provide a detailed account of the findings and show how they are related;
▪ Highlight those aspects where your own research will provide fresh insights.
THE “FUNNEL” METHOD

Research
problem

Variables
 THE RESEARCH PROCESS
Research design & analysis
L6

Planning & Defining RESEARCH Reporting

METHOD
L2
PROBLEM
REPORT WRITING
STATEMENT
L3 L13
SAMPLING

LITERATURE L10

REVIEW
L4
MEASUREMENTS
L7-
8
HYPOTHESIS
DEVELOPMENT
L5
DATA
COLLECTION
L9
RESEARCH
FRAMEWORK
L5
DATA ANALYSIS
L11
-12
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RESEARCH DESIGN
L4-Literature Review
L5-Theoretical Framework

L3-
Problem
Statement