Lecture 3

LITERATURE REVIEW
 AGENDA
1. Definition

2. Purposes of Literature Review

3. Literature Sources

4. Literature Review Process

5. Assessment Criteria for Literature Review

6. How to read a research article

7. Link to Assignment 1
 1. Definition

▪ Literature Review presents a discussion of what experts and

academics have written about the concepts and theories relating to
research questions

▪ It is an evaluation of how their work fits with the study to provide the
historical and theoretical context

▪ The reader should understand how the work of other authors is

influencing the research.

Sources: Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill (2019)

 2. Purposes of Literature Review

▪ To establish a relationship between existing knowledge and the research

question
▪ To refine the research question
▪ To identify significant research
▪ A chance to organise researcher’s thoughts and understand the project
relative to what is in the field!
▪ Essential component of each research project report
▪ “Knowing” the research field
▪ Presenting the key areas of prior research
▪ Developing hypotheses (quantitative)

Sources: Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill (2019)

 2. Purposes of Literature Review
▪ Defines the research variables
▪ Provides a focused review of what we already know (uses recent theoretical and
empirical articles)
▪ Based on the review, clarifies what are the remaining gaps in knowledge and
creates a bridge to the research question
▪ Uses theory, argumentation, logic and prior empirical evidence to ground
predictions/hypotheses (quantitative only), does not only explain what
relationships are expected, but also why
▪ Results in logical predictions/hypotheses (quantitative only)
▪ Includes a research model (quantitative; often at the end of the Literature
Review section just before the Methods section)
Sources: Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill (2019)
 3. Literature Sources

There are three types: primary, secondary and tertiary

▪ Primary sources: first occurrence of a piece of work and could include man
sources

▪ Secondary sources: utilize information already published in primary sources

▪ Tertiary sources: search tools and are designed to either help allocate primary
and secondary literature or introduce a topic

Sources: Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill (2019)

 3. Literature Sources

Primary sources:

▪ Other research reports and dissertation are the obvious one

▪ Published sources such as some central and local government publications

such as white paper and planning documents

▪ Other literature issued by the central or local government

▪ In-house company reports and documents such as mission statements, core

values statements, market research projects

▪ Original material from the internet

Sources: Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill (2019)

 3. Literature Sources

Secondary sources:
▪ Sources such as books and journals and subsequent publications of primary
literature
▪ These publication are aimed at a wider audience
▪ They are usually easier to locate than primary literature as they are better
covered by the tertiary literature
▪ Many are in electronic form and can be accessed via the Internet or CD
ROM
▪ Radio, Tv broad cast
Sources: Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill (2019)
 3. Literature Sources

Tertiary sources:
▪ Indexes
▪ Citation indexes
▪ Abstracts
▪ Bibliographies
▪ Catalogues
▪ Libraries
▪ Corporate text services
▪ Encyclopaedias
Sources: Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill (2019)
 3. Literature Sources

Source Content
Referenced (peer- Detailed reports of research. Written by experts and evaluated
reviewed) academic by other experts to assess quality and suitability for
journal publication. Rigorous attention paid to detail and verification.
Non-referenced academic May contain detailed reports of research. Selected by editor or
journal editorial board with subject knowledge.
Professional Journals Mix of news items and practical detailed accounts. Sometimes
include summaries of research.
Trade journals/magazines Mix of news items and practical detailed accounts.

Sources: Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill (2019)

 3. Literature Sources

Source Content
Books and e-books Written for specific audiences. Usually in an ordered and
relatively accessible format. Often draw on wide range of
sources
Newspapers Written for a particular market segment. Filtered dependant
on events. May be written from particular viewpoint
Conference proceedings
Selected papers presented at a conference

Reports Topic specific. Written by academics and organisations.

Those from established organisations often of high quality
Theses Often most up-to-date research but very specific
Sources: Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill (2019)
 4. Literature Review Process

Sources: Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill (2019)

 4. Literature Review Process

Aspects of Critical Approach Form of Critical Review

✓ Critique of rhetoric ✓ Integrative review

✓ Critique of tradition ✓ Theoretical review
✓ Critique of authority ✓ Historical review
✓ Critique of objectivity ✓ Methodological review
✓ Systematic review

Sources: Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill (2019)

 4. Literature Review Process

Sources: Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill (2019)

 4. Literature Review Process

Sources: University of Hull (2022)

 4. Literature Review Process

1 – Define research question

2 – Search for key words in electronic databases

3 – Read efficiently

4 – Analyse individual texts

5 – Synthesize theories or research

6 – Refine research question

7 – and so on….

Sources: Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill (2019)

 4. Literature Review Process

Planning Making
Evaluating Reference
the Conducting notes of
literature your
literature the search literature
souces literature
review read

Sources: Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill (2019)

 5. Assessment Criteria for Literature Review

Relevance: aims of your research is to retrieve information of direct

relevance to your research and to avoid being side tracked or overload
▪ These are a few criteria for relevance:
▪ Respectability of sources
▪ Citing of author’s name by others
▪ Appearance of author’s name in other bibliographical sources
▪ Referencing of vital points to facilitate checking
▪ References are up-to-date with current developments

Sources: Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill (2019)

 5. Assessment Criteria for Literature Review

Sufficiency: Whatever your topic and field of research, there is likely to be a

lot of literature available for you to review
▪ How long does my literature survey need to be?
▪ How many references do I need?
▪ How much is expected?
▪ When should I stop searching?

Sources: Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill (2019)

 5. Assessment Criteria for Literature Review

Value: Concerned with the quality of the research that has been undertaken.
It is concerned with issues such as methodological rigour, theory robustness
and the quality of the reasoning or arguments. The knowledge presented in
such books and articles may well be subjective rather than based upon
systematic research.

Sources: Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill (2019)

 5. Assessment Criteria for Literature Review

▪ The literature review is not only mentioning prior research

▪ The literature review is about critical thinking
▪ What can be critiqued?
✓ “underdeveloped” topics in the research field
✓ refinements needed (predictors, outcomes)
✓ wrong conclusions that have been made previously
✓ Leads to extension, revision or rejection of prior work

▪ But also: recombining prior knowledge

✓ Aspects of two different fields – when brought together they can build new hypotheses
✓ These are the 'reasons' / rationale for your study

Sources: Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill (2019)

 Plagiarism

▪ Quoting someone else’s work, word for word, without acknowledgement.

▪ Cutting and pasting text, diagrams or any other material from the Internet
without acknowledgement.
▪ Paraphrasing someone else’s work by altering a few words or changing
their order or closely following the structure of their argument without
acknowledgement.
▪ Collaborating with others (unless expressly asked to do so such as in group
work) and not attributing the assistance received.

Sources: Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill (2019)

 Plagiarism

▪ Inaccurately referencing, within the text and list of references, the source of a
quoted passage. This often occurs when students pretend to have read an original
source, when their knowledge is derived from a secondary source.
▪ Failing to acknowledge assistance that leads to substantive changes in the content
or approach.
▪ Using materials written by others such as professional essay writing services, or
friends, even with the consent of those who have written it.
▪ Auto or self-plagiarising, that is submitting work that you have already submitted
(either in part or fully) for another assessment. However, it is usually acceptable to
cite earlier work you have had published.
Sources: Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill (2019)
 6. How to read a research article

• Title Not always a good indication

• Abstract of the content of the article

• Introduction Example: “The Risks of

• Literature review Autonomy: Empirical

• Methodology Evidence for the Necessity of

a Balance Management in
• Results
Promoting Organizational
• Discussion
Innovativeness” ??????

Sources: Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill (2019)

 6. How to read a research article

• Title A summary of the

• Abstract research question,
• Introduction relevance, method,
results and
• Literature review
conclusions of the
• Methodology
study
• Results
• Discussion

Sources: Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill (2019)

 6. How to read a research article

• Title
• Abstract Should contain the
• Introduction research question and
what makes the study
• Literature review
interesting
• Methodology
• Results
• Discussion

Sources: Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill (2019)

 5. How to read a research article

• Title
Research questions occur in the
• Abstract
context of an already-formed body
• Introduction
of knowledge. The background/
• Literature review literature review should address
• Methodology this context, help set the rationale

• Results for the study, and explain why the

questions being asked are
• Discussion
relevant.

Sources: Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill (2019)

 6. How to read a research article

• Title Describes how the research was carried

• Abstract out:
• Sample and participants:
• Introduction
characteristics, selection, number,
• Literature review
non-response
• Methodology • Procedure and research
• Results instruments: description of tests/

• Discussion questionnaires (quantitative) and

interview questions (qualitative)

Sources: Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill (2019)

 6. How to read a research article

• Title
• Abstract
• Introduction
• Literature review Should tell the reader what the
• Methodology findings are. If quantitative,
• Results analyses results must be reported.
• Discussion If qualitative, results and emerging
themes should be fully explained.
N.b words are data!

Sources: Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill (2019)

 6. How to read a research article

• Title
• Abstract
• Introduction
• Literature review
Interpretation of the results / relation to theory
• Methodology
Comparison with the results of other studies
• Results
Theoretical Implications
• Discussion
Practical implications
Limitations of the study
Recommendations for future research

Sources: Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill (2019)

 7. Link to Assignment 1

P3 - Produce a research proposal, including a defined aim and

objectives supported by a literature review
▪ Review of Literature