Locating and Reviewing

Literature

Dr Achala Abeykoon
 The literature review chapter
• It counts for 30% - 3000-3500 words
60-69% 70-79%
Very good discussion of An excellent, in depth review
existing literature of relevant, up-to-date
supported literature with extensive use
by appropriate citations of current texts and
and quotations. Review academic journal articles
draws upon many current supported by extensive
texts and relevant citations and appropriate use
academic journal articles. of quotations. A strong
Very few descriptive theoretical base is
passages. Summary of developed and there is clear
main points included as a and
link to the methods well argued critical
employed. evaluation of major
theoretical
contributions. A summary of
main themes/issues of
the review is provided with
explicit links to the
research methods
80-89%
An outstanding, in depth
review of relevant, up-to-
date
literature with extensive use
of academic journal
articles and current texts
supported by extensive
citations and appropriate use
of quotations. The
theoretical base is robust
and original with clear
evidences of independent
thinking. There is clear and
well argued critical
evaluation of major
theoretical
contributions. A summary of
main themes/issues of
the review is provided with
explicit links to the
research methods.
90-100%
An exemplary, in depth review
of relevant, up-to-date
literature with extensive use
of academic journal
articles and current texts
supported by extensive
citations and appropriate use
of quotations. A robust
theoretical base, which is
underpinned by independent
thinking, makes an original
theoretical contribution of
a publishable standards. There
is clear and well
argued critical evaluation of
major theoretical
contributions. A summary of
main themes/issues of
the review is provided with
explicit links to the
research methods.
 Outline of the Session
• The purpose and importance of the
literature review
• What makes an effective literature review
• How to undertake a literature review
• How to locate and select relevant literature
for your literature review
 What is a literature review?
• “A literature review is a written argument that
supports a thesis position by building a case
from credible evidence obtained from
previous research. It provides the context and
the background about the current knowledge
of the topic and lays out a logical case to
defend the conclusion it draws” (Machi & McEvoy 2016. P5)
– It surveys scholarly articles, books / book
chapters and other sources (e.g. conference
proceedings) relevant to a particular topic, issue,
area of research, methodology or theory.

– It critically evaluates these works to provide an

overview of the significant literature, that is,
existing knowledge on this topic.
The purpose of a literature review
1. To show that you have developed a sound
and up-to-date knowledge and
understanding of the debates taking place in
your field and a deep and broad grasp of the
issues raised by the topic of your dissertation
2. To acknowledge the works of others.
3. To avoid repeating work that has been done
already.
4. To lay down a platform for your own research
and point you in the right direction. It offers a
rationale and justification of your research.

5. To show that you got a good critical

understanding of the background theories
and ideas that may provide the basis for
much of the critical evaluation of your
findings in the discussion chapter.
Do you really know what are you
doing?
The supervisor The student

“Go and do a review of the

literature and bring me a
conceptual map that
connects your main research
questions with the
literature”,
“Situate your research
within the overall literature”
 Steps of a literature review

Step 1: Define the area of study

Step 2: Gather the literature

Step 3: Reading
Step 4: Create an annotated bibliography

Step 5: Create a conceptual schema

Step 6: Writing up
 Step 1: Define the area of study
• Before you begin to search for articles or books,
decide beforehand what areas you are going to
research. Make sure that you only get articles and
books in that area.
E.g: The influence of brand image on customer
loyalty; A study on millennial customers of biscuit
industry
How Green Marketing Strategies Affect Consumer
Behaviour in the UK Coffee Industry: A Starbucks
Case Study
 Step 2: Gather the literature
• Conduct a comprehensive bibliographic search
of books and articles in your area.

• A literature scan is a systematic canvassing of

library and online catalogues, subject-area
encyclopaedias, periodical indexes and
abstracts.
• The scan’s purpose is to identify potentially
useful works, which could be books, articles,
theses dissertations, reports and conference
proceedings.
 Literature sources available

Saunders et al. (2009)

Figure 3.2 Literature sources available
14
• Primary literature
– first occurrence of a piece of work.

– include published sources such as reports and

some central and local government publications.

– also include unpublished manuscript sources such

as letters, memos and committee minutes.

– sometimes referred to as grey literature – as they

are difficult to be traced.
• Secondary literature
– sources such as books and journals.

– subsequent publication of primary literature.

– These publications are aimed at a wider audience.

– They are easier to locate than primary literature as

they are better covered by the tertiary literature.
• Journals
– also known as ‘periodicals’, ‘serials’ and
‘magazines’, and are published on a regular basis.

– While most are still produced in printed form,

many additionally provide online access, via a
subscription service.

– Journals are a vital literature source for any

research.
• Articles in refereed academic journals (such as the Journal
of Management Studies) are evaluated by academic peers
prior to publication, to assess their quality and suitability.

• They are usually written by recognised experts in the field.

• There will be usually be detailed footnotes; an extensive

bibliography; rigorous attention to detail; and verification
of information.

• Such articles are written for a more narrow audience of

scholars with a particular interest in the field.

• The language used may be technical or highly specialised as

a prior knowledge of the topic will be assumed.
• Often, an accepted article will still need to undergo several
serious revisions, based on the referees’ comments, before
it actually appears in print.

• These are usually the most useful for research projects as

they will contain detailed reports of relevant earlier
research.

• Not all academic journals are refereed.

• Most nonrefereed academic journals will have an editor

and possibly an editorial board with subject knowledge to
select articles.

• The relevance and usefulness of such journals varies

considerably, and occasionally you may need to be wary of
possible bias.
Publishers of Peer Reviewed
Journal Articles

20
• Tertiary literature
– also called ‘search tools’

– are designed either to help to locate primary and

secondary literature or to introduce a topic.

– They, therefore, include indexes and abstracts as

well as encyclopedias and bibliographies
 Remember
• There are different types of literature
containing different kinds of information.

• You will probably use the Internet for data

gathering. We recommend that you use online
databases provided by University library.
• The obvious place to start your search is with
lecture notes and text book chapters.

• There are not a fixed number of references

that you need to gather. It depends.
 Selecting relevant references
Citation tracing with Google scholar
• It refers to the activity wherein we trace which
authors cite which work, and the relationships
across these cites.

• Citation tracing is fundamental, because it

allows you to recognise which authors are
more relevant, whether there is a gap in the
literature, and how each author is working.
 Activity: locating and selecting
literature
• Using Google scholar, locate at least 10
academic references that are relevant to your
research.
• At least half of the references should be from
the last five years.
• To locate the references, use the keywords of
your research title.
• You will need to preview the material (.e.g.
Abstract….)

– Why did you choose these 10 references ?

– Which keyword was most effective?
– Identify the closest reference to your project.
– Trace the most cited author in that field
 Step 3 Reading
• The next step is to read the selected literature
and summarise their main ideas. You do not
need to read everything. Have a clear sense of
what you are looking for in the literature.

• “Reading furnishes the mind only with

materials of knowledge; it is thinking that
makes what we read ours.” (John Locke, 1689)
 Read strategically
• When you start the LR you want to Read All The
Things. But that is not always possible.
• Have a clear sense of what you are looking for:
Will this help me answer my research question?
• Use abstracts to help you decide if you want to
read more of the article – or move on to the next.
• Make notes of what you read: don’t rely on your
memory
Source: Williams (2013 ) Planning your dissertation. London,
Palgrave
 Reading between the lines
• Find relevant excerpts. Skim the contents of
each book and article and look for these four
things:
1. Claims, conclusions, and findings about the
constructs you are investigating
2. Definitions of terms
3. Calls for follow-up studies relevant to your
project
4. Gaps you notice in the literature
 Step 4 Annotated bibliography
• An annotated bibliography is a bibliography
with an additional description or evaluation
(i.e., annotation) of each source which helps
the reader evaluate whether the work cited is
relevant to a specific research topic.
• An annotated bibliography is an intermediate
step between a list of references and a fully
developed literature review.
 What an annotated bibliography
includes?
• An annotated bibliography should consist of an
alphabetical list of sources, each of which
contains:

The bibliographical details of the source

(author’s name, year of publication etc.) given in
correct APA end-text referencing format.
An annotation is made up of a descriptive
and/or evaluative paragraph (generally from
100 to 300 words)

– Annotations can be either descriptive or

evaluative, or a combination of both. A descriptive
annotation summarises the scope and content of
a work whereas an evaluative annotation provides
critical comment (and may sometimes include
critical reflection too).
 Step 5 Creating a conceptual schema
• After you survey the literature and before you write up the
chapter, you need to organise the information you collected in
a conceptual schema.

• Create a synthetic picture of the literature.

• A conceptual map should:
– Arrange and categorise major works into categories
– Figure out what are the main theme of the literature
– Organise core maps and outlines according to the themes
– Develop a reason pattern to determine what is known
about the topic.
– Create a story line. Build complex arguments and major
claims.
– Third-eye-view of where your paper is situated and the
gaps in the literature.
 Creating a conceptual schema
• You can use different tools to create the
conceptual schema.
• A basic (and useful) is Mind map
• Your conceptual schema should form the basis
of your literature review
– (.e.g each branch will be a section)
 Step 6 Writing up
• You started the process by
– narrowing down the topic (s1)
– then you selected relevant literature (S2), which you
read (s.3) and
– later organised them in annotated bibliography (s4).
– In the process you have developed a critical argument
that you have synthesise in a mind map (S.5)
– The only thing is left is to transform it into a coherent
piece of work (S.6)
 References
• Fisher, C. (2007) Researching & Writing a
Dissertation: A Guidebook for Business Students,
2nd Edition, Harlow: FT Prentice Hall.
• Machi & McEvoy (2016) The Literature Review: Six
steps to success. London: Sage/
• Ridley (2012) The Literature Review: A step-by-step
guide for students. London: Sage.
• Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A. (2019)
Research Methods for Business Students, 8th
Edition, Harlow: FT Prentice Hall.