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Unit 2: Literature, Methods, and Techniques in Qualitative Research

Main Ideas: Research studies are only as credible as its supporting sources;
Decision-making and choosing the best approach are always based on the situation
Essential Question: What criteria should a study meet to be credible and relevant as supporting literature?
Essential Question: How do appropriate or inappropriate research designs impact the result of a study?

Field of Study Provides Provides Other

Sources Direct Content References
Remarks
Specific General

A common resource used in literature reviews;

Textbooks ✓  ✓  Caution should be taken when referencing dated
books.

Recommended when looking for information about

Manuals/Guides ✓  ✓  processes/methods

Encyclopedias A general resource used for the definitions of

 ✓ ✓  jargon/terms
Dictionaries
Excellent source of recent research activities of a
Annual Reviews  ✓ ✓ field
Listing of sources with brief summaries related to
Bibliographies   ✓ another resource (e.g. books)

Summaries of scholarly articles that serve to brief

Abstracts ✓  ✓  the reader on the paper's content

Annual or quarterly updates on recent research

Scholarly Journals ✓  ✓  studies of the field;
Caution should be taken to avoid predatory journals

Provide important sources of information and

Trade Periodicals ✓  ✓  insights from individuals working in a specific field

Table 1. General Resource Matrix

A sample list of common resources used to collect information
for qualitative literature reviews

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Citation Style American Psychological Association (APA)

Note that the
One (1) Author Surname, First name. (Year). Title of the book. City of Publication: Publisher.
rules here
should be
Two (2) or more authors Surname, F., Surname, F., & Surname, F. (Year). Title of the book. City of Publication: Publisher.
applied to
other Surname, F., Surname, F., Surname, F. … Surname, F. (Year). Title of the book. City of Publication:
situations Eight (8) and up authors
Publisher.
Citation Style Modern Language Association (MLA)
One (1) Author Surname, First name. (Year). Title of the book. City of Publication: Publisher.
Citation Style American Medical Association (AMA)
Surname, First name initial. Middle initial. Title in sentence case. Abbreviated Journal Title. Year Month Day;
One (1) Author
Volume (Issue #): pp-pp.
Citation Style Chicago/Turabian
One (1) Author Surname, First name. Title of the book. City of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication.
Table 2. Citation Styles Used in Research
These are common examples on how to use different citation styles when writing references.

Steps in Literature Review
1. Work closely on your research problem and sub-problems to
identify more specific keywords. Brainstorm your research
problem, write the sub-problems, and research questions
that will help you to solve them. This will help you to identify
narrower topics you need to read more about in order to
conduct your research.
2. Find out related keywords. Look for them with your research
problem and sub-problems as guides.
3. Locate related literature. Start looking for your related
sources with the keywords in searching related literature in
online databases and library catalog.
4. Make searches with specific keywords. Different types of
catalog and databases can show many results, and keep
track of these searches, so as not to repeat the same search
again.
5. Create a list of the desired sources. You need to read, and
always keep updating it.
6. Find your sources and look them over. Make remarks on
your sources list that comes out not to be helpful or not
found.
7. Develop and maintain a systematic tool for recording
relevant information. You can use bibliography cards for
recording relevant information about each source that you
locate and read. Use the note cards to record your findings.
A. Principles for Instructing a Research Paper
1. Chronological – the chronological pattern explains each of
the steps in a time-order process. the chronological pattern
is often appropriate for a paper describing a series of
historical, political, or sociological processes or events.
2. Comparison and Contrast – the pattern of comparison and
contrast presents the similarities and/or differences between
two (2) or more persons, places, or things. a logical
development by comparison and contrast entails discussion
of the same qualities of both subjects. comparison and
contrast are appropriate when a subject can be best
understood by distinguishing it from others in its class.
3. Spatial Pattern – develops the physical layout or
geographical dimensions of a topic.
4. Cause and Effect – a cause-and-effect paper presents the
events or forces that produce certain results, speculates
about how things might have turned out of if conditions had

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been different, or reports controlled experimentation to

determine the factors important to a particular outcome.
5. Analysis – some subjects can best be understood by an
examination of their component parts. analysis is the
process of dividing a subject into its parts and classifying
them.

B. Ethics of Writing Literature

1. Fabrication – is making up data or results and recording or
reporting them.
2. Falsification – is manipulating research materials,
equipment, or processes, or changing or omitting data or
results such that their search is not accurately represented
in the research record.
3. Plagiarism – is using another person’s ideas, processes,
results, or words without giving proper credit.
4. Redundant publication – is a special type of plagiarism that
invokes copyright infringement. It is defined as a duplicate
publication of a paper that overlaps substantially with one
already published.
5. Unauthorized authorship – is another nagging issue,
especially in student researches, where advising is the usual
contribution of the research adviser.

References
Henson, R. M., & Soriano, R. F. (2016). Practical research 1
qualitative research, world of reality dissections. Malabon
City: Mutya Publishing House Inc.
Marquez-Fong, S. R., & Tigno, C. R. (2016). Practical research 1.
Quezon City: Vibal Group, Inc.
Melegrito, M. F., Mendoza, D. J., & Mactal, R. B. (2017). Applied
research: An introduction to qualitative research methods and
report writing. Quezon City: Pheonix Publishing House, Inc.
Smith, D. (2003, January). Five principles for research ethics.
American Psychological Association, 34(1), 56.
Torneo, A., & Clamor-Torneo, H. (2018). An introduction to qualitative
research: Practical research 1. Quezon City: Sibs Publishing
House, Inc.

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