Reviewing the literature

ITT755- RESEARCH METHODS

& DESIGN
Learning Objectives
After studying this chapter, you should be able to
understand:

▪ What is meant by literature review?

▪ Functions of literature review

▪ Steps of literature review

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 Literature Review
◼ is the documentation of a comprehensive
review of the published and unpublished
work from secondary sources of data in the
areas of specific interest to the researcher.
Literature Review

The literature review is an integral part of the

entire research process and makes a valuable
contribution to almost every operational step.

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Functions of a Literature Review

◼ Bring clarity and focus to your research

problem
◼ Improve your methodology
◼ Broaden your knowledge base in your
research area
◼ Contextualise your findings

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 Bring clarity and focus to your
research problem
◼ N.B. you cannot effectively start the literature
review search without an idea of the problem you
wish to investigate.

◼ The literature review can play an extremely

important role in shaping your research problem
◼ It also helps you to define the relationship
between your research problem and the body of
knowledge in the area.
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 Improve your methodology

Literature review
◼ acquaints you with the methodologies that have
been used by others to find answers to questions
similar to the one you are investigating.
◼ Tells you if others have used procedures and
methods similar to the ones that you are
proposing, which procedures and methods worked
well for them and what pitfalls they have faced
with them.
 Broaden your knowledge base in
your research area
◼ Literature review ensures you read widely around
the subject area in which you are intend to
conduct your research study.
◼ It is important to know what other researchers
have found in regard to the same or similar
questions, what theories have been put forward
and what gap exit in the relevant body of
knowledge
 Contextualise your findings
◼ Literature review helps identifying how your
findings compare with the existing body of
knowledge.
◼ How do answers to your questions compare with
what other have found?
◼ What contribution have you been able to make to
the existing body of knowledge?
◼ How your finding different from others?
 Procedures for reviewing the
literature

5 steps involved in conducting a literature

review:
◼ search for existing literature in your area of
study;
◼ review the literature selected;
◼ develop a theoretical framework;
◼ develop a conceptual framework;
◼ writing up the literature reviewed
 1) Search for existing literature
◼ Start with at least some idea of the broad subject
area and of the problem you wish to investigate,
in order to set parameters for your search.

◼ Next compile a bibliography for this broad area.

There are two sources that you can use to
prepare a bibliography:
◼ books;

◼ journals.
Notice
◼ Be aware that sometimes a title does not
provide enough information to decide if a
book/ journal is going to be of use.
◼ Start with the latest issue, examine its
contents page to see if there is an article of
relevance to your research topic.
◼ Start by reading the abstract. If it is relevant
then download and read.
 2) Review the literature selected

◼ Now that you have identified several

books and articles as useful, the next step
is to start reading them critically to pull
together themes and issues that are
associated.
◼ If you do not have a theoretical framework
or themes in mind to start with, use
separate sheets of paper for each article
or book.
◼ Once you develop rough frameworks, slot the
findings from the material so far reviewed into
that framework, using a separate sheet of paper
for each themes of that framework.
◼ As you read further, go on slotting the information
where it logically belongs under the themes so far
developed.
◼ Notice where there are significant
differences of opinion among researchers
and give your opinion about the validity of
these differences.
◼ Ascertain the areas in which little or
nothing is known-the gaps that exist in the
body of knowledge.
3) Develop a theoretical framework
◼ As you start reading the literature, you will soon
discover that the problem you wish to investigate
has its roots in a number of theories that have
been developed from different perspectives.
 4) Develop a conceptual framework
◼ The conceptual framework stems from the
theoretical framework and concentrates,
usually, on one section of that theoretical
framework which becomes the basis of
your study.
◼ Examples of conceptual
framework
Conceptual Model

Complaint Satisfaction
Handling with Service
Strategies Recovery

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Complaint handling strategies

compensation

Problem solving

facilitation Satisfaction
Response speed
with
complaint
apology handling

Being courteous

explanation

effort

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Examples of conceptual
framework

Customer
satisfaction
Customer
Loyalty

Service
Quality

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 5) Writing up the literature reviewed
◼ While reading the literature for theoretical
background of your study, you will realize that
certain themes have emerged.
◼ List the main ones, converting them into
subheadings. These subheadings should be
precise, descriptive of the theme in question, and
follow a logical progression.
◼ Now, under each subheading, record the main
findings with respect to the theme in question,
highlighting the reasons for and against an
argument if they exist, and identifying gaps and
issues.
Organizing/Outlining
Methods for organizing the Lit Review

◼ By subject (if lit review covers more than one subject)

◼ Chronologically

◼ By theme, idea, trend, theory, or major research studies

◼ By author

◼ By argumentative stance

In all methods, relationships between elements (e.g.,

subject, theme, author, etc.) must be shown.
 Writing the LR
 Ongoing “housekeeping” strategies and tips
 Immediately document and cite source you took the information
from.
 Bookmark online sources.
 Bookmark “hard copy.” Use post-it notes to mark pages with
relevant information.
 Keep track of page numbers or online locations of paraphrases and
quotations.
 Note any connections between sources in separate notebook,
electronic file or post-its on pertinent pages.
 If information comes from a class lecture, interview, or
conference, note details immediately.
 Beginning the Writing
◼ Introduce your LR by
◼ Defining or explaining the primary problem addressed by the lit review,
or if the LR is part of a larger work like a thesis or dissertation, explain
the problem it addresses.
OR
◼ Explaining main conflict(s) in the literature
OR
◼ Explaining the time frame you will review
OR
◼ Offer a rationale for your choice of source material
OR
◼ Using all or some of the points above.

◼ A Lit Review must have its own thesis (e.g., More and more cultural
studies scholars are accepting popular media as a subject worthy of
academic consideration; others scoff at the very idea).
 Body of the LR
◼ Use subheadings if dividing the LR topically, thematically, according
to argumentative perspective, or according to time period.

◼ Be sure to show relationships between sources.

◼ Discuss source’s significant contributions.

◼ Do not develop ideas or use sources that are irrelevant to your

thesis overall.

◼ References to prior studies should be in past tense; references to

narrative or text other than studies should be in present tense.
◼ Example: Smith’s study of composition students included both male and female
subjects. She concludes that gender plays no significant role in the writing
process. She also suggests that further studies should look at age as a
contributing factor, a variable her study did not consider.
 Concluding the LR
◼ Summarize ideas, conflicts, themes, or
historical (or chronological) periods.
◼ Contextualize your topic within the
summary.
◼ Point out gap(s) in scholarship and, show
how your research helps fill the gap(s).
◼ Transition to your next chapter.
t
 Revising the LR: Questions to Ask
Yourself
◼ Have I accurately represented the author’s views?
◼ Is source material research current and relevant to thesis topic?
◼ Are all major theorists, scholars, or studies represented?
◼ Have I shown relationships between sources?
◼ Is there a clear connection between thesis topic and the LR?
◼ Are all sources documented accurately?
◼ Have I used effective transitions from idea to idea, source to source,
paragraph to paragraph?
◼ Is my analysis of sources well developed?
◼ Have I represented all conflicts or argumentative sides fairly?
Examples of Literature
Surveys

Organizational effectiveness
Organization theorists have defined
organizational effectiveness (OE) in various
ways. OE has been described in terms of
goals (Etzioni, 1960), efficiency (Katz and
Kahn, 1966), resources acquisition
(Yuchtman and Seashore, 1967). As Coutler
(2002) remarked, there is little consensus on
how to conceptualize, measure, or explain
OE.
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Examples of Literature
Surveys
Researchers are now moving away from a
single model and are taking contingency
approaches to conceptualizing OE
(Cameron, 1996; Wernerfelt, 1998; Yetley,
2001).

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 How to write references?
◼ Book
◼ Journal

◼ Online document

UiTM follows APA Style.

Refer to APA Style Referencing
 Format for Citing References

Author, A., & Author, B. (year). Title of book

(edition if not first). City: Publisher.
Book by a single author
◼ Leshin, C.B. (1997). Management on the

World Wide Web. Englewood Cliffs, NJ:

Prentice-Hall.

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 Format for Citing References

Author, A., & Author, B. (year). Title of book

(edition if not first). City: Publisher.

Book by more than one author

◼ Cornett, M., Wiley, B.J., & Sankar, S.
(1998). The pleasures of nurturing (2nd ed).
London: McMunster Publishing.

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 Format for Citing References

Journal Article
Author, A., & Author, B. (year). Title of article.
Title of Journal, volume number (issue
number), page numbers.
◼ Barry, H. (1996). Cross-cultural research with
matched pairs of societies. Journal of Social
Psychology, 79 (1), 25-33.
◼ Jeanquart, S., & Peluchette, J. (1997). Diversity in
the workforce and management models, Journal of
Social Work Studies, 43, 72-85. 35
 Format for Citing References
Referencing Electronic Sources
Author, A. (year, month day). Title of article.
Title of Newspaper. Retrieved from home
page web address
◼ Nader, C. (2009, June 19). Mental health
issues soar among children. The Age.
Retrieved from http://www.theage.com.au