Presentation developed from the above

by R. E. Edelson

Dawidowicz, P. (2010). Literature reviews made

easy: A quick guide to success . Charlotte, NC:
Information Age Publishing, Inc.
 “…an examination of scholarly information …on
a specific topic”
 “…a review of what’s known, not suspected or
assumed, about a specific subject.”
 “Its goal is to create a complete, accurate
representation of the knowledge and research-
based theory available on a topic.”
 It must have: “accuracy, [use] quality resources,
objectivity, thoroughness, and strong analysis.”

* All quotations in this presentation are from the subject text,

unless otherwise specified

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 What questions do you have about this topic?
 “The research question should be designed to
fill a gap in information available in literature
about a topic.”
 “The literature review’s goal, then, will be to
determine what is known, what is still
needed, and how [the dissertation] being
considered can help fill that need.”

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 A literature review must be comprehensive on
the topic
 Most topics worthy of a dissertation start out
too big for a feasible literature review
◦ How can I achieve world peace?
 The topic must be constrained to where the
literature review can address all that is
known about it
◦ How can I keep the kids from fighting over the last
cupcake?

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 Draft several questions, each of which considers
a different aspect of the topic
 For each of those questions, see whether there
are important subquestions that also should be
answered
 Keep doing this (sub-subquestions) as long as
your results remain significant, considering:
1. “Who will be interested in your question? Why is it
important to them?
2. “What period of time do you need to consider in your
[literature] review?”
 “You need to create realistic limits to the topic
you study.”

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 So what?
◦ Generalizability
 “…a relationship determined by the nature of the study
population and the larger population.”
 “…a starting point when examining similar groups…”
 “…the ability to predict.”
◦ Transferability
 In the eye of the reader. Do any of the following apply?
 “A similarity in circumstances
 “A similarity in groups
 “A potential total or partial explanation for an occurrence or
phenomenon”
◦ You must therefore be sure to describe the
circumstances, groups, and occurrences or phenomena
with sufficient detail

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 Research-based sources
◦ Primarily current, peer-reviewed articles
 Note though, that you must critique even peer-
reviewed articles, there are many journals of low
quality
 You need “high quality, logic-guided, bias-free
research…to get as close as possible to…reality…”
◦ How many? Enough to:
 “…gain a solid, unbiased picture of your topic.”
 “…several sources that draw the same conclusion
about a topic” for each conclusion
 Know who are the major and minor authors in the field
 Know the boundaries of the “box” and maybe how to
think outside of it

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 Local sources may be used to gain
perspective but they are always suspect as
they may not be objective or accurate. They
include:
◦ An organization’s documents (particularly
important for case studies)
◦ Newspaper and magazine articles
◦ Journals and historical accounts
◦ Videos

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 Reports of empirical research including
dissertations and studies
 Literature reviews
 Peer-reviewed summaries of peer-reviewed
articles
 Policy discussions
 Examinations of methodologies

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 In narrowing your topic, you have identified “some
initial parameters of, or factors impacting, the
topic…”
 Use these to develop your search strategy and search
for articles
 After you have “a preliminary idea of both the
research that’s been done…and the results of that
research.” “…create an outline of the points you will
consider…”
 Find articles that discuss “pros and cons,
confirmations and denials, and modifications of the
results of those initial articles and their results.” This
permits:
◦ Unbiased work that includes “analysis, comparison and
contrast, evaluation, synthesis, and integration…”

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 The literature review considers what is known
 There are two ways in which this information
can be related:
◦ Quotation
 A direct repetition of someone else’s words
◦ Paraphrase
 An expression of someone else’s meaning in your own
words

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 Advantages:
◦ When done properly, in context, it expresses exactly
what the author has said
 Disadvantages:
◦ It may be difficult or irrelevant to your purpose to give a
complete description of the context
◦ It does not demonstrate directly that you understand
what you’re quoting
◦ Often you must include words that are irrelevant to your
point
 And then you have to explain them away
 Conclusion:
◦ “Generally, quotations should only be used when the
wording used by an author is so exact and so valuable
that a writer can’t rephrase it better.”

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 “…a rephrasing of the information you’ve
read.”
 The challenge is to accurately convey what
the original author intended
◦ Don’t change the meaning
◦ Don’t “…add to, delete from, or misrepresent…”
 Note the italics, which are in the original
 Even though a paraphrase is in your words,
the thoughts are someone else’s—you must
cite the author(s)

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I. Introduction
a. An outline is a living document
b. A literature review must be highly organized, the
outline is the planning document for that
organization
II. Organization
a. There are a number of ways of organizing your
literature review, e.g. (more on this later):
i. By review process
ii. Chronologically
iii. Groups to be examined
III. Include authors, citations, quotations, and
ideas as reminders
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 Analysis
◦ The nature and details of the article—of what value is it?
 Comparison
◦ Determine “patterns of similarity within two or more
articles”
 Contrast
◦ Determine “differences between two or more articles”
 Evaluation
◦ “Consider how strong some evidence, conclusions, and
implications are”
 Synthesis
◦ Combine parts of articles that agree to make something
greater
 Integration
◦ Explain incompatible results to produce a more complete
view

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 “An examination of the integrity of an article”
1. “Is the logic behind the study sound?”
2. “Is the question being examined sufficiently narrowed,
and capable of being tested accurately?”
3. “Is the research design appropriate for the question
being examined?”
4. “…are [sufficient,] quality resources used in the
creation of the article that are treated in an unbiased
manner?”
5. “Do the data as reported appear to have been
appropriately interpreted?”
6. “Are the conclusions drawn appropriate for the design
and data collected?”
7. “What are the credentials of the contributors?”

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 When might you use an article that lacks integrity
or value?
◦ When the article is popular and expresses a viewpoint
that requires refutation before considered discussion
can proceed
 Unsupported assertions and myths
 Written by someone who is given credence by significant
people or numbers of people
◦ “…to demonstrate that the possibility, results, or
conclusions were considered so they can be eliminated”
(when there is no quality article that can be used for the
same purpose)
◦ When the article “suggest[s] a potential correlation or
relationship that should be considered…”

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 What is the structure of an analysis?
◦ Include the topics of importance for your research,
then:
1. Summarize those topics
2. Analyze the article’s strengths and weaknesses
I. Include consideration of the research design
a. What about “the importance of the size and composition
of the sample in relation to your topic”?
3. Discuss other characteristics of the article that are
important to you
 Note that this structure can be used within a
larger context, but all of the points must be
addressed

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 “A comparison considers the similarities
between two different articles to see whether
they support, or reinforce, each other.”
◦ Allows determination of the characteristics that
don’t change
 Types of similarities
Structural, e.g., Substantive, e.g.,
Theoretical frameworks Results
Research design Conclusions
Limitations Perceptions
Environment Goals

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 “A contrast…considers the differences
between two or more articles.”
◦ The opposite of a comparison
◦ May allow discovery of those characteristics “that
can lead to different outcomes”
 Types of differences
Structural, e.g., Substantive, e.g.,
Theoretical frameworks Results
Research design Conclusions
Limitations Perceptions
Environment Goals

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 Common to all comparisons and all contrasts
◦ Credit and citations for all authors
◦ Statement of similarities or differences, whether
explicit
 This says… This agrees with… This contradicts
or implicit
 Several researchers have indicated…(Jones, 2004, p.
23; Smith, 2003, p. 354), however, Doe (2004, p. 25)
found…
are supported by citations.”
◦ “Contextual tie into the overall topic”
 Relevance
 Importance

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 “Look for clear associations”
1. “Just how similar are the circumstances you’re
comparing?”
2. “Just how relevant to each other are these programs,
events, circumstances, or occurrences?”
3. “Are their goals different as a result?”
 “It’s important to understand the nature of
similarities between articles first because the
more differences you find, the weaker your
comparison is.”
◦ “If you have a narrow number of differences to consider,
then you can more effectively consider the importance of
each.”

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 “An evaluation is an assessment of what
you’ve learned from the literature in relation
[to your topic.]”
1. Allows you to “compare the value of the
information found in your articles…[to] your
real-life example.”
2. Allows you to evaluate the generalizability
of the information you’ve gathered”
◦ Can you apply it to your topic?

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 Consider:
1. “How well linked is your evaluation point?”
 Close, not distant
2. “How much can the topic of the literature help you
evaluate your topic, situation, or event?”
 Is that of the article similar to yours?
 Placement of your evaluation
◦ “…at the end of all comparisons and contrasts as
part of the synthesis and integration”
◦ “…at the end of your discussion of each major
comparison and contrast point.”
◦ Or both, with differing emphasis and breadth

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 “Weav[es] together the agreeing, complementary
ideas of different researchers to create a whole
picture of how different pieces of research
support each other.”
 Caution! Avoid:
◦ Faulty logic
◦ Inappropriately or inaccurately understood or applied
information
◦ Overgeneralization
 Synthesis goes beyond the details of comparison
“to look at larger instances of commonality”—“an
overall picture of what is known”

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 Structure
◦ Begins with “an overview or introduction of your topic”
◦ “The literature that’s relevant is cited.”
◦ “The focus is on how these pieces fit together to create
an overall picture of what is known.”
 Take care with the logic trail you are creating
◦ “…creates a framework for future research…”
 “…it provides the basis for any conclusions made or future
plans created.”
 In many cases, it is a statement of the theory by which you
will conduct your research
◦ “Syntheses are summaries because they combine
information already discussed earlier in the literature
review”

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 “Integration …[is] the process of finding a
way to make seemingly contradictory ideas
form some type of logical complementary
picture.”
◦ e.g., reconciling varied or even conflicting results
1. Identify what they are
2. Describe how they are different
3. Explain why they are different
4. Say what, if anything, you’re going to do about it
 Beware of “faulty logic, inaccurately
understood or applied information, or
overgeneralization”

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 Analyses: selection of articles that are valuable to
your topic or research design
 Comparisons and contrasts: Description of how
articles reinforce each other or differ
 Syntheses and integrations: Why articles reinforce
each other or differ
◦ The identification and creation of frameworks or theories
 Evaluations: Stating how all of the above are
relevant
 Ultimately, these approaches reveal a concise
picture of what is known and understood about
your topic and what is yet to be done

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 Various plans, such as:
◦ By process of the review
I. Introduction
II. Analysis of literature
III. Comparison and Contrast
IV. Evaluation against my topic
V. Synthesis and Integration of literature
VI. Conclusions
◦ A rather rigid structure that “can limit your ability to
present arguments effectively”
◦ This structure, while never wrong, is difficult to
follow for a complex topic

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◦ By time, where chronology is important to your
readers’ understanding, e.g.,
I. Introduction or I. Introduction
II. Baby Boomers II. Early Work
III. Generation X III. 1950-1970
IV. Millennials IV. 1971-1990
V. Internet Generation V. 1991-Present
VI. Conclusions VI. Conclusions

◦ This approach works well when there are

commonalities that are time-dependent
◦ Note that the right-hand approach must be relevant
to the topic, not just to the chronology of the
research

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◦ By groups, where group characteristics or
organizational divisions are important to your
readers’ understanding, e.g.,
I. Introduction
II. Accounting
III. Marketing
IV. Engineering
V. Research
VI. Conclusions
◦ This approach applies when there are important
organizational distinctions

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◦ By subtopics, particularly where the methodologies
required in their investigation differ, e.g.,
I. Introduction
II. Mental Models
A. Theory
B. Making Mental Models Explicit: Methodologies
III. Job Satisfaction
A. Discussion
B. Assessing Job Satisfaction: Methodologies
IV. Group Effectiveness
A. Discussion
B. Assessing Group Effectiveness: Methodologies
V. Conclusions
◦ This approach is useful for integrating disparate
concepts not commonly related

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 ◦ And so forth
 The key points are:
◦ Your literature must have a structure, it is NOT an
annotated bibliography
◦ Your literature review must exhibit your critical
thinking as it is applied to your topic by using the
skills outlined above
◦ The structure you choose depends on your topic
◦ The structure you choose may be completely
different than that of your first outline because you
have learned much more about your topic since that
first cut

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 Note that all of the example structures begin
with an Introduction
 “Your Introduction should:
◦ “Begin with your basic topic,
◦ “Explain why it’s important, and
◦ “Describe what your perspective or interest is.”

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 Note that all of the example structures end with
Conclusions
 Your Conclusions “should restate:
1. “Your topic or question
2. “The reason your topic or question is important
3. “The main points your critique of research revealed
4. “Your conclusions
5. “What it means to …your research study” and your “so
what?”
 The Conclusion is a summary, there are no
citations and it should point out future research
that should be done, including yours

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