LITERATURE REVIEW

literature review
a collection of summaries of papers or an
elaborated annotated bibliography of multiple
research manuscripts

the use of ideas in the literature to justify the
particular approach to the topic, the selection of
methods, and demonstration that this research
contributes something new

literature review
process of the review should explain how one piece
of research builds on another

creates a firm foundation for advancing
knowledge.

It facilitates theory development, closes areas
where a plethora of research exists, and uncovers
areas where research is needed

The development of a scholarly foundation
upon which the research is based.

It provides an extensive and a sophisticated
illumination of the research problem, which in
turn further refines the problem.

It nominates the key characters, issues and
benchmark studies for comparing the results of
research with other findings and engaging in
on-going scholarly discussion.

THE AIM OF THE LITERATURE REVIEW





It identifies any lacunae in the literature that
your particular study may assist in filling.

It assists in the generation of research
questions.

It also offers a framework for establishing the
importance or significance of the study.

It may provide insights into your own research
design and data collecting strategies.

THE AIM OF THE LITERATURE REVIEW
Research Problem
ANALYSIS
SYNTHESIS
LITERATURE REVIEW
What are the scholars saying
Reading the literature
Start here
Compare what the authors are saying
Identify themes or issues
Knowing what
Scholars have
concluded
Identifying issues
and themes
Discover relationships between themes/ issues
Integrate the literature so that it tells a story in its own right
Generate a conceptual framework of the literature
Continuous critiquing of conceptual framework
INTRODUCTION

The introduction of the literature should state very
clearly the purpose of your study.

As you start to become familiar with the
literature you might change the actual purpose
of the study. That is fine. However, you need a
tentative purpose to get the literature review
started.


INTRODUCTION

You will probably change the actual wording of the
purpose over the WEEKS as you refine your
understanding of your purpose and choose
appropriate words to reflect the nuances of your
study.

A clear and accurate articulation of your purpose is
pivotal for all your chapters. This statement
ultimately provides a rationale and justification for all
your choices. It is the axis of the literature review.

SUBSTANCE OF THE REVIEW

In your literature review you are more
than reporting previous research.
You are re-conceptualising the literature
to make YOUR ACADEMIC ARGUMENT
about how previous research illuminates
YOUR PARTICULAR PROBLEM (issue).
So each section of the review in fact
"tells a story" or argues a case.

SUBSTANCE OF THE REVIEW
generate research questions
embed the questions in the review.
After a reviewing a section it would be
very appropriate for you to conclude
Because of the major relevancy of this
issue in illuminating the complexity of the
research problem, the following question
evolved over time as the 1
st
, 2
nd
research
question to focus the conduct of the
research.
Synthesizing the literature is
reinterpreting not just reporting.

Throughout the review of each major
section, where it is appropriate, refer to
how some area is specifically related with
your research.

This phenomenon is particularly
relevant to the problem driving this
research because

At the end of each MAJOR section of a literature
review you should have a section called
summary.

In this subsection you do two things.

1. Summarise what the literature so far is saying
and how his illuminates the purpose.

2. This synthesis activity should be repeated for
every major section of the literature review.


What you are trying to do through this activity is
to alert the examiner that your review is
focused on the purpose and that you are
regularly synthesising the synthesis.

You are not waiting for the examiner to say:
SO WHAT?.

You are bluntly and succinctly telling the
examiner how each section illuminates / is
related to the research purpose.

Here you need to generate a grand
synthesis of the literature.
You review all the sub summaries (already
done) and in a couple of pages you argue
the conclusions from the literature on how
the scholarly work illuminates your research
problem.
One of the conclusions may indicate that
there has been little study done in your area
and your research will address a clearly
established lacuna in the area.
CONCLUSION

effective literature review
a) methodologically analyze and synthesize
quality literature,
b) provide a firm foundation to a research
topic,
c) provide a firm foundation to the selection
of research methodology, and
d) demonstrate that the proposed research
contributes something new to the overall
body of knowledge or advances the
research fields knowledge-base.

When to stop???
The literature search is an evolving
process in which the researcher is
digging into the literature
by uncovering additional literature that
may be applicable for the proposed study.
Funneling in
narrowing and
enlarging your
search, like a
concertina
windbag
to focus readers
common rule of thumb
Leedy and Ormrod (2005):
when one discovers that new articles only
introduce familiar arguments, methodologies,
findings, authors, and studies.
when reading a new literature piece, if one
will get the feeling that Ive seen this (or
something similar to it) before (p. 82)
when no new citations are discovered and
articles cited in newly discovered literature
have already been reviewed.

common rule of thumb
Webster and Watson (2002) observed:

You can gauge that your
review is nearing completion when you are
not finding new concepts in your article
set (p. 16).
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

In this section, you demonstrate to the reader
your really have synthesised the extensive
literature so as to re-conceptualise it as a
means of illuminating your research problem
as well as providing a relatively sophisticated
understanding of it.

At this stage a diagrammatic representation is
essential.


In this section you should generate a very
clear and logical argument/explanation of
your conceptual framework.
Refer often to the major headings in the
diagram as well as how the links (arrows)
in your diagram relate to other labels,
headings, issues of your conceptual
framework.
This section is extremely important. If the
reader cannot understand it, then your
framework is considered weak.
This section needs much reflection and
polishing.