Post on 22-Feb-2023
WRITING A LITERATURE REVIEWAdvice for Searching, Organizing and Synthesis of Your Literature Review Process
DEFINITION OF A LITERATURE REVIEW:…BOTH BASIC AND FUNDAMENTAL
“A research literature review is a systematic, explicit, and reproducible method for identifying, evaluating, and synthesizing the existing body of completed and recorded work produced by researchers, scholars, and practitioners.”
Fink (2005) Conducting Research Literature Reviews
DEFINITION OF A LITERATURE REVIEW…WHY DO A LITERATURE REVIEW?
• Identify Investigations similar to your own
• Learn about methods or techniques
• Reveal relevant data sources• Identify researchers in your area
• Stimulate new ideas to problem solving
• Place your study in historical context
DEFINITION OF A LITERATURE REVIEW:…TYPES OF REVIEWS
Traditional Reviews assess the history, theories and methods of a subject.
Conceptual Reviews synthesize conceptual knowledge that contributes to awareness of an issue or subject matter.
Expert Reviews rely heavily on someone’s body of professional knowledge.
State of the Art focuses on the most recent research expecting that you know the background.
Scoping Review focuses on clarifying key questions in the literature, setting the stage for addressing those knowledge gaps.
Environmental Scanning casts a broad net to review the social, technological, economic, educational, political, legal and ethical issues of any specific subject. (Not limited to peer-review resources).
PROJECT MANAGEMENT:…THE CONCEPT MAP
What is a Concept Map?
It is a way to visualize your research and help assist you in your eventual search for
resources.
People & Places
Questions of
Interest
Organizations to review
Thesis Statement
PROJECT MANAGEMENT:… BIBLIOGRAPHIC SOFTWARE
Refworks is available through your University’s
database options.
SEARCHING STRATEGIES:…INFORMATION DETECTIVE
• Be patient in finding resources
• Experiment with terminology• Use advanced Boolean operators
• Understand ‘thoroughly’ the database you are searching
• Ask for help from the librarian
SEARCHING STRATEGYTHE RESEARCH QUESTION
Personal Experience with a Challenging Research
Endeavour
I was asked once to provide a literature review on Knowledge Transfer mechanisms. The literature is large and complex. Without a focus from the project leader, I found myself with too broad a mandate. The first few drafts were far too broad… we eventually focused on the professional roles of Knowledge Transfer.
Personal Experience with a Clear Research Endeavour
A clear literature review experience was being asked to find out about interventions for helping women who develop Lymphedema after Breast Cancer
• Surgery (Laser, conventional, etc.)
• Clothing• Exercise• Drug Treatment
SEARCHING STRATEGIES… FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF REGINA
Provides a strategy for breaking down your question into searchable concepts/keyword
s.
SEARCHING STRATEGY:…SOME BASIC ADVICE
Search for information using your selected key words
Skim, scan and reflect on the articles you’ve found.
Identify other keywords, authors, etc. from the articles you’ve identified.
Keep track of your searches in Excel or Word.
Remember to use Boolean advanced searching techniques (which your librarian help you with).
SEARCHING STRATEGY:…REMEMBER TO USE CITATION ANALYSIS
Use Google Scholar to find articles that
cite your ‘ideal paper’, then search for the full-text in your databases
SEARCH STRATEGY:…WHEN TO END THE SEARCH
When should I end my search?
• Keep retrieving the same authors/papers in continued searches.
• Keeping finding the same opinions.
Additional questions to ask
• Have you searched all the appropriate resources?
• Are there any gaps in the information sources searched?
• Have you used Complex search statements as required by individual databases?
• Have you identified all the relevant references?
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:…NOW WHAT?
You now have retrieved academic resources
through your searching strategy. Now what do you do? How to you
approach your Literature Review?
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:… CRITIQUE OF A RESEARCH ARTICLEPrima Facie Elements
Title Witty titles in Academia are fun, but a straightforward title is the most valuable title.
Abstract Well structured abstracts will have a clear purpose, method, theoretical background (if any), results and/or conclusions
Tables Clear tables with labels and explanations. You should not have to interpret what the table means.
Writing Style Understandable? Too Technical?
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:…CRITIQUE OF A RESEARCH ARTICLEJustification for Research
Nature and Intent of ResearchIs there a clear research question or problem? An understandable Thesis statement?
Is it clear they are collecting quantitative or qualitative data?
Why do we need this knowledge? Does it answer a “So what?” test?
Does it answer the ‘So What?’ test?
How does the journal article or book you’re reviewing contribute to the literature?
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:…CRITIQUE OF A RESEARCH ARTICLE
Data CollectionDo the data actually match the intentions of the research?
Is the methodology sound? An attempt to reduce subjectivity?
Bias and LimitationsBias can be defined as any influence, condition, or set of conditions that singly or together distort the data. Were there guidelines for the data collection?
Do questions asked actually provide real data?
Just because something is published, does not make it logical, sound
and relevant!
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:…PROCESS FOR REVIEW
• Examine the literature• Evaluate the research• Establish their position
• Compare to other research
• Argue your point
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:…LOGICAL ANALYSIS OF AN ARGUMENT
Other Important Skills Logical Fallacies
Ad Hominem / Tu Quoque Appeal to Authority Appeal to Common Practice Red Herring Straw Man Begging the Question False Dichotomy
Deductive Reasoning Inductive Reasoning Moral Reasoning Arguing Back
Logical Analysis concerns the structure of an argument. If I say, “All Vulcans are pink. Mr. Spock is a Vulcan. Therefore Mr. Spock is Pink”, then I am saying something perfectly logical. When analyzing someone’s argument, pay attention to the structure as well as the content.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS…USING EXCEL FOR YOUR LIT REVIEW
Using Excel to classify literature into meaningful
categories.
WRITING YOUR REVIEW:…SOME POINTS TO REMEMBER
• More than just a description, it critically compares and contrasts.
• It is original, in your voice.
• It is fair (unbiased)…assessing resources for and against your position.
• Identifies knowledge gaps.
WRITING YOUR REVIEW:…TRADITIONAL STRUCTURE OF REVIEW
Example of a structure for a traditional narrative literature review.
WRITING YOUR REVIEW…SOME OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Explain your topic clearly
Bring to light the important connections in the literature Theoretical vs. Empirical Longitudinal, Survey, Focus Group Analysis
Health, Economic, Policy, etc.Geographical Highlights
Don’t be afraid to criticize; Don’t be afraid to praise
WRITING YOUR REVIEW… TWO VITAL POINTS ABOUT WRITING YOUR REVIEW
Write it Down!If you have an interesting thought about your lit review, make sure to write it down. Put it in Word, Google Docs, use your Smartphone or Tablet device. Don’t lose the thought!
Write as you Go!Don’t wait for the ‘perfect’ moment to write your review. Start writing now… keep writing down your ideas and observations. It is easier to cut material later, then write it up in the last week.
WRITING YOUR REVIEW:…UTILIZE AVAILABLE SERVICES
Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Utilize all the services at your
disposal to improve your research and your writing.
WRITING YOUR REVIEW… EXAMPLE IN THE LITERATURE
Presented a clear mandate…
“relevant literature on the use of
phenomenology as a research
method in music education research”
They have even provided the thematic
categories:
General EducationMusic ResearchMusic education
researchDissertations
Important figuresThemes
The Future
WRITING YOUR REVIEW… ESTABLISHING RELEVANCY
The author uses a lengthy quote (perhaps too lengthy) for
establishing a need for
understanding lived
experiences...setting up the
paper to assess qualitative methods, more specifically, phenomenology.
WRITING YOUR LITERATURE REVIEW…AUTHOR DEFINES HIS TERMS
The author defines what he
means by “phenomenology”
.
WRITING YOUR REVIEW… PROVIDES A TARGET AUDIENCE
The author also provides us with an assessment of
the target audience. “helpful for those who are
new to phenomenology”
WRITING YOUR REVIEW… MISSING METHODOLOGY
Author DID NOT include details on the methods of the
review. What databases were searched? What
terminology were used? How do we really know it was
comprehensive?
WRITING YOUR REVIEW… MOVING YOUR IDEAS FORWARD
See how much information was communicated in JUST ONE sentence.
WRITING YOUR REVIEW… REINFORCING YOUR MESSAGE
Notice how the author reinforces his message, supports the main proposition about using
phenomenology in music education research.
WRITING YOUR REVIEW… NOTE THE USE OF TABLES
Although tables are nice to view, what is this table actually telling us? We’re not actually
looking at a summary of data…such as a table that would provide the exact number of articles retrieved in “Musical Nuance”, “Musical Education”, etc. What is the percentage?
WRITING YOUR REVIEW… MISSING CATEGORY
At the beginning, the abstract indicates that the review is
divided into different categories,
including “the Future” but that category does not
exist in this paper. Is it buried in the
Conclusion? If so, the author should indicate this
clearly.
WRITING YOUR REVIEW… CONCLUDING REMARKS
The author is summing up the literature in his conclusion, providing a way to interpret the
literature reviewed… it is championed due to the
‘real life people’ sharing their experiences.
WRITING YOUR REVIEW… CONCLUDING REMARKS
The author is exploring possibilities for future
endeavours in the conclusion.
PLAN OF ACTION:…HOW TO THINK ABOUT THIS PROCESS
1. Compose a Concept Map2. Formulate a basic Research Question3. Talk to your professor & Librarian 4. Search the top Five Databases
a. Record your searchesb. Store important articles in bibliographic software
5. Read a few of the Articlesa. As you read, put important info into Word or Excelb. DO NOT be preoccupied with perfection at this
stage6. Re-work, reformulate you concept map and
research question7. Seek Advice again from your Professor and
Librarian8. Write a Draft
THINGS TO REMEMBER Coverage
Reasons for inclusion / exclusion of a paperSynthesis
What has been done in a field, what must be done
Placed the topic in a broad field Placed in historical context Acquired and enhanced subject vocabulary Articulated important variables & phenomena
Synthesized and gained new perspectiveComposition
What you add is an effective, analytical, original assessment of previously published information