3. Reviewing the literature

KNOWLEDGE FOR THE BENEFIT OF HUMANITYKNOWLEDGE FOR THE BENEFIT OF HUMANITY

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY (HFS4343)

REVIEWING THE LITERATURE

Dr.Dr. MohdMohd RazifRazif ShahrilShahril

School of Nutrition & Dietetics School of Nutrition & Dietetics

Faculty of Health SciencesFaculty of Health Sciences

UniversitiUniversiti Sultan Sultan ZainalZainal AbidinAbidin

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S C H O O L O F N U T R I T I O N A N D D I E T E T I C S • U N I V E R S I T I S U L T A N Z A I N A L A B I D I N

Topic Learning Outcomes At the end of this lecture, students should be able to;

• define the functions of the literature review in research.

• explain how to carry out a literature search

• describe how to review the selected literature

• outline how develop theoretical and conceptual

frameworks

• discuss how write a literature review

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What is Literature Review?What is Literature Review? •• Is a critical and in depth evaluation of previous Is a critical and in depth evaluation of previous

research. research.

•• It is a summary and synopsis of a particular area of It is a summary and synopsis of a particular area of

research, allowing anybody reading them to research, allowing anybody reading them to

establish why you are pursing this particular establish why you are pursing this particular

research.research.

•• It is NOT a chronological catalog of all sources, BUT It is NOT a chronological catalog of all sources, BUT

an evaluation, integrating the previous research an evaluation, integrating the previous research

together, and also explaining how it integrates into together, and also explaining how it integrates into

the proposed research. the proposed research.

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Functions of Literature Review • It provides a theoretical background to your study.

• It helps you establish the links between what you are

proposing to examine and what has already been

studied.

• It enables you to show how your findings have

contributed to the existing body of knowledge in your

profession.

• It helps you to integrate your research findings into the

existing body of knowledge.

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Functions of Literature Review

It provides a theoretical

background to your study.

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It helps you establish the links

between what you are proposing to

examine and what has already been

studied.

It helps you to integrate your

research findings into the existing

body of knowledge.

It enables you to show how your

findings have contributed to the

existing body of knowledge in your

profession.

.


Functions of

Literature

Review (cont.)

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Broaden your Broaden your knowledge base in knowledge base in your research areayour research area

Bring Bring clarity and clarity and focus to focus to

your your research research problemproblem

Contextualise your Contextualise your findingsfindings

Improve Improve your your

research research methodmethod

WAYS WAYS LITERATURE LITERATURE REVIEW REVIEW HELPS YOUHELPS YOU

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Bringing clarity and focus to your

research problem

• Literature review shapes the research problem.

• What aspects of your subject area have been examined

by others?

• What they have found out about these aspects?

• What gaps they have identified?

• What suggestions they have made for further research?

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Improving your research methodology

• A literature review tells you if others have used

procedures and methods similar to the ones that you are

proposing

• Which procedures and methods have worked well for

them?

• What problems they have faced with their methods?

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Broadening your knowledge base in your

research area

• By conducting literature review, it ensures you read

widely around the subject area in which you intend to

conduct your research study.

• What other researchers have found in regard to the

same or similar research questions?

• What theories have been put forward?

• What gaps exist in the relevant body of knowledge?

• Helps you to understand how the findings of your study

fit into the existing body of knowledge.

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Enabling you to contextualise your

findings

• The difficult part is examining how your findings fit into

the existing body of knowledge.

• How do answers to your research questions compare

with what others have found?

• What contribution have you been able to make to the

existing body of knowledge?

• How are your findings different from those of others?

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How to Review Literature

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Searching for the existing literature in your area of study

Reviewing the selected literature

Developing a theoretical framework

Developing a conceptual framework


Searching for the existing literature in

your area

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Books Journals Online Databases


Searching for the existing literature in

your area (cont.)

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Reviewing the selected literature

• Start reading the selected literature critically to pull

together themes and issues that are of relevance to your

study.

• If you don’t have a theoretical framework, it will be

developed roughly at this point.

• Slot the information carefully and critically where it

logically belongs under the themes in theoretical

framework so far developed.

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Reviewing the selected literature (cont.)

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Developing a theoretical framework

• Paradox – “until you go through the literature you cannot

develop a theoretical framework, and until you have

developed a theoretical framework you cannot effectively

review the literature”.

• Solution – to read some of the literature and then attempt to

develop a framework, even a loose one, within which you can

organise the rest of the literature you read.

• Without a draft version of theoretical framework, you will be

lost in doing literature review.

• Theoretical framework consists of the theories or issues in

which your study is embedded.

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Developing a conceptual framework

• Conceptual framework stems from the theoretical

framework and focuses on the section(s) which become

the basis of your research problem.

• The conceptual framework describes the aspects you

selected from the theoretical framework to become the

basis of your enquiry.

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e.g. Conceptual Framework

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e.g. Conceptual Framework

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Writing Literature Review • Broad purposes of a literature review are

– to provide a theoretical background to your study

– to enable you to contextualise your findings in relation to the

existing body of knowledge in addition to refining your

methodology.

• The content of literature review should reflect these two

purposes.

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Purpose 1: Provide theoretical background

• The literature review should;

– identify and describe various theories relevant to your field

– specify gaps in existing knowledge in the area, recent advances

in the area of study, current trends etc.

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Purpose 2: Contextualize findings*

• The literature review should;

• integrate the results from your study with specific and relevant

findings from the existing literature by comparing the two for

confirmation or contradiction

* have to wait till you are at the research report writing stage


The structure of literature review

• “The Inverted Triangle”

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The structure of literature review (cont.)

Like an essay, a literature review has:

1. Introduction: Explains the broad context of research area,

the main topics you and briefly highlights relevant

issues/debates in your field of research.

2. Main body: An analysis of the literature according to a

number of themes or topics that overlap. Headings are useful

- make sure to check they link together and tell a coherent

"story".

3. Conclusion: Summarizes the current state of the research

and should identify any gaps or problems with the existing

research, and explain how your investigation is going to

address these gaps or build on the existing research.

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Critical vs. Analytical

• Critical analysis means asking yourself whether you

agree with a viewpoint and if so, why? What is it that

makes you agree or disagree?

• Your literature review needs to tell an interesting "story"

which leads up to how and why you are doing your

investigation.

• If your story is comparing, contrasting and evaluating the

previous literature, you are on the right track.

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Critical vs. Analytical

• Analytical – Synthesizes the work and succinctly passes

judgment on the relative merits of research conducted in

your field.

• Being analytical also means you have to reveal

limitations or recognize the possibility of taking research

further, allowing you to formulate and justify your aims

for your investigation.

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Tips in writing literature review

• Begin with an introduction and end with a summary.

• Use headings and sub-headings.

• Connect between topic and sub-topics.

• Use direct quotations INFREQUENTLY.

• Always cite the sources.

• Include your own knowledge.

• Summarizes each subtopic.

• A transition paragraph from one subtopic to another is

useful.

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Tips in writing literature review (cont.)

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ReadRead thethe wholewhole articlearticle first!first!

UnderstandUnderstand thethe discussiondiscussion..

Appraise,Appraise, dodo notnot merelymerely describedescribe..

DoDo notnot justjust quotequote fromfrom thethe abstractabstract..

NeverNever “copy“copy andand paste”paste” sentencessentences..

QuoteQuote thethe findingsfindings andand commentcomment..

UseUse subsub--headings/chaptersheadings/chapters toto arrangearrange..

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T • define

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T • define

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Thank YouThank You

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3. Reviewing the literature

Health & Medicine

Transcript of 3. Reviewing the literature