Literature review – an introduction

Caroline MalthusTe Puna Ako Learning Centre

© Unitec New Zealand 1

This session…

• Identify the purpose of a literature review• Describe the key features of a literature

review• Identify the differences between

descriptive writing and critical analysis• Describe a process for putting together a

literature review© Unitec New Zealand 2

From last session…

• Comments

• Questions?

© Unitec New Zealand 3

Assignment 1To critically evaluate theories and practice of capacity building within the framework of Social Practice, and develop a body of knowledge relevant to the development of capacity building in Aotearoa New Zealand.• To identify scholarly literature pertaining to

capacity building both national and international;• To identify two aspects of capacity building for an

extended literature review;• To critically evaluate the literature including the

concept of Capacity Building.

© Unitec New Zealand 4

Key requirements:

• Literature should include Books / Book chapters, Peer reviewed articles, Published Reports - both national and international.

• Word Limit: 3000 Words. This Assignment is 50% of the course.

• Work to be emailed to me by Due Date which is Tuesday 13th March

• grennie@unitec.ac.nz• Numbering each page is an important requirement for

your current lecturer. © Unitec New Zealand 5

Key features of a literature review:• Analysis

– What is the topic, why important and what are the issues?

• Synthesis / Relationships– What views are expressed by different

experts / authors?

• Evaluation / Implications– Identify strengths and weaknesses– how do these ideas connect with practice?

© Unitec New Zealand 6

Steps in the assignment writing process• Do research to get more ideas for your answer• Brainstorm ideas• Make a plan to guide research• Proofread and edit• Analyse the question• Sort ideas by planning the essay structure• Prepare references• Write drafts

Suggested process

1. Analyse the task2. Brainstorm ideas3. Make a plan to guide research4. Do research to get more ideas for your answer5. Sort ideas by planning the essay structure6. Write drafts7. Proofread and edit• Prepare reference list from Stage 4 onwards• Check with task often• Reading and writing may be on going

Reviewing the literature: process

• Determine your purpose– What is the question or problem at the centre of your

research?• Decide what to read (scan, skim, select) and how to

read it• Engage critically with the readings (study)

– Ask questions as you read• Make notes and organise your ideas

– List the important topics or themes to be covered• Write throughout the process

© Unitec New Zealand 9

• What are the main themes or topics to be covered?

• Start by pulling in everything that seems important– Brainstorm all the important topics and headings

to cover– Look for ways of clustering them into meaningful

groups• Then organise the material from the mind map into a

plan for writing– Look at examples

© Unitec New Zealand 10

Work out key themes: e.g. Craig (2007) article

• The nature of community• The practice of community development• Community capacity-building: scope and

definitions• Experience outside Europe• Capacity and partnership• A critique of community capacity-building

© Unitec New Zealand 11

Most academic texts should have:

• A structure– Introduction– Body – Conclusion

• In-text references and a reference list (APA)• Ideas which are explained and linked in paragraphs• Reader (lecturer) can see where the writer is taking

them• Excellent presentation and proof reading

© Unitec New Zealand 12

© Unitec New Zealand 13

Introduction

Theme 1: Partial

conclusion

Theme 2: Partial

conclusionTheme 3:

Partial conclusion

Final summary and conclusion

Background, definitions of key terms and concepts

Write in paragraphs• Paragraphs are the building blocks of academic writing

• A paragraph deals with one main idea

• This is usually stated at or near the beginning of the

paragraph

• The ideas is developed and discussed in the body of the

paragraph

• The idea is concluded in a way that leads to the next

paragraph

© Unitec New Zealand 14

Paragraphing and use of in-text references The emergence of evidence based practice in the field of social work has received a mixed reception. Some social workers feel that EBP is too mechanistic, “number crunching” and scientific and as such is contrary to the more reflective, humanistic nature of social work (Plath, 2006). Others feel that issues faced by social workers are often multifaceted and complex and that the EBP model may be too narrow to include these. While evidence from the literature in the field of medicine may look specifically at diagnosis or drug interventions, the types of situations which social workers deal with are rarely this specific and evidence from the literature cannot encompass their multifaceted nature (Morago, 2006). Webb (2001) further criticizes EBP on the basis that it suggests that opinion based judgement is somehow inferior to evidence based decision making and that reflective practice is of less benefit than researching the clinical evidence.© Unitec New Zealand 15

Making evaluative commentsThe authors provide a useful summary of ….

These studies have emphasised ……, which may be important because….

This survey of the literature suggests that this approach might be effective when….

It seems, therefore, that further investigations are needed in order to…

The research has tended to focus on ……, rather than….

Pointing out limitations:

To date the research has not addressed whether or not people who refuse to provide personal details are also likely to…

Begum and Mackintosh (2008) do not seem to have considered the more important question of whether…

The methods mention above suffer from some limitations mainly concerning the confidentiality of …

© Unitec New Zealand 18

• always focus on the relationship between the existing literature and your own ‘research questions’

• this will help you not to lose focus and purpose in your writing

• keep trying to answer the question “how does this help us to think about the problem?” or “how useful is this in addressing the problem?”

© Unitec New Zealand 19

Write with a planHave a set of headings or theme areas for your literature reviewWrite regularly and seek feedback on your writingFrom your lecturer (if available)From a learning advisor (Learning Centre)Keep trying to see your writing from your reader’s point of viewIs your argument clearly stated?

Academic writing is…

• Supported / Backed up

• Based on careful reading of evidence

• Read and use appropriate sources / references

• Cite / Reference every source

© Unitec New Zealand 20

What is referencing?

…a standard method of acknowledging

the sources of information and ideas

that you have used in your

assignment.

APA referencing system

In-text references• in sentences in the body of the assignment• shows where you’ve used ideas and words of an

expert• includes name of author and year

Reference List• on a separate page at the end of the assignment• list of materials you have consulted

© Unitec New Zealand 22

APA (6th ed.)referencing

style

In-text

Direct quotations Paraphrases

Reference list

In- text referencing:

Paraphrasing:- ideas of experts in your own words

- show your own understanding of the writer’s ideas

- NEED REFERENCES

- (Cottrell, 2003).

- Use most

Quotation-exact copied chunks of text from experts

-NEED REFERENCES

(Cottrell, 2003, p. 134).

-Use least <20%

© Unitec New Zealand 24

Useful links for referencing:Quickcite gives useful examples of a range of

different reference types:http://www.cite.auckland.ac.nz/index.phpThis link has good information about APA

referencing and exampleshttp://www.unitec.ac.nz/library2/help/citations.htmUnitec Blackboard: Academic Learning

Development

With post-grad students

Help you to analyse an assignment question + to planAct as readers for your assignments• Is it well structured?• Does it make sense? Is the language clear and accurate?

Is referencing accurate?• Is there anything that could be changed to improve it?• Does it generally seem to meet the lecturers

requirements?Help with reading of difficult text – talking through what

the text means.

© Unitec New Zealand 26

For help with writing:

Te Puna Ako Learning CentreContact our administrator ph 815 4321 ext 8611Also at Waitakere ph 815 4321 ext 5113Moodle site: Te Puna Ako Learning Centre

Facilities and services• Postgraduate workshop series• Space available for group study• Tutors available for feedback• Individual or group appointments

© Unitec New Zealand 27

References

© Unitec New Zealand 28

Bingham, T., (2008). Finding the Evidence: Library Skills for Evidence Based Social Work Practice. Retrieved March 2, 2009 fromhttp://www.library.auckland.ac.nz/subjects/edu/ebp/ebpsocialwork.htm

Cottrell, S. (2008). The study skills handbook. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Davies, M. (2012). Study skills for intenational postgraduates. London: Palgrave Macmillan

Godfrey, J. (2009). How to use your reading in your essays. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Swales, J., & Feak, C. (2004). Academic Writing for Graduate Students: A course for nonnative speakers of English (2nd Ed.). Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan Press.

University of Canberra. (2008). Writing a literature review. Retrieved from http://www.canberra.edu.au/studyskills/writing/literature

Waldevogel, J. (2001). Email and workplace communication: A literature review. Language in the Workplace Occasional Papers, 3, 1-12. Retrieved March 1, 2008 from http://www.victoria.ac.nz/lals/lwp/resources/occasional-papers.aspx

Wallace, M., & Wray, A. (2006). Critical reading and writing for postgraduates. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Exercise

Read the text, and identify the sentences which do the following work:

• Tell us the general topic• Limit this to a specific aspect• Tell us what work has already been done on this topic• Establish the theoretical framework the writer is basing her

study on• Identify research that supports the approach she plans to

take• Look for gaps in existing research

© Unitec New Zealand 29