REVIEW OF LITERATURE:Where to find the Research Literature

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Research Methods STA630

Lesson 8

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

A literature review is based on the assumption that knowledge accumulates and that we learn from and

build on what others have done. Scientific research is a collective effort of many researchers who share

their results with one another and who pursue knowledge as a community.

Today's studies build on those of yesterday. Researchers read studies to compare, replicate, or criticize

them for weaknesses.

Goals of a Literature Review

Reviews vary in scope and depth. Different kinds of reviews are stronger at fulfilling different goals of

review. The goals of review are:

1. To demonstrate a familiarity with a body of knowledge and establish credibility. A review tells

the reader that the researcher knows the research in an area and knows the major issues. A good

review increases a reader's confidence in the researcher's professional competence, ability, and

background.

2. To know the path of prior research and how a current research project is linked to it. A review

outlines the direction, ability, and background of research on a question and shows the

development of knowledge. A good review places a research project in a context and

demonstrates its relevance by making connections to a body of knowledge.

3. To integrate and summarize what is known in an area. A review pulls together and synthesizes

different results. A good review points out areas where prior studies agree, where they

disagree, and where major questions remain. It collects what is known to a point in time and

indicates the direction for future research. No reinventing the wheel. No wastage of effort.

4. To learn from others and stimulate new ideas. A review tells what others have found so that a

researcher can benefit from the efforts of others. A good review identifies blind alleys and

suggests hypotheses for replication. It divulges procedures, techniques, and research designs

worth copying so that a researcher can better focus hypotheses and gain new insights.

5. Identification of variables. Important variables that are likely to influence the problem situation

are not left out of the study.

6. Helps in developing theoretical framework.

7. Helps in developing theoretical framework.

Types of Reviews

When beginning a review, researcher may decide on a topic or field of knowledge to examine, how

much depth to go into, and the kind of review to conduct. There are six types of review:

1. Self-study reviews increase the reader's confidence. A review that only demonstrates

familiarity with an area is rarely published but it often is part of an educational program. In

addition to giving others confidence in a reviewer's command of field, it has the side benefit of

building the reviewer's self confidence.

2. Context reviews place a specific project in the big picture. One of the goals of review is

creating a link to a developing body of knowledge. This is a background or context review. It

introduces the rest of a research and establishes the significance and relevance of a research

Research Methods STA630

question. It tells the reader how a project fits into the big picture and its implications for a field

of knowledge. The review can summarize how the current research continues a developing line

of thought, or it can point to a question or unresolved conflict in prior research to be addressed.

3. Historical review traces the development of an issue over time. It traces the development of an

idea or shows how a particular issue or theory has evolved over time. Researchers conduct

historical review only on the most important ideas in a field.

4. Theoretical reviews compare how different theories address an issue. It present different

theories that purport to explain the same thing, then evaluates how well each accounts for

findings. In addition to examining the consistency of predictions with findings, a theoretical

review may compare theories for the soundness of their assumptions, logical consistency, and

scope of explanation. Researchers also use it to integrate two theories or extend a theory to new

issues. It sometimes forms a hybrid the historical theoretical review.

5. Integrative review summarizes what is known at a point in time. It presents the current state of

knowledge and pulls together disparate research reports in a fast growing area of knowledge.

6. Methodological reviews point out how methodology varies by study. In it researcher evaluates

the methodological strength of past studies. It describes conflicting results and shows how

different research designs, samples, measures, and so on account for different results.

Where to find the Research Literature

Computer: on line systems.

Scholarly journals.

Books containing reports of original research, or collection of research articles. READERS or

Book of Readings.

Dissertations.

Government documents.

Policy reports and presented papers.

Bibliographic indexes.

Referencing Electronic Sources:

· Ahmad, B. (2005) Technology and immediacy of information. [on line]

Available http://www.bnet.act.com

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