Chapter 3

Critically reviewing the literature

ByDileesha Sandeepana

To conduct a ‘preliminary’ search of existing material.

To organize valuable ideas & findings.

To identify other researches that may be in progress.

To generate research ideas.

To develop a critical perspective.

Reasons for reviewing literature

The literature review process

Deductive:

Developing a conceptual frame work which is tested using data.

Inductive:

Explores the data to develop theories which is then subsequently relate to the literature.

Approaches

To refine research questions & objectives.

To highlight research possibilities.

To discover recommendations for further research. To avoid repeating work.

To sample current opinions in newspapers & journals.

To provide insights into strategies, approaches & techniques.

Key purposes

Previewing

Annotating

Summarizing

Comparing & contrasting

Skills for effective reading

Why am I reading this?

What is the author trying to do in writing this?

What is the writer saying that is relevant to what I want to find out?

How convincing is this?

What use can I make of this reading?

Questions to ask yourself

Include key academic theories

Demonstrate that the chosen area is up to date.

Use clear referencing for the reader to find the original cited publications.

What you have to do?

A single chapter

A series of chapters

Throughout the report

Structure of the literature review

Demonstrate that you have read, understood & evaluated your material.

Link the different ideas to form a cohesive & coherent argument.

Make clear connections to your research objectives & the subsequent empirical material.

The key to a critical literature review

Literature Sources

Define the research parameters.

Generate key words.

Discuss your research.

Brainstorm ideas.

Construct Relevance trees.

The literature search strategy

Techniques

Searching the internet

Define the scope of your review.

Access relevance & value.

Access sufficiency.

Evaluating the literature

Biographic details.

Brief summary of content.

Supplementary information.

Recording the literature

Stealing from another source.

Submitting material written by another.

Copying material without quotation marks.

Paraphrasing material without documentation.

Plagiarism

Importance of critically reviewing literature. Approaches. Skills for effective reading. Structure of the literature review. Three main categories of sources. Literature search strategy. Evaluating. Recording.

Summary

Thank you…