LITERRITURE REVIEW DOING THE LITERATURE REVIEW

In general, a Literature Review is… A discussion of your knowledge about the topic under study supported by the research literature

More specifically, a Literature Review … Is a critical and evaluative account of what has been published on a topic Is meant to summarize, analyze and synthesize arguments of others Should reveal similarities and differences, consistencies and inconsistencies, and controversies in previous research Describe and analyze knowledge that exists and what gap still exists in the topic

The Literature Review is not… A study-by-study, or article-by-article, description of studies previously done A re-statement of the studies previously done A brief overview of articles

The Literature Review is therefore… organized around ideas, not the sources themselves assess previous studies and discuss their strengths and weaknesses highligting themes and issues the sources have in common

Purpose of a literature review Helps map and define your research topic Presents a balanced view Justifies your research question Provides literature for you to compare your findings with at the end of your research

When to review the literature? Three stages at which a review of the literature is needed: an early review to establish the context and rationale for your study and to confirm your choice of research focus/question; as the study period gets longer, you need to make sure that you keep in touch with current, relevant research in your field, which is published during the period of your research; as you prepare your final report or thesis, you need to relate your findings to the findings of others, and to identify their implications for theory, practice, and research Thus, literature review is a long process and is ongoing from the beginning to the end!

How to get started What is the specific thesis, problem, or research question that my literature review helps to define? What type of literature review am I conducting? Am I looking at issues of theory? methodology? policy? quantitative research? qualitative research? What is the scope of my literature review? What types of publications am I using (e.g., journals, books, government documents, popular media)? What discipline(s) am I working in (e.g., economics, psychology, sociology, medicine, engineering)? What time period? What geographical area? Start with narrow and work outwards? Or start wide before focussing in?

Four sources of knowledge or truth What sources of knowledge to review? Mythical Authoritative Logical Scientific

Ways of finding relevant materials Electronic sources References of references – a very good review article not only presents a coherent body of knowledge, but also list relevant and important articles Hand searching of journal – not all printed materials are available in the internet/online

Some more ideas/considerations Collecting and organizing materials – use endnotes Plagiarism – a big problem especially as materials are readily and freely available in the internet When to stop? Build an argument, not a library!

Writing the Literature Review As suggested by Wellington et al. (2005): It should be framed by your research questions. It must relate to your study. It must be clear to the reader where it is going: keep signposting along the way. Wherever possible, use original source material rather than summaries or reviews by others. Be in control, not totally deferent to or ‘tossed about by’ previous literature. Be selective. Ask ‘why am I including this?’ It is probably best to treat it as a research project in its own right. Engage in a dialogue with the literature, you are not just providing a summary.”

Structure of Literature Review Having a lot of literature to report on can feel overwhelming. It is important to keep the focus on your study, rather than on the literature (Wellington 2005). To help you do this, you will need to establish a structure: chronologically; although be careful not just to list items; you need to write critically, not just descriptively; by theme; this is useful if there are several strands within your topic that can logically be considered separately before being brought together; by sector e.g.: political background, practice background, methodological background, geographical background; by development of ideas; this could be useful if there are identifiable stages of idea development that can be looked at in turn; by some combination of the above, or by another structure you create.

Reviewing the Literature  Identify the topic (recall how to choose a topic)  Begin with a search of the available literature  Critically analyze each article (study) you select  Organize the review with an outline, and according to topic/subtopics  Write the review  Summarize the review  Using the literature, present a rationale for your study

Critically Analyzing the Literature  Abstract the author’s description of the study related to your area of interest? conclusions relevant?  Statement of the Problem restate the topic problem stated clearly? purpose? significance?  Hypothesis or Research Question(s) Clearly stated? Relevant? Related to your area of interest?  Assumptions Explicit assumptions? Implicit assumptions Similar to yours?

Critically Analyzing the Literature  Delimitations How was the study narrowed? Which considerations are relevant to your study?  Definitions Key concepts & terms?

Critically Analyzing the Literature  Method research design? population & sample? measurement? procedures?  Findings make sense? what do they say about your area of interest?  Discussion Presented clearly? Meaningful interpretations? Implications discussed? Suggestions or recommendations? Limits to practical application?  Conclusion What did you learn? Re-state your new knowledge

Organizing the Literature Search: the Tree Diagram subtopic Topic subtopic

Tree Diagram Example Capital structure Cash Flow Information asymmetry Debt capital Equity capital Dividend policy Share buyback Firm Value Agency problem

An Example Topic: Impact of Capital Structure on Firm Value I. Equity Capital A. Share buyback B. Dividend payment I. Debt Capital A. Information asymmetry B. Agency problem I. Impact to Cash Flow A. ROE B. ROA I. Firm Performance Look! An example!

Writing the Literature Review  Always begin with an introduction to the review & end with a summary  Make the connection for the reader between the subtopics & the topic  Use direct quotations infrequently  Always cite your sources  Present your knowledge on the topics & subtopics  Summarize each subtopic  Include a transition paragraph from one subtopic to the next

 Reiterate the research problem  Introduce the sub- topics Introduction Example paragraph 1 The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of poor coordination on the effective delivery of consultant services.  Effective organiza- tional structures  Service coordination practices  Consultants’ profes- sional support needs Example paragraph 2 Organizing the Literature Review

First Subtopic Discussion should in- clude:  How is the subtopic connected to the problem?  Your knowledge, based on the literature you have studied  Specify subtopics (if any)  Summary & transition  Mission & Pur- pose  Goals & objectives (planning)  Task units So, given all that, bla, bla, bla…., it is important to note the role of… Effective Organizational Structures In order for the coor- dination of services to be effective, a struc- ture must exist within which service units are organized and can operate. Etc, etc, … Long range strategic planning characterizes organizations with ef- fective internal struc- tures (Brown, 1997). Key to such an effort is the identification of…

Reviewing your review Useful questions at this stage include: What is the balance between description and comment? Have I missed out any important dimension of the argument, or literature? Have I supported the development of each step in my argument effectively? Is the material presented in the most effective order? Are there places where the reader is left with unanswered questions?

Reviewing your review (cont’d) Is every element of my research question supported by the preceding material? Have I explained to the reader the relevance of each piece of evidence? Is there any material that is interesting but which does not contribute to the development of the argument? Have I explained adequately the justification for this research approach / topic / question? Are my references up to date? How effective is my linking of all the elements?

Writing  Use APA style & format (or format specified by the University or journals)  Have your work proofread before submitting  Follow all format guidelines  Must be a thorough review, reflected by the depth of the discussion  And of course the review should be free of language errors

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