How to Write Chapter 2- Review of the Related Literature and Studies

The review of the related literature and studies is one of the components of a research process. A
researcher needs to review the write-ups, readings, and studies related to the present study in order to
determine the similarities and differences of the findings between the past and present studies. This also
aims to gain insight into the aspects of the problems that are critical and controversial. Likewise, a review of
related readings, literature and studies provides the investigator a background regarding the aspects, which
have been studied and not yet studied. It also assists the researcher on what to do on the components of the
research process; this also gives the ideas to proceed with the study until its completion.
Furthermore, the researcher should have the ability to compare between what should be read and
included in the study and what should not be read. The investigator is required to read all literature and
studies partially and closely related to the study.
Related readings, literature, and studies must directly bear or relation to the present study. In
research writing, review of related literature is divided into three parts, these are (1) related readings and
literature (2) related studies, and (3) relevance or justification of the reviewed literature and studies to the
present study.

Related Readings
The major sources of related readings are laws and department directives such as circles, orders
and memoranda, which are related to the present study. These laws and department directives serve as legal
bases for the paradigm of the study. This also presents as having direct or indirect implications to the
government thrusts in presents the related readings chronologically either from the past readings to most
recent readings or vice versa.
For instance, the study on the Correlation of National Secondary Achievement Test (NSAT)
Percentile rank and Achievement of Bachelor of Science in Accountancy (BSA) first year college students of
selected urban colleges and universities in the National Capital Region (NCR). An example of related
readings is the Presidential Decree about the National Secondary Assessment Test, which maintains the
highest quality of education for the purpose of national development
The following guidelines on effective writing of the literature and review can guide the researcher:
1. Research papers must be written in a formal style, which is in the third person, not the first
person.
2. Avoid highly descriptive writing style, not appropriate for a scholarly research.
3. Use the active voice for direct impact and easy understanding.
4. Avoid the use of jargon; use familiar terms in place of terminologies.
5. Language should be neutral gender, no sexy language like his.
6. Make the conclusions and contradictions found in the literature clear in the report.
7. Use short sentences; avoid elongated and run-on expressions.
8. Use proper grammar and proofread the work.
9. Never plagiarize; give credit to the original author of ideas.
 10. Pay attention to the structure and form of published articles, which are good examples of how
literature reviews can be written

Example 1.
Peters (1993) claims that job-related stress can enhance productivity up to a certain point. There is,
however, a threshold point beyond which stress becomes a harmful factor in one’s productivity. On the other
hand, Saunders (1999) averred that, in his experience as a clinical psychologist, stresses always produce a
negative effect on one’s productivity.
Examples 2:
“The ideas of using the sample mean as a measure of central tendency has a long-standing history.
It is almost automatic tendency and reaction of the people confronted with a mass of data to add the set of
numbers and divided the two totals by the number of observations. Gauss (1989) however, demonstrated
that he sample mean indeed satisfies an optimality criterion when the original observations are normally
distributed.”
Related Studies
Related studies in contrast to related literature are works based on empirical data. In reviewing
related studies, one must be careful to the: (1) problem, (2) methodology, including the sampling plan, (3)
instrument used, (4) findings, and (5) conclusions. The researcher reviews such studies by commenting on
the research design used. Given the problem statement, is the design appropriate to answer the problem
posed. He proceeds to comment on the plausibility and scope of applicability of the findings given in the
information on the research design and instrument used by the researcher.
At the end of the researcher’s review, he explains how the study being reviewed relates to the present
study and identifies similarities and differences with the present study.
In reviewing related studies, the researcher carefully notes the following points:
1. The researcher’s motivation for conducting the study (this is usually found in the
introduction)
2. The statement of the problem;
3. The variable involved in the study, including their quantifications;
4. The research design, including the sampling plan utilized by the investigator;
5. The major results and conclusions.
The researcher reviews both local and foreign studies in order to give a balanced presentation of the
investigations begin conducted in various settings. Foreign studies may have some biases in terms of the
cultural background of the respondents of the study, and therefore, there is a need to review local studies
conducted on the same topic so that the effects of cultural differences may be ascertained.
 Both local and foreign studies are normally reviewed on chronological order to establish the time-
order progression of the topic. Conflicting results may be observed because of the differences in: (1)
population frame, (2) research design, (3) statistical test employed, and (4) absence or presence of a
appropriate controls.
The use of following phrases and expressions that help express related literature and studies are:
In 1999, Dizon stresses that…
From the book of Espidido entitled “Practice of Research” published by the National
Bookstore Inc., in 1999 expounded that…
Gay (1998) said that…
Fox (1990) suggested that…
Gates (1998) pointed out that…
Punzalan (1980) used…
Flanders system focused…
Amido’s and Hunters system investigated…
Barne’s system made detailed and interesting…
Bellack, et al., proposed
Malcolhm, on the other hand credited for…
Costales largely based on the…
Zulueta postulated that these…
Nebrez directed that…

Example 1:
Bernard’s pointed out that good teachers vary their combination of traits but the listed
characteristics do indicate what teachers should strive for (1999)